Charles F. Outland

The wealth of detail and investigatory explanation available in a book is always to be preferred to any abridged or shorter work. For example: The source of reports that water department officials in Los Angeles knew the dam was unsafe is explored in much more detail. The rumors were based solely on the testimony of Dave Mathews, a dam worker who had insisted under oath at the trial to investigate the disaster that Tony Harnischfager, the damkeeper, (awful lot of dams in this paragraph, I hope I don't get into trouble with the righteous) said he had overheard Mulholland and another engineer say the dam was unsafe. The two engineers had been brought out to the dam from Los Angeles the day before the disaster to investigate reports of muddy water leaks (muddy, as opposed to clear, water would indicate erosion of the foundation, a very serious problem).

Mulholland had attributed the mud in the water to gravel and dirt picked up by the water after it left the dam - all dams leak to some extent. Mulholland wanted to reduce the water level of the dam, but, ironically, they had no place to dump the water, because Los Angeles and the runoff canals were in a state of surplus. There is no question the damkeeper was afraid of the dam, and the fact that his girlfriend was found fully clothed - most bodies were found naked or in night clothes, as the dam collapsed in the early morning - upstream from their cottage, which was located one-quarter mile below the dam, lends credence that she and Tony were fleeing the area as Tony had said they would. Or, she may have been on the dam with Tony - whose body was never discovered - investigating additional leaks when the dam collapsed. Outland's book - he was an adolescent living downstream from the dam when it collapsed and was fortunate to be able to seek safety in a school - reveals a classic case of hubris. Mulholland was at the peak of his fame. He had successfully completed several extraordinary water projects, and few dared question his judgment. The force of the avalanche of water and mud that was released by the collapse was extraordinary. The height of the first wave for the first few miles was calculated to be one hundred to one hundred and forty feet high. It crushed the concrete powerhouse No. 2 that was over sixty-five feet high. Huge pieces of the dam weighing more than 10,000 tons were washed more than one-half mile down the canyon. Outland, by careful examination of the records, discovered deliberate attempts after the fact, to alter evidence in order to relieve the water and electric departments of liability for not having conveyed a warning to those downstream in time to prevent additional loss of life. The water, at its fastest, traveled about 18 miles per hour, and clearly many of those who lived miles downstream might have been saved with adequate warning. This fascinating book compares favorably with David McCullough's classic of the Johnstown flood caused by the collapse of its dam. [b:The Johnstown Flood|2371|The Johnstown Flood|David McCullough|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1188171928s/2371.jpg|1391380]… (más)