The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 26

APRIL 13, 1928 Responsibility for St. Francis Dam Disaster Placed With Water Board SUCCESS OF FROLIC FORECAST FIVE ALHAMBRA BOYS IN FINALS Many Names Added lo Gambol List flOLLAPSE DECLARED DUE TO ENGINEERING ERROR Coroner Verdict Finds Foundation Built on Inferior Structure; More Safeguards Urged r- rifle dcUiuction wrought by the collapse. DEFECTS LISTED "The dam was hi a defective condition due to the following: First: The dam was built upon two formations meeting at a fault contact, which naturally caused a line of across the axis of the dam. Second: The schist upon which about two-thirds of the mass of the main dam rested, is a weak material, badlv shattered, very susceptible to seepage of water, and to slippage along the planes of cleav- "Third: The dip and strike of the planes of cleavage of the schist wer at very unfavorable angles with reference to the lines of pressure of the dam and very favorable for landslides on the east wall of the site of the dam. "Fourth: The conglomerate upon which the western portion of the FINDINGS MADE BY GEOLOGISTS (Continued from First Page) a contributing factor In starting the break." The report, filed yesterday, also said: DAM ITSELF STRONG "Our preliminary investigations early revealed the fact that the action was not due primarily to weakness in the structure itself, and that the cause of failure must be sought in the foundation condition.

In our investigation and studies we have not attempted to determine the detailed manner in which the failure occurred. "The concrete In the dam was sound and its strength as shown by examination and tests was sufficient for the purpose intended. Failure under the above conditions could result only from destruction of foundation which supported the dam. FOUNDATION WEAKER "It was clearly apparent early in our studies that the foundation rock upon which the dam stood was weaker and less able to support the load upon it than the material of the dam itself. "The foundation of the dam consists of a mica schist which extends from the eastern abutment across the stream and about 100 feet up the slope under the western abutment.

Above the schist under the western abutment the foundation is conglomerate. The conglomerate consists of boulders, cobble and pebbles set In a matrix of rudely stratified sand, which in turn is cemented by silt and clay. At the contact between the schist and conglomerate is a fissure filled with gouge (clay produced by rock movement.) "The weakness of the foundation on the eastern side is of a different character and less apparent than that of the western side. The schist layers lying parallel to the steep slope of the canyon are poised ready for sliding and any moistening of these slopes decreases the resistance of the rock against such motion. Any leakage occurring on the eastern side before the dam failed would wet the lamination planes and increase the tendency to slide." j.it-f' ''iv if -1 Seeing Fun in Future Neil Hamilton crystal-gazing with Sally Phlpps Heft,) June Collyer and Marcella Batelllnni (right,) foresee gay time at Catholic Motion Picture Guild's fourth annual gambol next week.

(Continued from rirt rate) OT concluding its work follows: "We congratulate the county of Los Angeles on having such an efficient, painstaking and patient Coroner and staff as Frank A. Nance nd deputies, also we express appreciation of the efficient and cour- teous co-operation of Dep. Dennison. the Sheriff's depu- ties and the attorneys representing the city or Los Angeles in the case of the St. Francis disaster for their faithful and untiring efforts in as-fisting the jury in unearthing all iacts pertaining thereto." VERDICT OF JIRY The verdict, except for its formal preliminary, follows in full; St.

Francis Dam was defective due to the very poor qualify of the underlying rock structure uijon vhlrh it was built and to the fact thrt the design of the dnm was not suited to inrenor lounna-Vion conditions. The artual failure was caused either wholly or in part bv these de.ects. "The construction of this dam. without having the desizn and foundation conditions passed upon bv independent engineers and geologists, and without more thorough and systematic methods of design, ntperv'sion and inspection, involved two basic errors. "One of these was an error in engineering judgment in determining the character of the foundations at the St.

Francis Dam site and deciding upon the best type of dam to ihere. "The other was an error in regard to fundamental policy relating to public safety. FIX RESPONSIBILITY "The responsibility for the error In engineering Judgment rests upon the Bureau of Water Works and Supply, and the chief engineer thereof. "The responsibility for the error In public policy belongs to those to hom the chief engineer is subservient. Including the Department of Water and Power Commissioners, 1 the legislative bodies of city and State, ind to the public at large.

