William Mulholland
William Mulholland ( born September 11, 1855 in Belfast, † July 22, 1935 in Los Angeles ) was a prominent and influential hydraulic engineer in Southern California, which enabled the growth of Los Angeles.
In Belfast (Northern Ireland) born, Mulholland emigrated in the 1870s to New York City in 1877 and traveled to San Francisco; shortly thereafter, he worked in the copper mines of Arizona. Finally, he moved to Los Angeles, where he spent the rest of his life.
Water for Los Angeles
A self-taught engineer, he dug drainage channels first in charge of the water and electricity supply authority, "the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power ." Power of his talent, he quickly rose in the industry, so that he finally stood at the head of the authority. Few places in the local government have had a similar effect on the fate of a city like that authority, because Los Angeles was actually a covered undergrowth desert, with its public sewer system Mulholland transformed into a livable city. Mulholland's office and headquarters were on the top floor of the "Million Dollar Theatre " Sid Grauman, on Broadway Street in downtown Los Angeles. Today, the actor Nicolas Cage has this face that made it to renovate and refurbish.
Construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct
Mulholland, head of the water systems, continued the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in motion. This aqueduct was 373 km long and extended south of the Owens Valley ( near the Yosemite National Park ) along the Central Valley, to Los Angeles. When building dug 2000 workers 164 tunnel. In November 1913 Mulholland officially opened his masterpiece in the rapidly growing state, which received its water from the tributaries of the Mono Lakes; fifteen years later (1928 ) was the Owens Lake dry completely.
The acquisition of permits and water rights was legally and morally objectionable. The movie Chinatown with Jack Nicholson takes on this subject. The Farmer in Owens Valley area contributed to the project violently resistance. It blew up in 1924 the aqueduct at Jawbone Canyon; other opponents of the project opened a sluice and initiated four days of water, so that prices rose. This situation forced the Los Angeles City Council to negotiate with the farmers. Only in the 1990s included the Farmer and Los Angeles a final settlement out of court. Mulholland himself was adamant. He said that he partially regret the loss of so many trees in the valley, because now a sufficient number of trees lacking to hang any troublemakers who live there can.
End of career
The end of Mulholland's career came on March 12, 1928. St. Francis Dam collapsed, with the result that about 45 billion liters of water in the Santa Clara Valley ( north of Los Angeles ) flowed. A 30 -meter-high wave rolled at a speed of around 30 km / h, the Santa Clara riverbed along the estuary into the Pacific Ocean at Ventura. The consequences were devastating. The small town of Santa Paula lay buried under 8 meter of mud, debris and deposition; in other places there were almost 25 meters. Rescue crews worked for several days, but including 42 children 450 people were killed in an elementary school. Due to this disaster Mulholland resigned. In addition, he took over unconditionally the responsibility for the spill, which was considered the worst disaster of the American civil engineering. During the inquest Mulholland said: "I envy the dead ."
His legacy
Despite this disaster, Mulholland earned a permanent place in the history of Los Angeles. His vision and initiative enabled the later success of the city, at the beginning of the 20th century had barely 100,000 inhabitants - without Mulholland of permanent water shortage would have the future of the City is undoubtedly limited. Its water supply system works today, and it has one of the most famous roads in Los Angeles, Mulholland Drive, named after him.
William Mulholland died in 1935 and was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale.