103: The Dark History of U.S. Infrastructure: Train Derailments, Freeway Collapses, and Biblical Floods
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You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean it fits you just right so you wear it all the time but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I

I love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops. And my favorite part, all Quince items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman

and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen. And you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

RIP. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.

Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. Did you know that the last time America's major pipes were replaced was over 100 years ago? Mm-hmm.

Apparently the water systems in this country got a C minus grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers. I mean, aren't we supposed to be one of the richest countries in the world? And that's just one part of the infrastructure problem we have in America. Most of our bridges and freeways, I mean, things that we use every day are in crucial need of repair. And it seems like no one is doing anything about it. Why? Why? You ask. Well, that's a great question. Let's get into it.

Hi friends, I hope you're having a wonderful day today. My name is Bailey Sarian and I'd like to welcome you to my podcast, Dark History. Here we believe history, you know, it doesn't have to be boring. I mean, yeah, it might be tragic, it might even be happy, but either way, it's our dark history, babe. So sit back, relax, and let's talk about that hot, juicy history gas. Mmm.

Today we're talking about infrastructure and like my biggest problem with it is the word itself just kind of scares me. I mean there's a lot of syllables, right? And it's like what are you hiding? What does it even mean? Well, I found out. So infrastructure is the fancy word for the bones that make up our society. I'm talking like transportation, sewage, water, schools, bridges, power supplies.

some buildings, you know? And the government pays for them because it's an investment in how our country functions and works and hello, right? It makes sense. The only time you really hear this term brought up is during presidential debates. You know, they're always like, "We gotta support infrastructure. America's infrastructure is crumbling." And it's like, "Yeah, okay."

And then, you know, as time goes on, it's something we kind of forget about once later, right? Well, here's the thing. After reading article after article after article, I'm like, yeah, infrastructure is everything. We need it. Okay.

Now, if you take a minute and you've been or you've just been watching the news lately, it kind of seems like cities or buildings are just like falling apart. And it doesn't make sense because nowadays taxes are higher than ever. Right. And they're supposed to cover infrastructure. Right.

So it's like, okay, what the hell? What the hell is going on? So imagine it's the 1930s. Okay, we're there. The Great Depression is happening. No one has jobs. No one has food. Franklin Delano Roosevelt is president and he ends up passing an iconic piece of legislation and it was called the New Deal. Wow. Wow.

Yeah. It was basically a glow-up package for America. I mean, it was everything we have today that we tend to maybe take for granted, like roads, bridges, national parks. And all of that was thanks to this New Deal, where there was once dirt, there was now paved roads, where there was once a river, you know? There's now a bridge where you can cross the river.

Yeah, airports were funded, runways were constructed, people were flying in the air. I mean, this New Deal saved America, really. Money was being pumped into city power and then suddenly there were now streetlights. So after sunset, there was light and you could see where you were going. Could you imagine just like walking down the street and then one day there's light

I don't know, it'd be mind-blowing. Now there were tons of other sites to this new deal as well, like employment was skyrocketing, there was tons of job creation, and it was huge for America. The new deal became commonly known as the greatest infrastructure project in this country's history, despite the fact that it literally displaced and destroyed communities of color all around the nation. But

put a pin in that because I guess that's for another episode. Okay, so if this plan was so great, then why are we still having issues with it today? Well, I guess it's because America hasn't like done anything, any updates or anything since 1940. And another reason why there's a huge strain on infrastructure is that the population, it just keeps growing. More people means more cars on the road, more water being used, and more people

Crossing bridges. Plus we're experiencing way more intense weather events like hurricanes, intense flooding, twisters, right? God, I just watched that movie. It was wild. And heavy rain. They didn't really have like this intensive weather back then. And just like that, almost 100 years have gone by since FDR gave America that facelift.

