Mulholland himself, ever the civil engineer, designed the St. Francis Dam, 15 miles north of Los Angeles proper, to help hold water inside a large reservoir. Crucially — and fatally — there ...

Mulholland was called back to the site on March 12, 1928, after dam keeper Tony Harnischfeger detected a leak on the west abutment. The structure, however, seemed sound to Mulholland, who returned ...

Explore the 1928 dam collapse, the second deadliest disaster in California history. A colossal engineering failure, the dam was built by William Mulholland, who had ensured the growth of Los ...

The St. Francis Dam burst, sending 12.6 billion gallons of water 15 stories high racing through Santa Clarita, Saugus, Saticoy, Piru, Fillmore and Santa Paula.

Again, the dam’s chief engineer – William Mulholland – declared it was normal. On the morning of its collapse, Mulholland and ...

Mulholland Drive sits high atop the Santa Monica Mountains, overlooking the vast expanse of the Los Angeles Basin. If you’ve ever been there, the view is especially spectacular at night: With ...