It is a logical result of a set of conditions that the citizenship has allowed to develop and continue. This is the more fundamental error, for if nroper safeguards had been provided in the city charter and in the State laws, making it impossible for excessive responsibility to be delegated to or assumed by any one Individual in matters involving preat menaces to public safety, it is unlikely that the engineering error would have escaped detection and produced a great disaster. "A sound policy of public safety and business and engineering judg ment demands that the const ruction and operation of a great dam should never be left to the sole judgment PART 111 Health the Greatest Obstacle to Happiness Tohlgat Studio Mrs. G. E.

Tower San Francisco, Calif. "For the past seven or eight years I have taken Dr. Pierce's remedies off and on, that Is, tbe 'Favorite and the 'Golden Medical I began with these when I was about grown. The 'Favorite Prescription' is the best medicine any woman ever took. The 'Golden Medical Discovery' Is fine for the stomach and excellent for a person who Is rundown In health." Mrs.

G. K. Tower, 1105 Laguna St. All dealers Tablets or liquid. Send 10c for a trial package of any of Dr.

Pierce's Medicines in tablet form, to Doctor Pierces Clinic, In Buffalo, N. and write for free advice. Advertisement. San Francisco before 9 a. on the 44 (Leave daily 6 p.

m. arriving San Francisco 8:50 a.m.) Aboard the "Owl" for dinner, aa evening in club or obsemdon car, the friendly comradship of business commuters, a good night's rest on comfortable Pullman, refreshed and on time for your 9:00 o'clock appointment. "Owl" arrives Balcersfield 12:05 a. and carries Fresno Pullman which may be occupied until 8 a.m. Ticket Offices: 212 W.

Seventh St. 1147 S. Broadwtf Main Floor Pacific Electric Bide. Sixth and Main Streets 3 Subway Terminal 423 S. Hill Street Station, Fifth Ic Central Pbml Metropolitan aoeo Hollywood: 6768 Hollywood Boulevard In a few davs the Rash was gone Brooklyn, N.

Y. "For nearly three months I had a breaking out all over my legs and an itching on my body. I was in pain all the' time. None of the ointments I used brought me relief until I was advised to use Reainol. Within a few days the aorea were healed and theitching rtopped." Resinol brings quick relief.

You try it. At oil druggist. Resinol ITCHING TORTURE Use Zemo, Healing Liquid There it one safe, dependable treatment for the itching torture of Eczema. The first application of Zemo usually ttopt itching and gives relief. It will help rid the skin of Pimples, Rashes, Blotches.

Blemishes and similar annoying skin irritations. You will be surprised how quickly skin troubles will react to this clean, antiseptic, soothing liquid. Easy to apply at any lime. 35c, 60c and $1.00. FOR SKIN IRRITATIONS he- toP Pm of allltinda: end Scientific, balanced forrnulainaurea safety and certain raulta.

Pre-W nd world over aeTlA K- t.m everywhere Tablets in fiat tine 25 cent. 25 mUliocaueed annually. A-K on each tablet Anti-tlamnia hum tnm tint tn Attn HIC HESTERS ami AikrwPnnH Dtmmami ma riilala K4 so4 Ol tlllie e.lrrl vttfa Hlo iKIbbn. TakMtswn Bay 'fywie ftroeftat. Ak if DMwan BRAND Hll.t.ft.

mr. Kill BLUE CROSS FETE TO BE TOMORROW Aztec Tableau Will be Feature of Ball to Raise Dam Disaster Funds Plans are nearing completion for a festival and ba 1 to be given by the Mexican Blue Cross, together with numerous Mexican associations and members of the Mexican colony, under the auspices of the Consulate of Mexico at the Shrine Auditorium Annex. 700 West Thirty-second street, tomorrow at 7 p.m. for the benefit of the Mexican victims of the St. Francis Dam disas-aster.

Thirty-five per cent of the proceeds will be paid to the American Red Cross. There will be a nrnprom mu sical and dance numbers by well- Known international artists in native costumes featuring both Mexican and Spanish dances. Motion-picture stars, both American and Mexican, the city Consular Corps and prominent city officials have been invited. Among the dances will be an Aztec tableau with costumes and decorations prepared by Francisco Corneio With sneeinl mnalf. hw no.

macho Vega. American friends of the Mexican people are cordially invited. Tickets may be obtained at the Consulate of Mexico, Room 600, Union League Building, 322 West Second street. NAMES OF EIGHTEEN IN TRUE BILLS Indictments Returned by Federal Grand Jury Series of Cases Eighteen persons were indicted yesterday by the Federal grand jury on various charges. One of the indictments was secret.

