1926 – Nov 25, flooding/dam fails/Claremont tunnel workers drown, San Pablo Creek, CA–10
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-12-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–10 AP. “Ten Drown In Tunnel When Dam Breaks.” Daily Herald, Biloxi, MS. 11-26-1926, p1.
–10 Oakland Tribune. “Crew Flee Flood In Second Tunnel After 10 Drown.” 11-26-1926, p. 1.
–10 Oakland Tribune. “Four Tunnel Bodies Removed as Cave-in opens 200 Foot Chasm.” 11-28-1926, 1.
–10 Oakland Tribune. “Where Men Labor to Bring Out Bodies in Tunnel Disaster.” 11-27-1926, p. 2.
–10 Oakland Tribune. “Tunnel Disaster Probe To Be Launched Friday.” 11-29-1926, p. 9.[1]
Narrative Information
Nov 26, Oakland Tribune: “Orinda, Nov. 26. – With new floods at noon today threatening the East Bay Municipal Utility district’s tunnel here all workers were ordered from the Lafayette tunnel, directly across San Pablo creek from the Claremont tunnel in which 10 water-trapped miners were drowned last night.
“Flood waters began rushing anew into San Pablo creek at 10 o’clock this morning and, besides hampering the work of rescue crews, bent on the hopeless task of unwatering the submerged tunnel, endangered the second tunnel.
“Declaring that, unless the water flow abates, the Lafayette tunnel is in constant danger of flooding, George B. Sturgeon, division engineer, broke down bulkheads which have been holding back storm waters. When the crews reached the surface leaving the second tunnel, the waters of the creek had reached to within 18 inches of the mouth of the tunnel.
“Contractors Failed to Obey Order to Seal Vent, Charges Engineer.
“This and the charge of Arthur P. Davis, chief engineer of the district, that the contracting firm of Grier & Mead is responsible for conditions which permitted the flooding of the tunnel constituted the latest developments in the battle against flood waters which are endangering this section of the work on the Mokelumne project. According to Davis the contractors failed to obey instructions from James Munn, division engineer, to seal a four-foot vent cut near the sealed opening of the Claremont tunnel for a two-inch drainage pipe. It was through this vent that the flood water of San Pablo creek rushed last night after washing away a coffer dam which had been built temporarily to seal a sluice which will eventually connect the Claremont and Lafayette tunnels beneath San Pablo creek. The contractors deny that they had orders to seal the vent.
“Other Builders Warned to Strengthen Coffer-dam, Asserts District Aide.
“The firm of Smith Brothers. Contractors on the Lafayette tunnel, as well as Grier & Mead, was declared responsible for the flood by Sturgeon and Munn. Smith Brothers, who built the bulkhead which collapsed, as a protection to their own work, were ordered several days ago to reinforce the dam, according to Munn, who said it was not strong enough to withstand heavy water pressure. Men were at work early yesterday strengthening the dam, piling up a bulwark of sandbags to control the water flow.
“The ten men met their deaths when a six-foot wall of water, following a cloudburst, swept down San Pablo creek, washed away a protecting coffer-dam, plunged beneath the stream bed through a sluiceway and dashed through a four-foot temporary opening into the tunnel. This happened just after the ten men had descended a 75-foot shaft, 800 feet from the mouth of the 2500-foot tunnel and penetrated deeper into the hills, from which all retreat was shut off by the wall of water.
“Volunteers Risk Danger to Build Bulkhead Anew to Stop Waters
“Efforts to reconstruct this bulkhead are being rushed, although greatly hampered by the continually rising waters. Crews of volunteers, perched on a shaking trestle from which the creek has carried away the underpinning, are frantically seeking to obtain huge timbers and bags of sand in place to stop the opening.
“On the success of the bulkhead scheme depends hops for early unwat4ring of the tunnel and the reaching of the bodies of the ten men, for whom all hope was given up last night. The flood filled the Claremont tunnel to the top and climbed up the shaft through which construction work was being carried on, leaving no retreat for the entombed men.
“When it became evident this forenoon that the Lafayette tunnel might also be flooded, Sturgeon shifted crews to the new project cutting away the top of a second bulkhead. This diverted pentup water into the spillways of the huge screening basin of the water project and eased the stress of water. This is believed to have saved the Lafayette tunnel from flooding, although Sturgeon says danger has not yet been obviated.
“First Efforts to Empty Bore Fail as Divers Release Flood Gates.
“Rain continued to fall unabated here at noon and checkers keeping watch on the water flow reported the creek slowly rising. Unless the rainfall lessens, the creek, it is feared, will get beyond its bounds again. Two pumps were installed in the hoist house at the top of the shaft at noon but will not be use, it was decided when word was received that two larger pumps, capable of lifting 3000 gallons of water a minute are on their way. The new pumps will not arrive until late today and cannot be in operation before late tonight. This cuts the 20-hour unwatering estimate to 15 hours. Engineers estimate that there is 1,500,000 gallons of water in the tunnel….”
“Names of Ten in Death’s Whirlpool Reveal Only One Victim Married.
“The men trapped by flood water in the Claremont tunnel and given up for dead by their fellow workers are:
- D. Morrison, 36, Sonora, believed to be single.
- R. Larson, 35, Oak Grove, survived by a widow…and son Arthur, one and ½ years old.
Joe Balzik, single, brakeman, 35 years old.
Steve Zigich of Sacramento, single.
- Sandres, of Sacramento, single.
Tony Segurk, single, 35.
Charles Orso, single.
- Coleman, single, 40, Sacramento.
- Pauley, Porterville, single.
Frank Butcher, 25, single, Porterville.”
(Oakland Tribune. “Crew Flee Flood In Second Tunnel After 10 Drown.” 11-26-1926, p. 1.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Ten Drown In Tunnel When Dam Breaks.” Daily Herald, Biloxi, MS. 11-26-1926, p. 1. Accessed 3-11-2026 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/biloxi-daily-herald-nov-26-1926-p-1/
Oakland Tribune. “Crew Flee Flood In Second Tunnel After 10 Drown.” 11-26-1926, p. 1. Accessed 3-12-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/oakland-tribune-nov-26-1926-p-1/
Oakland Tribune. “Four Tunnel Bodies Removed As Cave-In Opens 200 Foot Chasm.” 11-28-1926, p. 1. Accessed 3-12-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/oakland-tribune-nov-28-1926-p-1/
Oakland Tribune. “Tunnel Disaster Probe To Be Launched Friday.” 11-29-1926, p. 9. Accessed 3-12-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/oakland-tribune-nov-29-1926-p-9/
Oakland Tribune. “Where Men Labor to Bring Out Bodies in Tunnel Disaster.” 1
[1] Notes the funeral arrangements being made for the ten recovered bodies.