In 1922, tragedy befell the U.S. Navy. Nine destroyers, from a fleet of 14, went aground on a notoriously dangerous section of the California coast, a place called Honda, at Point Arguello, near Lompoc, which today is part of Vandenberg Air Force Base. The ships were moving at 20 knots when they struck the rocks. The naval disaster claimed the lives of 23 sailors. Two of the nine destroyers that contacted rocks, were able to get free and make it to port for repairs without sinking. Seven of these navy ships, brand new at the time, would soon become ghastly rusting remnants.
The destroyers were all total losses, but divers did recover what they could, in these turbulent waters. They also learned that the final resting place of one of the ships was practically on top of a big piece of Gold Rush history.
Gold Rush Ship Yankee Blade
In 1854, the 275-foot, steam powered paddle wheeler Yankee Blade, with more than 900 souls aboard, along with a ton of gold bullion, was making its way south along the California coast, when the captain turned west too soon, the same mistake the navy would make almost seventy years later, and struck the rocks off Point Arguello.
Panic and Murder
Passengers fought for space in the lifeboats and, according to the book, Disasters and Heroic Rescues of California: True Stories of Tragedy and Survival, many who did reach land, were robbed, some even murdered, by ruthless bandits who were waiting for survivors to reach the shore.
According to accounts from the time, most of the people aboard had gold dust in their pockets, those who tried to swim were carried to the bottom by the weight of the gold. Those personal possessions were in addition to the gold bullion which was valued at $150,000 at the time. The ship also carried large amounts of cash, presumably paper money.
The gold was reportedly salvaged, though some accounts indicate that the ship was severely damaged, suggesting it went down fast. The shoreline here is rocky and absolutely disastrous for ships. Salvage and recovery operations in 1854 would have been a huge undertaking.
Dangerous Waters
Unfortunately, the truth will perhaps never be known. While the final resting place of the Yankee Blade is identified, the waters on this section of the coast pose many hazards for divers. Plus, the coast here is part of Vandenberg and therefore restricted to public traffic.
Point Arguello is good at hanging onto its secrets.
My parents went there in the 1950's, before the federal govt. took the area over. The wreckage of one of the destroyers at that time was still prominent, taking up a large section of beach. They talked about finding odd things on the beach, and recorded 8 mm film of yet another ship, a several hundred foot long freighter, that met its fate on the same rocks.
History abounds at Honda, the odds of divers some day recovering more of the gold seems genuinely possible.
https://research.archives.gov/description/295445
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NH_66721_Honda_Point.gif
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