And girl, we have not been moisturizing. Our tax money that the government is supposed to put towards repairing those roads and doing regular inspections on the bridges and sewage systems, you know, to make sure that they're working. Yeah, a lot of the time that money ends up funding something else, you know? And it's like, hey, you guys, where are the receipts? Wouldn't that be nice? If you got a letter that said like, oh, your taxes paid for this stop sign.

they don't tell you anything. They just take it and do nothing. I don't know. Budgets get cut, some new issues take priority, and infrastructure retrofitting, restoration, and maintenance gets totally slept on. Politicians stop thinking about long-term goals and before you know it, I mean, roads are crumbling, bridges are collapsing, and

Pipes are crusty. I mean, did you guys see that freeway overpass in Philadelphia? The I-95? I guess it collapsed back in June of 2023. A gasoline truck was driving on the I-95, just like driving, minding his own business, and then it just like blew up. The driver lost control of the truck. I mean, it flipped on its side. And since this truck was carrying thousands of gallons of gasoline,

When it flipped, it like caught on fire in the middle of the road. Sadly, the driver of that truck died and a whole chunk of the overpass just collapsed. Now I guess like 160,000 cars drive on the I-95 every single day. So as you can imagine, when it collapsed, it just messed up everyone's commute. A spokesman from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said that, quote, the structure quickly collapsed with the heat of the fire. End quote. Damn.

I was on the White House website, you know, yeah they have a website, okay? And I was just refreshing myself on the analytical perspectives of the budget of the United States government for the fiscal year 2024 and I came across some facts about bridges. Yeah, as of the year 2021, there are 45,000 bridges in America that are in quote, poor condition. I guess bridges are rated on a number system, like a

Like a nine means the bridge is new. She's great. Wow. She's on nine. And then a number four means like that bridge is shit. Well, there's a lot of wear and tear. She's been used and abused. And according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, aka the ASCE, for every five miles of road in this country, one of them is also in poor condition. I think whenever any of us drive over a bridge or on a freeway, we just assume

Well, actually, I don't even think we think about it. At least I don't. Like, I'm just driving. Like, that fucker's not using his blinker. Fuck that guy, you know? You're not thinking about the road itself, hoping that it's safe. You just hope it is, right? Apparently, regular safety inspections are missed all the time on major transportation roads. Bridges in this country, they only get inspected every two years, which is wild to think about because elevators get inspected, like, how often? Once a month?

The math ain't mathin'. And as you imagine, if things are going unnoticed or unchecked, I mean, it's not long before things just go straight to hell, right? Real quick. And that's exactly what happened with the big buy you cannot rail at. You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the time.

time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops, and my favorite part,

All Quince items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices

and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen and you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

R.I.P. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.

Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. This story...

Okay, so the other night I stayed, you know, I'm just googling and goggling and I was googling infrastructure disasters in America, as a lady does on a Friday evening. Thank you. And while doing so, one event just kept coming up over and over again. This was the worst train crash in Amtrak history and it had a lasting impact. I mean, some would say it changed how we ride trains in America altogether. I'm trying to be

I'm talking about the big Bayou Cannot Rail accident. Let's talk about trains for a second, okay? So back in the 1900s, taking a train sucked. Look, if you were traveling cross country, that was really your only option, unless you wanted to do like Oregon Trail, but that never really went well.

I mean, inside the train cars, there was no airflow, no AC, just hot air blowing around. And then like the bathroom situation was small and foul. And on top of that, you could be traveling for weeks in one of these things. And that was pretty much everyone's experience with trains.

But one of the only exceptions at the time was a train called the Sunset Limited. So the Sunset Limited is one of the oldest trains in the United States. It's been in operation since 1894 and it's actually still around today. And it was so popular at the time because you could take it any time of the year, no matter what the weather, what day it was.

Yeah, it was great. So it was just like a very popular option. Now, the Sunset Limited was described as America's only coast-to-coast train. So you could take this thing from Louisiana all the way to Los Angeles, from the beach to Mardi Gras, just like that.

And it used to be a sleeper train, so passengers, they could upgrade and they could essentially get like their own little hotel room on wheels. It was like an experience, a nicer experience. With the Sunset Limited, you'd get to wherever you needed to go in a matter of days versus weeks.

So for the first time, you could actually pay for a better traveling experience. And many did. Then by the 70s, the train industry was just hemorrhaging money. People didn't really care what kind of leather was on the train seats, right? And train companies were just losing millions of dollars. For example, when trains were popular in 1946, about 770 million people worldwide were riding the train.

