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Guide to the Otay Flood Relief Expedition Records
MS 264
MS 264
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Title: Otay Flood Relief Expedition Records
Identifier/Call Number: MS 264
Contributing Institution:
San Diego History Center Document Collection
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.25 Linear feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1916-1988
Abstract: This collection consists of records pertaining to a flood relief expedition led by US Navy Lt. Willis W. Bradley Jr. after
the 1916 Lower Otay Dam failure.
creator:
United States. Navy.
Items in the collection are arranged by subject.
This collection is open for research.
The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.
Otay Flood Relief Expedition Records, MS 264, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.
Collection processed by Samantha Mills on April 4, 2012.
Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous
funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.
Biographical / Historical Notes
In January 1916, severe storms hit San Diego, California, lasting several days. The Lower Otay Dam lacked an adequate spillway
for excessive overfilling, and on January 27, the dam collapsed. Billions of gallons of water swept through Otay Valley, leaving
at least 20 dead and much of the rest of the population homeless.
Admiral William F. Fullam, commander-in-chief of the Pacific Fleet, immediately sent in a flood relief expedition under Lt.
Willis W. Bradley, Jr., then commanding officer of the USS Lawrence. This party consisted of eight officers and 85 enlisted
men from the Navy and Marine Corps. For two weeks they provided all police and medical attention for the flooded district,
which included Otay, Palm City, Nestor, San Ysidro, and the Tijuana border area. They initially distributed food and clothing
to about 500 people, decreasing to about 200 people at the end, at which point the operation was turned over to local authorities.
Lt. Willis W. Bradley, Jr. was born June 28, 1884 in Ransomville, New York. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy
in 1906 and served until his retirement in 1946. During that time he served in World War I and World War II, and acted as
Governor of Guam from 1929-1931. In 1946 he was elected to Congress as a representative of L.A. County districts 69, 70, and
71. He died August 7, 1954.
This collection consists of records pertaining to a flood relief expedition led by US Navy Lt. Willis W. Bradley Jr. after
the 1916 Lower Otay Dam failure. Correspondence includes orders establishing the expedition, daily reports made throughout
the expedition, and orders withdrawing the Navy’s forces. Other records include itemized bills for supplies, correspondence
surrounding the investigation of several civilian complaints, and letters of commendation. Additionally, there are biographical
excerpts about Lt. Bradley as well as a photograph of him.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession number 890722.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Bradley (Ship).
Bradley, Willis W.
Fullam, William F. (William Freeland), 1855-1926
Lawrence (Ship).
Milwaukee (Ship).
Oregon (Battleship).
Reserve Torpedo Division.
South Dakota (Ship).
Dam failures
Flood damage
Floods -- California
Lower Otay Lake (Calif.)
Military orders
Nestor (Calif.)
Otay Mesa (San Diego, Calif.)
Palm City (Calif.)
San Diego (Calif.)
San Ysidro (San Diego, Calif.)
Tijuana (Baja California, Mexico)