The true bills were returned before United States District Judge McCormick. Raymond H. Ost, a printer, who was arrested in Idaho Falls, Idaho, at the time Robert H. Lawton, a photographer, was taken in custody at San Diego, both being arrested on charges of conspiring to flood the Pacific Coast with bogus $20 bills, are among those indicted. They are both under arrest.

Bail was fixed at $4000 each. George H. Williams, Charles Man-sir, Carl Johnson and Carl Diehl also were indicted on charges of conspiracy to violate the National Prohibition Act. Ball for each was fixed at $5000. Law Students of Loyola College Hold MockT rial With Municipal Judge Samuel R.

Blake presiding, the senior law class of Loyola College last night put on the first section of the trial of Michael O'Day for hypothetical murder in Divion Seven of the Municipal Court. The mock court trial will be continued next Thursday at the same hours, 7 to 9 p.m. Nothing that is likely to be present in a real trial for murder is being neglected, and with guns, photographs, specimens of handwriting and other matters requiring the attention of experts of various sorts, the embryo lawyers are getting a thorough practical workout of their theoretical knowledge. It will be a matter of three or four weeks before the trial ends, according to C. E.

R. Fulcher, professor of trial practice at Loyola College. The jury, a mixed one, volunteered its services. The members are from other schools, and none has a knowledge of law. Two associate Jurors are being used in addition to the regular twelve on account of the length of the case.

Michael O'Day, the defendant, is being represented by J. F. Irwin. Attorneys for the prosecution are W. D.

Gilman, William Cronin and M. Garrison. R. Sullivan, E. Ger-hart and Pat O'Hara are handling the defense.

B. Lloyd, regular bailiff of Division Seven, who is also a law student, Is acting as bailiff. ADMIRAL SOON TO LOWER FLAG i (Continued from First Page) Admiral De Steiguer's tour of duty as commander-in-chief, the battle fleet has made by a large margin the best record In gunnery in the fleet's history and that general material condition of the entire fleet has been maintained at an equally high standard. Jubilee Ticket Stations Opened Such general Interest Is shown in the 1928 springtime Jubilee and ball of the Loyal Order of Moose, planned to raise funds for the campaign to bring the 1929 international convention of the order to Los Angeles, to be staged the 28th Inst. at the Ambassador Auditorium, that Cliff Arne, chairman of the executive committee, has appointed Lloyd Mitchell as director of branch box offices.

Already more than sixty special ticket stations have been opened in Southern California to distribute the pasteboards for the event. TRAFFIC SIGNAL APPROVED The Police Commission has approved the request of Mrs. E. H. Pepper that an automatic traffic signal be installed at the Intersection of Venice Boulevard and Arlington avenue.

LIONS GATHER AT NOON Percy Wood will be chairman at the wee'tiy luncheon meeting of the Los Angeles Lions' Club In the Blltmore at soon today. of one man. no matter how eminent, not DV contract without check by independent ex- dpslgn 'of tne dam and thf, pert authority, for no one is free f0lincatjon conditions were not irom error, and checking by inde- passed upon by inopendent en-pendent experts will eliminate the ginpm and geologists. Quintet Will Compete for Oratorical Honors Girl Wins Manual Arts High School Contest San Diego Withdraivs from Elimination Meet Five bovs. three of them seniors and two juniors, have been chosen from twenty -two contestants to compete in the district finals of the Fifth National Oratorical Contest to be held at Al-hambra High School next Monday.

The elimination meet in which the student orators took part concluded weeks of preparation under the direction of Miss Veda R. Walker, head of the de BILLY TOfclAS partment of public speaking at Al-hambra High School, and her assistant. Miss Lillian Zellhoefer. The five chosen to enter the finals are Billy Tobias, 16 years of age, a junior; Norman Wakeman, 17, Junior; Byron Magee, 17, senior: William Grimes, 16, senior, and Richard Keller, 18, senior. TWO COMPETED LAST YEAR Magee and Keller are two of the outstanding debaters of the school.