But by 1964, that number had dipped to about 298 million. So it was like less than half. So the government is paying attention to what's going on with the trains. They're all losing money. So they're like, "We can't have this. We can't have trains for it at all." You know, they're essential for America's economy. So they felt like they needed to step in and do something. So the government, they step in and they create a government-funded railroad company.

It's called Amtrak. I know. Look, this alone blew my mind. I didn't know Amtrak was government funded. You learn something new every day if you just try. Okay, so Amtrak. Amtrak, they took over almost every single train company in America. And they even took over the legendary Sunset Limited. But now that Amtrak was in charge, I mean, things were different. I mean, it's government funded. They don't like...

to have fun or spend money. There was now an Amtrak pass, for example, which was essentially like a bus pass, but for trains. So that gave people access to a whole bunch of different trains in different cities. And people started taking the train again, just for like the adventure, not necessarily to commute back and forth to work. I mean, great. It was kind of like a little, you could just go to a new city the same day, like quickly. It's a whole new world. Everything's opening up.

I forgot we're talking about the Big Bayou situation, right? Okay, so our story about the Big Bayou accident all starts with a man named Willie Odom. Now Willie was the pilot of a towboat. And I know, a pilot of towboat? I know what you're thinking. Bailey, pilot, planes? I didn't know it had to do with boats, but it does. A pilot works actually for the captain and they should both be able to direct the boat. The more you know, again,

A pilot can drive a boat. But it kind of had me thinking, like imagine if a guy on Hinge, like in his bio is like, I'm a pilot. And then you go on a date with him and he brings you to like a towboat. And then like, he's not even in charge. He's second runner up.

I would be a little thrown off. On September 21st, 1993, Willie was piloting a boat called the Mawvilla. Now the Mawvilla was towing six barges and a barge is like a big, like a shipping container kind of, and each of them are thousands of pounds. So the six barges were attached to the main boat, you know, the Mawvilla that Willie was driving. You got it? Good.

So this was going to be an overnight ride. So Willie and the boat's captain were like taking shifts, you know, like you sleep, I'll stay up and then I'll sleep and then you stay up.

You get it. So sometime in the early hours of the morning, it's Willie's turn to get up. So he gets up and he takes over steering my villa. It's early and Willie's trying to like wake up. You know, you got that like sleepy brain fog. And when he finally comes to, he realizes that he really has no idea where the hell they were.

On top of that, it was extremely foggy outside, so he couldn't really see any direction. Well, what Willie didn't know was that the mall villa had gone off course and he was not prepared for this. His guidance system wasn't working and on top of that, he didn't even have a map. I know. I was like, how are you going to be in charge of a boat and you don't have a map? Isn't that like the first step of being on a boat?

I have a map? No? Okay. Doesn't know where he is. Foggy. No map.

45 minutes go by. Willie's guidance system starts beeping. It's like going crazy. It's letting him know that there's a boat up ahead. Now, this is giving Willie like extreme anxiety because it's so foggy. He can't see shit. Like, you know, is he going to run into something? So he just keeps driving forward. Time goes by. And next thing you know, one of Ma Villa's barges like slams into something.

But Willie, he doesn't know what it slammed into. So he just kind of like keeps on boating. But what he hit was not another boat. It actually had slammed into a major bridge. The big Bayou Cannot Bridge. So at this point, Willie doesn't know two important facts. One,

that barge bump, it had caused some serious damage to the bridge. And two, that this little accident would redefine the transportation industry. You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear all the

time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion,

washable silk tops. And my favorite part, all Quince items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices

and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen. And you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

RIP. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

Thanks Stitch Facts! So the Mobvilla just hit that bridge, right? And heading right towards it was a little train called, you may have guessed it, the Sunset Limited. And on that same day, September 21st, 1993, the Sunset Limited was carrying 220 passengers and they were taking one of those famous coast-to-coast routes from Los Angeles to Miami. When the Sunset Limited stopped off in New Orleans to pick up some more passengers,

It was discovered that an air conditioner on one of the cars was out and on another car, the toilet was out of commission. And because of this, they tried to fix it and the train was running about 30 minutes behind schedule.

