Cross-File evidence ledger
Where this source supports the record
Each entry separates the File’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.
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Engineering failures · 12–13 March 1928Open File evidence →
The St. Francis Dam Disaster
St. Francis Dam ruins in San Francisquito Canyon · United States
Why editors use it hereFederal summary of the structure, water release, modern minimum death count, site, and continuing cause debate.
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Quick read
Minutes before midnight on 12 March 1928, the two-year-old St.
Reviewed 24 July 2026 -
Trigger and conditions
The dam catastrophically broke apart at about 11:57 p.m.
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Uncertainty
Death estimates range from the 385 known in 1928 to more than 450; USGS gives at least 431, while California's dam-safety history uses more than 450.
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Why it matters
The disaster was not simply a concrete wall breaking.
Reviewed 24 July 2026
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Quick read