The former won second place in the district oratorical meet last year, while the latter placed third. The previous year Keller took second place In the district try-outs. Grimes and Tobias have each been members of the class in debating for VILLIArA two years, while Wakeman has had but one year experience, To the winner of the district contest Monday the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce will present a prize of $20. The Home Furniture Company will give $10 to the student placing second, and the Alhambra Post Advocate and H. E.

Wellman, NOR. WAN VAKEMAN jeweler, will each present $5 to the students winning fourth and fifth places. These prizes will be in addition to the $50 cash prize to the first three in each district by The Times. GIRL DEFEATS BOYS Defeating the seven boys pitted against her in the district finals at Manual Arts High School, Miss Irving Cheney won the right to represent Manual Arts in the a 1 1 city group contest to be held at Franklin High School the evening of the 20th inst. Four of her opponents on that evening will be girls, Ruth Leslie of Lincoln, Allie Rydalch of Los Angeles, Edna MAGEE Mathisen of Jefferson and Jeannette Tyner of Polytechnic.

There will be only two boys in the contest, Abraham Golden of Franklin and Rudolph Schlank of Hollywood. Two thousand Manual Arts students attended the assemblies at which the orations were given and cheered the victory of Miss Cheney. Her oration, "The People and the was said RICHARD KEA-LER by the judges to have been admirably presented. Second place was won by Robert Page and third by Robert Zlmler. The Judges were Arthur G.

Ar-noll, secretary and general manager of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce; Attorney Jack Lemar Cobb and David Blanken-horn, president of the David Blank en-horn Corporation. The 1 1 -drawal of San Diego i School from the elimination meet in Group to be held at Pasadena High School next Friday evening, was announced yesterday. That will leave seven schools in the contest. Ted Hatlen will represent Pasadena; Willis Deu Pree, Ocean-stde-Carisbad Union High School; Evelyn Pope, El Centro: Odie Wright, Long Beach: Thomas Kuchel. Anaheim, and Judith Gunn, San Bernardino.

Riverside county's representative will be named today. In order to permit Kuchel to take part in the contest, the senior play, in which he has an important role, will be presented next Monday and Tuesday. It was scheduled to have been staged on the 20th inst, the night of the oratorical contest. Substitution of Aeoma Schellhous for Leona Slatel. as one of the George Washington High School's representatives in the district contest, to be held tonight, was announced yesterday.

The other schools that will enter contestant are Eagle Rock and Garfield. hi IRVINS CHENEY safety. URGES CORRECTION "The exemption of municipalities from supervision by State authorities in the building of dams involving public hazards is a very serious defect of the State law that should be corrected. "We respectfully recommend: "That the regulations governing f0re and during construction was the conduct of all municipal and practically limited to the boundaries county bodies engaged in building of the concrete structure and did and operating dams be revised so not adequately reveal the topogra-that the construction and opera- Phy and character of the bedrock tion of all such dams will be subject structure beyond these boundaries, to review by competent experts in "The inspection of the work dur-additlon to the regular executive ing construction was very limited dam was built is variable in badly seamed In several directions and very deficient in bonding material. While it has the appearance of rock when dry.

it is week in compressive strength; and, when saturated with water it disintegrates into a slippery mass of clay, sand, small pebbles and other included materials. "Fifth: Gouge materials at the contact between the two formations were inferior in strength to either of the two principal formations, causing a zone of weakness that can always be expected at such ANOTHER FAULT "Sixth: In addition to the contact fault there is another fault crossing the dam transversely and intersecting the contact fault about 150 feet downstream from the toe of the dam. "Seventh: The dam was not carried far enough into the bedrock, and had no cutoff walls. "Eighth: There was no reinforcement or blanketing with concrete at the contact between the dam and the rock abutments, as is usual where the formations are not of the best. No pressure grouting of the bedrock was done.

"Ninth: The dam was not provided with Inspection tunnels with drainage pipes, discharging separately into the inspection tunnels for the purpose of locating any leakage and grouting it off if necessary. The only drainage pipes installed were confined to the center section and connected to one manifold and outlet, making It impossible to localize leakage. "Tenth The dam was built without predetermined expansion joints. This is a debatable question; but the best practice at present calls for their use. "The St.