But they fix it all and they get on their way. At 2:53 a.m., the Sunset Limited was driving through Alabama and its route passed right by the Big Bayou Cannot Bridge. At this point, the bridge had been hit by Willie's boat.

But the rails themselves, they didn't break apart. Normally a railway system will have a sensor and if something's wrong with the tracks, it will alarm people so they know the tracks are maybe not working. But the railway system, it wasn't registering that anything was wrong with the tracks. All the conductor on the Sunset Limited saw was a green light. Like, move forward.

And sadly, he had no idea that up ahead, the tracks, they weren't broken, but the Mall Villa had created a huge speed bump, like a ramp almost. Now, as soon as the train reached the bridge and hit those tracks, shit hit the fans.

We're all bad. The first train hits the newly created speed bump, flies off the fricking bridge, crashes head first into the water below. And sadly the train engineer in that car was killed right away. Then two train cars full of sleeping people follow that first car plunging straight into the water.

Now, this water they were landing in was actually in Alabama Bayou, which was famous for its snake infested waters. Yeah. So that just sounds like fucking awful. Now, some of the train cars that didn't land in the water were left dangling on the collapsed bridge.

and one survivor of the crash, a man named Brian Logan, described what happened. "I was woken up and half thrown from my seat by the sensation of the train pitching forwards then violently to one side. It was dark when I opened my eyes and the next thing I remember the passengers on my carriage were filling up the aisle and out of the train.

Fuel from the dangling cars was just pouring into the water below. This caused humongous fires in the train cars. The train conductor actually managed to call 911 and was begging for any type of help that they could absolutely get. Most of the passengers didn't die right away from the impact of the crash. And people were crying out for help. Some were like in the water and they couldn't even swim.

Just a horrifying scene. Now, people who had survived the crash, they helped pull out as many passengers as they possibly could out of the water. But sadly, 48 people died and 103 people were injured. Most victims had died from drowning or they were burned alive or they died of smoke inhalation. Willie...

Willie never emotionally recovered from what happened. His children even said that he suffered from PTSD and night terrors. He reportedly could still see the fires and the bodies in the water. Right after the crash, he was investigated, but eventually cleared of any criminal charges. That's because an organization called the National Transportation Safety Board released a report saying the root of the cause wasn't necessarily Willie's fault.

First, Willie wasn't trained properly on how to navigate the waters under bad weather conditions. And second, the US Coast Guard didn't have a high standard when it came to giving out licenses to operate boats that could maybe cause major damage. So he wasn't necessarily the one who should have been operating the boat. So this was just a tragedy all around, but the public was even more horrified once they found out that this accident could have totally been avoided.

The Big Bayou Cannot Bridge had something called a "unfinished swaying capability," which essentially means if something were to hit the bridge, the structure would be compromised because there wasn't a way for the boat to pass the bridge safely without breaking something. And that's exactly what happened. Plus, investigators found out that if the train hadn't been delayed by 30 minutes in New Orleans, they would have passed the Mauville before it hit the bridge.

Honestly, I just feel like that's like rubbing salt in a wound, right? It's like, oh, if only you weren't late. Your fault.

The Ma Villa immediately turned around and like helped to do what they could to get survivors out of the fiery waters and Willie himself ended up saving 17 people from the crash. In the months after the crash, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and even freaking Amtrak promised to create safer transportation rules so none of this would ever happen again.

They did make some changes like adding better radars to those boats. So it would be more clear when a boat is about to hit, I don't know, a bridge, you know? But of course, it's a little frustrating because why does it take a tragedy for these things to get solved? Infrastructure isn't just responsible for trains and bridges, though.

did you know that it also handles all of our water? You know, where we keep it, how it gets to your house, the pipes that get it from, you know, the water source to your shower. And in 1928, oh my god, I never heard of this before and it was just like mind-blowing. Something horrible happened in 1928 that could have easily been prevented. I mean, it's tragic, it's haunting, and it's a huge part of Los Angeles history that

Again, I never heard about. So if I haven't heard about it, maybe you haven't either. And that's why I'm here for you. Okay, I'm talking about the St. Francis Dam disaster. Have you heard of this? Me neither. So this happened on March 12th, 1928 at the St. Francis Dam.