Francis Dam was built by the Department of Water Works and Suppiv of the of Los An. epP. hv Pnv-. 0un fnrrpc mil TESTS INADEQUATE "The exploration work and testing of foundation materials prior to reaching a decision to build a dnm at this site were entirely inadequate to definitely determine the true qualities of the bedrock and the proper type of dam to build at the site. "The exploration work both be- and defective in principle, owing to the fact that the inspections were made by the same people who wer? directing or doing the work, without adequate check inspection by an independent personnel to reduce the effect of personal error.

Extensive exploration work, in spection and testing of materials and consultations with experts tin questionably would have revealed the true character of the site and prevented this calamity. "Even though the failure of the dam was either caused by or greatly assisted by saturation of the foundation materials with water from the reservoir, the total leakage that was observed at any time up to within a few hours of the failure was remarkably small, considering the critical conditions existing under the dam. and less than is commonly present In dams that, are considered safe and have stood for years. SEEPAGE CLEAR "There had been reports by subordinates and others who claimed to have observed increased leakage and muddy water coming from the dam a few days before the failure. In i consequence of these reports the chief engineer and his principal as- sistant inspected the dam about twelve hours before the failure and found that the water was coming out, clear, but picking up surface soil in flowing from the points of first appearance to the afterbay pool below the dam.

This agrees with the testimony of all witnesses who made observations at sufficiently close range to see the water where it first emerged from the ground. "The amount of leakage and Its character were not such as to cause apprehension of those In charge of the dam and to cause them to doub their previous faith in the safety of the structure. If they had concluded that the dam was in danger of destruction, the only safety measure possible at that time would have been to warn everyone in the possible path of the flood to move out. since, wllh all gates wide open, it would have taken many days to have drawn the water low enough to remove the danger. "There Is ample evidence to show that no alarming symptoms were observed up to within thirty minutes of the first break, and that the entire destruction of the dam was completed in a very few minutes.

RELIED ON CHIEF "The entire perronnel of the Department of Water Works and Sun- ply and the Department of Water and Power Commissioners, who Ovey, Billy Gould, James C. Leonard, Edward W. Bord, Del Henderson, Ann Chrlstensen, Emmet Davis and Charles Doran, Doris Mc-Mahen, Douglas Derard, Raymond Gallagher. Charles West, W. H.

Clifford, Andy Clark, Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Clemens and Charles Beau-champ. This is In addition to such stars as Charlie Murray, Ben Lyons, James Hall, Nellie V. Nichols, Wallace MacDonald, Doris May, Johnny Hines.

Edmund Lowe, Lilyan Tash-man, William Demarest, Tommy Dugan. Hugh Herbert, Pat O'Malley, Polly Moran, "Skeete" Gallagher, Jackie Ccogan, Jack Gardner, Louise Dresser, Jeanette Lowrie. George Seigmann and others. Valle of the municipal board or Chief Engineer Mulholland for any statement they might wish to make concerning the verdict were unavailing. WATER-RATE BOOST FOR DAM DAMAGES PROTESTED The Women's Political League yesterday protested to the City Council against any boost in water rates to raise the money needed to meet the liability caused by the collapse of St.

Francis Dam. The league suggested that the money be raised by the city using the surplus and unsold bond money In the water and power departments and any other unused surplus before an attempt is made to increase water rates. WORK ON PACOIMA DAM HALTED FOR INQUIRY PACOIMA, April 12. E. C.

Eaton, chief flood-control engineer, stated here today that work on Pacoima Dam in Pacoima Canyon will be halted until a study of the rock formations cf one of the sides of the canyon near the top of the dam. now nearing completion, can be made. Mr. Eaton said that he will meet with the county's consulting board of engineers on the 17th at which time It will be determined what will be done to doubly assure the safety of the dam. Work on the dam will again start as soon as the conference is ended.

The county Supervisors have ordered temporary abandonment of the plans for the construction of the Big Tujunga flood control and water conservation dam. This action came as a result of the breaking of St. Francis Dam and the flooding of Santa Clara Valley three or four weeks ago. BODIES OF MAN AND WOMAN FOUND FILLMORE. April 12.

(Exclusive i Two more bodies, one of a man and the other of a woman, were found late yesterday near here by reconstruction and rehabilitation crews working in this district. Schoolboy Ends Life With Bullet Worrie.1 over failure In his studies, Henty Hartman. 14-year-old Fairburn-avenue schoolboy, shot himself in the head with a ber rifle ht his home, 869 Malcolm avenue, Westwood, last night, and was dead when found by his sister Jenny, according to Sawtelle police. The boy left a letter for his mother, widow of a physician, explaining his reasons for the act. The body is at the Wilshlre Funeral Home, Santa Monica.

COL. COOKE SPEAKS Col. Thomas F. Cooke, United States Reserves, formerly with the Los Angeles-Flrst National Trust and Savings Bank, was the speaker yesterday at the luncheon the Los Angeles Exchange Club In the Blltmore. Col.

Cooke, who recently returned from a year's trip around the world, illustrated his talk on Japan with motion pictures which he had taken. Russell Malcolm MacLennon. advertising manager of the Los Angeles-First National, was chairman. There was a musical pro. gram.

TEXANS PLAN DANCE Hollywood stars will shine at a meeting tonight at 1137 South Hope street of the Texas State Society. The program will be in charge of Margaret Ruth Kernan, radio tntertaincr. She will be assisted by Hazel McConnell, stage actress. A one-act comedy, "Letters," will be produced by the Nelke Players of Hollywood. Billy Kittrldge will dance.

Dancing to the music of Burn' Orchestra will follow. WITH rehearsals going along YY at full swing, Watter Wills, who Is staging the fourth annual gambol of the Catholic Mo tion Picture Guild at the Philhar monic Auditorium the 18th announces the addition of dozens of new names to the big benefit pro gram. Among the added attractions are the Seven Foys, Vera Gordon and Hank Mann. Bessie Love, Jere De-laney, Joe E. Brown, the Wampas Baby Stars, Margaret Fielding, Edna Covey of the Zlegfeld Follies, Harry Gribbens and May Emory, Florita, Eduardo and band, Alma Real, Mexican prima donna: Wills's American Beauties, George were responsible for the building of the dam, appears to have had an unusual degree of confidence in the chief engineer and relied entirely upon his ability, experience and infallibility in matters of engineering Judgment.

"With a background of many years of very distinguished achievement in the building of a great waterworks system, including seventeen earth fill and rock fill dams, there was ample reason for a very high degree of confidence. "However, the chief engineer and his principal assistants had had limited experience in the building of large masonry or concrete dams prior to the building of the St. Francis Dam. Earth fill and rock fill dams are built wholly or in part on unconsolidated or yielding foundations, while masonry or concrete dams must have hard, impervious, unyielding foundations. This organization apparently did not appreciate the necessity of doing the many things that must be done in order to be certain that the foundations of a dam of the concrete gravity type are and will remain hard, impervious and unyielding.

"As a consequence of these conditions, serious errors were made, while the entire responsible organization seemed confident that they were maintaining their previous high standard of accomplishment. PLENTY OF MONEY There appears to have been no! disposition to neglect anything be cause oi expense, as funds were available to meet any requirement deemed necessary. The only reasonable explanation is that those in charge were completely deceived as to the true conditions and acted through ignorance and not from intent to omit any precaution for any motive. "Owing to previous attacks upon the city's water system by the use of explosives, consideration has been given to the possibility that this disaster was precipitated by an overt act. While it is undoubtedly possible that the destruction of the dam could have been caused by an explosion, no conclusive evidence that such was the case nas been brought before us.

"Even if the failure had been precipitated by this cause, it would not change the situation as far as concerns the existence of the defects that have been described and which were the more probable of the disaster. "Among the possible causes of failure that have been considered is that of earth movement. Trian-gulation surveys have been made that seem to indicate that there has been a slight movement of two survey points on the west side of the site between the year 1923 and a time three weeks after the failure, but it is impossible to check the original survey. Seismographs were in service in several observatories within range of this site, one of them being within forty-five miles. The records show that there were no earth tremors of even slight intensity on the night of the failure: hence, major earth movement must be dismissed as a possible cause.

ON LANDSLIDES "Landslides on the east side of the canyon accompanied the destruction of the dam. Whether a landslide was the first event or only a later development is a subject concerning which there may be a difference of opinion, or at least, an uncertainty, but the preponderance of expert opinion favors the conclusion that the initial failure was on the west side and that the landslides were precipitated by undercutting by the waters discharged through the breach on the west end of the dam. Some of the slides are known to have occurred after the water had left the reservoir "The exact sequence of these events is of great engineering interest but has little bearing on the question of basic cause rjid responsibility. A susceptibility to landslide was one of the defects of the site that should have been foreseen." Efforts to reach President Del Cinema Party Due Back From South Sea Isles Completing probably one of the most difficult location trips ever undertaken by a motion-picture company, Monte Blue, W. S.