Now a dam, I hope you know what a dam is, but if you don't know, basically it's a wall that like keeps a shitload of water contained, okay? And in the case of St. Francis, it was holding back 12 billion gallons of water, which was about a year's worth of water for the entire county of Los Angeles. Important dam, right?

The dam itself had been built by William Mulholland, who was a famous civil engineer. He was a really big deal in Los Angeles because when everyone started moving to LA, there really wasn't enough water for the growing population. Now he engineered a pipe system to bring in water from a nearby source, essentially saving everyone from drought. He was also like really shady and stuff too.

And because of this, Mulholland went on to be named the chief engineer of the Bureau of Water and Supply in LA. So, big deal. And he even got a street named after him. A movie too.

Whatever, you know, okay. Mulholland had designed the St. Francis Dam with the idea that it would store water for LA's growing population, but it was constructed on a foundation of some questionable materials. You know what I'm saying? Like the dam's builders used local clay, rock, and sand. Yeah, sand. I'm not an engineer or anything, obviously, but when you hear sand as a foundation, it's like, oh, are you allowed to do that?

What do I know though? Silly me. Over time, the dam's foundation, it began to show signs of weakness. I mean, there were like water leaks happening and even mud seepage. And these things were apparently pretty obvious. You could tell by looking at the dam that it wasn't doing so well and needed some updating. And for two years, it slowly eroded, but there was no action taken because why would they?

until on that fateful summer's day in 1928. You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I

love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops. And my favorite part, all Quince items are priced $50 to

80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices

and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen and you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

RIP. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24, 7, 365 days a year. So you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.

Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

Around 11:50 at night on March 12th, four large cracks in the dam suddenly gave way, broke open, water free. So all the water that the St. Francis Dam had been holding back, along with thousands of pounds of concrete, suddenly just exploded into the canyon. It was a monstrous tidal wave of water, just estimated to be over 12 stories high. Yeah.

That's real big, you know? And it surged down into San Francisco. This huge ass wave tore through the canyon where there were a lot of homes, okay? And these homes were like ripped out of their foundation, uprooted trees, and collapsed bridges at super high speed. I mean, just taking lives, taking lives with it. And because it was so late at night, which is like the scariest part of all, most of the people were asleep, right? So...

when they were swept up in this little death trap wave, they didn't know what the fuck was happening.

The people who were awake and survived might have thought the rumble of the water coming was maybe an earthquake, but they had no idea it was essentially a tsunami, even though like the dam was 54 miles away from the beach. The whole thing happened so fast and so violently that no one who witnessed the dam collapsing lived to even tell the tale. This water was apparently traveling at a million cubic feet per second. Holy shit! Wow.

Yeah, that's scary. I mean, I can't picture how fast that is, but I know like that can't be good. So the water swept through the Santa Clarita Valley and ultimately landed in the ocean by Ventura. And at least 431 people were killed in the collapse of the St. Francis Dam. Sadly, most of them drowned in that first tidal wave of

the reservoir water. And it took a long time just to figure out how many people or how many lives were actually lost. Partly because many of the victims, the victims' bodies, had floated with the water all the way to the ocean. And then once in the ocean were like carried

some even as far as Mexico. Another one of the reasons that we'll never know exactly how many people died is because this was an area that was filled with migrant workers and immigrants and honestly just people the government didn't give a shit about. There were migrant workers and migrant families living along the canyon and in the area that the water had swept through. And the city settled with the survivors of the known victims

and like awarded $5,000 per casualty to the families. But like $5,000 ain't gonna do shit when you lost everything, your family, everything, you know?

Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed and hundreds of lives were lost. And by the time the sun rose over Los Angeles, there were bodies and pieces of debris, trees, dead animals everywhere along the canyon. Apparently, Boy Scouts were sent into the canyon with flags. And when they saw a body, they would stick the flag into the ground next to it so it could be recovered.

which is sad because why'd the Boy Scouts like leave them out of this, right? I don't know, but that's what they did. A little traumatizing, isn't it? Now, something really spooky about St. Francis is that when it collapsed, the middle part of the dam, like this middle section, which it had some kind of drainage system in it,

It stayed still while the rest of the dam had collapsed around it, like on either side. The center section that remained standing had been given a nickname. It was called the tombstone, which is so creepy and very fitting because so many people had died. So many lives were lost and it kind of looks like a tombstone. Then it was demolished a year after the accident to prevent it from becoming a tourist attraction. So then

the most fucked up part. A man named Tony Harnishfegger. Harnishfegger sounds like I'm drunk and like slurring someone's name. Harnishfegger, right? Tony Harnishfegger.