Van Dyke and sixty members of a Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer company are scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles tomorrow after five months on the South Sea islands. The company left here November 29, 1927, and has been in the southern archipelago on and around the island of Tahiti ever since. They visited many islands on which white men never before set foot and encountered tropical fevers, torrid climate, hurricanes and many other dangers of the country. While on the island, the company built a complete film studio for developing, printing and projecting the scenes taken. Special living quarters also were constructed.

The only roles taken by whites were assumed by Blue and Robert Anderson, the rest of the cast being natives. Two native girls, Raquel Torres and Rena Bush of Hollywood, were also in the cast. The company arrives today In San Francisco on the S. S. Makura.

Van Dyke directed. Tom Liddecoat Again to Go on Operating Table Brother Tom Liddecoat was ordered back to the California Lutheran Hospital yseterday for another slight operation which will keep him confined there for several days. No location has yet been found for the Midnight Mission, which was ordered to move from its present address at 136 South Los Angeles street the first of this month. Brother Tom has this additional worry as well as his Illness and is calling on his friends to help in finding a new home for the mission. From 1000 to 1500 persons are being fed at the Midnight Mission every day.

They are men and women who are without work, friends or money. Goldwyn Home From Overseas Samuel Goldwyn returned to Hollywood yesterday from a trip abroad and his first act was to approve plans for the largest production schedule in his career. He Is to make five pictures this year as compared to three last lear. These involve an expenditure of approximately $4,000,000. While In Europe In search of new talent.

Goldwyn signed Walter Butler, an English actor, to play opposite Vilma Banky in roles so long assumed by Ronald Colman. Goldwyn also announced he is negotiating for the services of Lill Damitl, German actress. Production, Goldwyn stated, will be started shortly on Miss Banky's next picture as well as on Colman's first picture. Goldwyn now is occupying his new offices arranged for him at the United Artists studio by Joseph M. Schenck.

Oriental Loses Occidental Garb Appearing minus all his clothing except his trousers, Nobu Yanguchl, 2G years of age. 1421 West Thirty-sixth Place, told detectives yesterday of having been drugged by two young men who took him into the Baldwin Hills and escaped with his garments and gold watch. He awoke in a gully In the hills late yesterday, and discovering his near-nudity reported the situation to eneineering organization of the re spective public bodies. It should not be left to the discretion of the chief engineer of such a body to submit such matters to experts, but should be mandatory upon the highest executive authority to employ thor oughly competent consultants that will not be subservient to the chief engineer. "That steps be taken to the end that ail existing dams be thoroughly examined as to their safety by a board or boards of outstanding experts on the construction of dams.

"That steps be taken to change the State law so as to place the building of municipal and county, as well as privately owned dams under the jurisdiction of the State authorities. "The intent and effect of these measures would be to have three Independent groups of experts pass judgment upon the design, construction and operations of dams Ifend other structures which might involve hazards to public safety. NO CRIMINAL ACT "We find no evidence of criminal ect or intent on the part of the board of water works and supply of the ctiy of Los Angeles, or any en- irineer or employee in the construe tion or operation of the St. Francis Dam, and we recommend that there be no criminal prosecution of any of the above by the District Attor-, ney. "The destruction of this dam was caused wholly or in part by the failure of the rock formations upon which it was built and not by any error in the design of section of the dam itself or defect in the materials ol which the dam was constructed.

The gravity section accorded with standard practice and v.ould have produced a safe structure if It had been built upon hard, impervious rock, a was supposed to fcs case by ow who built it. "On account of the great destruction wrought by the disaster and the absence of living eyewitnesses, much important evidence bearing on the cause of failure was obliterated, making it impossible to determine, Tith anything approaching complete accuracy, the exact cause of the Initial break and the sequence of events thereafter. "However, there remains a large amount of very convincing evidence of a number of vital weaknesses in tlis bedrock and in the design with reference to its adaptability to a Teak bedrock, any one of several of which weaknesses may have been the primary cause of the failure. and all did contribute to the ter- tart. Safert.

a1tihl, tnknrl I0U IV MttBUI! ITEKTVftUS.