He worked at the St. Francis Dam. Yeah. So he started noticing that problems were happening with the dam and he even tried to do something about it. He noticed a, quote, muddy leak in the curved concrete structure of the dam and called the city of Los Angeles about it. Like, hey, that dam is a little, is a little fucked up. So William Mulholland himself actually was sent to go take a look at this concerning crack.

and examine it. And William decided that the dam could use some work, but it really wasn't that urgent. So he and a deputy deemed the dam officially safe and returned back to the city in time for lunch. But literally, literally, I kid you not, 12 hours later, the dam collapsed. I know, gasp. I was gasping. Imagine getting that call saying hundreds of people died because you wanted to go have lunch.

Yeah. Tony, his son, and his girlfriend, they lived at the base of the dam in like a dam keeper's cabin. And sadly, all of them were swept to their death following the collapse. And Tony's body, as well as his young son's body, sadly were never found.

Fuck that Mulholland guy. Ultimately, this is a classic example of a disaster that could have been avoided with better infrastructure. I mean, there were some pretty obvious engineering flaws that may have led to that dam's collapse, right? For starters, maybe they could have used better materials for the dam's, you know, construction?

They could have done something called a geological survey to understand how solid of a foundation they were even building on. Years later, it was discovered that the ground that the dam had been built on was prone to landslides. Jeez Louise.

It's like, yeah, would have been nice to know that before you built that shit, right? But Mulholland and his crew, they skipped some pretty major steps, either to save time or money. But there were a lot of red flags that... You know that one good tank top that you wear all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the...

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The smartest way to hire. The St. Francis Dam disaster is really a haunting reminder of the importance of good engineering and good infrastructure. And also, I don't know, taking care of important stuff before it breaks and, you know, potentially kills a lot of people. But it's not just the St. Francis Dam we're talking about. I mean, there's thousands of dams that are literally on the brink of failure. Levees, pipes, and dams across the country are reaching a literal breaking point.

point. And that's because the government has spent little money taking care of our almost 100 year old water systems. Yeah, the last time, the last time we replaced most of the pipes in America was 1945.

Oh God, yeah. Those same pipes are carrying the water we use every day. Some of us are literally drinking water from the same pipes that President Roosevelt drank from. Same Z. According to the ASCE, a water main breaks somewhere in this country every two minutes. And every time something like this happens, our water gets contaminated, which can put everyone's health at risk. And honestly, the Euridium does not stand a chance.

The ASCE gave the country's overall infrastructure a grade. And what did we get? A C-. And maybe to you, that C- doesn't seem like a big deal.

We're starting to see the consequences of not giving a shit about infrastructure for years. On February 3rd, 2023, a train carrying a ton of hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. This train veered off the tracks and the train cars all collided like giant metal dominoes. All the chemicals on board crashed into one another

and caused a giant explosion that released toxic fumes, smoke, and leaked contamination into the nearby water sources. According to officials, the incident killed more than 43,000 fish and animals. Oh, and on top of that, people in town were getting sick. Some were experiencing like insane headaches, nausea, shortness of breath from exposure to the chemicals, and they couldn't even drink the water.

And even though the media said the situation was quote unquote resolved, people to this day are still struggling with chemical exposure health issues. And it once again showed us the importance of maintaining and upgrading our old ass aging systems.

There's a lawsuit that's going on right now that claims the train company, quote, prioritized profit over safety by cutting down their budget on repair, service, and inspection. Apparently, the train crashed because the part of the train that guided the wheels overheated.

I know, I don't really know like the technical train stuff, but like something like that had happened. But if the train had been inspected maybe regularly, experts say that this derailment probably most likely wouldn't have happened. So it was just another maybe potentially avoidable disaster. Why are we here? Well,

The reason I want to talk about infrastructure is because I know it's super random, but I felt like every time I watched the news, it seemed like there was another like building falling or bridge collapsing. And it just I had questions. And when I have questions, you can't stop me, bitch, from finding the answers. I wanted to know what the hell is going on. Who's looking after infrastructure? But like we've learned here, infrastructure isn't just about dams and bridges. It's everything.

It's about the water in our pipes, the power being there when you flip a switch, maybe not getting a flat on the way to the grocery store. We depend on infrastructure every single day. And now I know, infrastructure is like a box of chocolates. Once 100 years old, it tastes like shit. Let's maybe get a better box? I don't know. The next time you're driving over a bridge, just remember, it could collapse. Good luck out there, soldiers. The government doesn't give a shit about you.

The good news is, as of 2021, Congress—okay, this is some good news. I like good news. The good news is, as of 2021, Congress seems to have like kind of gotten their shit together a little bit, and they passed a bipartisan infrastructure deal that is supposed to rebuild America's roads, bridges, rails, and quote, "expand access to clean drinking water and invest in communities that have too often been left behind." End quote. We'll see, right? Jeez.

Well friends, did we have fun? Okay, great. Thanks for listening. Next week, we'll be talking about a billion dollar company that is near and dear to so many of us. It's a company that honestly dictates the start of every season. They're constantly in the news for their poor employee treatment, shady business practices, and delicious beverages. On our next episode, we'll be putting the spotlight on Starbucks.

Yeah, you bitches better go rush out and get your pumpkin spice lattes now because next week you're going to...

It's gonna be over. I'm sorry. I'm gonna ruin it. You're welcome! Remember, don't be afraid to ask questions to get the whole story because you deserve that. Also, join me over on my YouTube where you can actually watch these episodes on Thursday after the podcast airs. And while you're there, you can also catch my murder mystery and makeup. I'd love to hear your guys' reactions to today's story, so make sure to use the hashtag #DarkHistory over on social media so I can see what you're saying.

Now let's read some comments. User xd7ry3k and 5w had a little question for me. Why aren't you doing makeup? End quote. Well, that's a good question, but wrong show. Dark history, I don't do makeup. Myrmistry, I do makeup, but I love you.

Bye. Terry and Reason342 left a comment on our tattoo episode from season two saying, I am a collector of tattoos. When I visit a new state, I usually come home with new ink. So far, I have one from Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Florida, and Hawaii. Wow, Terry, I love this idea. I don't get out often, but when I do, I'm gonna go get a tattoo.

You've inspired me. Thank you. Jade Beza 232 had some episode suggestions, which we love. Quote, Bailey, I love your show so much. I think Dark History of Cheerleaders or Costco would be interesting to hear from you. Wow, girl. Are you smoking the devil's lettuce? Because like those are so random. Costco and cheerleaders. I like the cheerleader one. I think that that could be interesting. I love that. Costco. I'm sure they're shady.

Thank you guys so much for leaving all of your comments, suggestions, and feedback in the comment section down below. Don't forget to leave a comment because maybe yours will come up next week. And be nice. Thank you. Dark History is an Audioboom original. This podcast is executive produced by Bailey Sarian High, Junia McNeely from 3Arts, Kevin Grush, and Matt Enloe from Maiden Network.

A big thank you to our writers, Joey Scavuzzo, Katie Burris, Allison Filobos, and me, Bailey Sarian. Production lead, Brian Jaggers. Research provided by Xander Elmore and the Dark History Researcher Team. Special thank you to our expert, Brett Brandl. And I'm your host. Hi, Bailey Sarian. I hope you have a good rest of your week. You make good choices. And I'll be talking to you later. Goodbye.

COVID-19 viruses like me change to fool your immune system and make you sick. But updated vaccines help protect you. Stay up to date on COVID-19 and flu vaccinations. Sponsored by Champions for Vaccine Education, Equity and Progress.

COVID-19 and flu viruses disguise themselves to fool your immune system. That's why COVID-19 and flu vaccines are updated to protect you. Stay up to date on COVID-19 and flu vaccinations. Sponsored by Champions for Vaccine Education, Equity and Progress.

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