Thanks to Ed Leska for passing on this incredible footage of the shipwrecks at Honda Point.
The Honda Disaster—VIDEO
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A resource for Trails & Rails Guides on The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
The Honda Point disaster was on September 8, 1923, not at all associated w/World War I, as the “1914-1918 label on the film implies. For other discussions, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Point_disaster . The best online overview I’ve found is https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2010/february/naval-tragedys-chain-errors .
(A talking-point that reminds us of California’s Spanish heritage: some references cite the location as Point Pedernales.)
As the USNI overview makes clear – many factors contributed to the disaster, simple actions might’ve averted it – as is found in other disasters.
Groundings end careers; fortunately, boards of inquiry and command authority exercise discretion. A young Navy Ensign, less than three years’ service time, was in command when USS Decatur (DD-5) went aground. He was judged guilty of neglect of duty and issued a letter of reprimand. Smart call: he went on command the US Navy in the Pacific during WWII – Admiral Chester Nimitz.
Another interesting thing “seen” in the film, despite not seeing it – it was shot from an airplane. According to records, it was a biplane/floatplane off the USS Aroostook, then serving as a seaplane tender (though commissioned as a minelayer.) There’s a bunch more stills shot from possibly that same plane at http://www.navsource.org – look under Destroyers for the individual ships, and somewhere for Aroostook. (Or use Google , look for Aroostook.) One still includes the starboard trailing edge and brace aboard the plane – now the challenge/fun of figuring-out what type. Probably a Curtiss F-type.
For a good history, written by a USN admiral who exposed a different, protracted disaster during WWII… Some of the same factors contributed there, as at the Honda Point disaster.
I should’ve thought to mention – the first rescuers on-scene were none other than Southern Pacific employees – John Giorvas, Southern Pacific track foreman, and part of his section crew. (Announce *that* over the whole-train introduction!) Giorvas was about to bed-down in his nearby cottage, and thought he heard a faint noise – likely one of the ships as it crashed onto the rocks. Having seen a flash of light he rushed to the edge of the mesa, and overlooking the water, saw the silhouette of the stranded USS S.P. Lee, briefly illuminated – and took off to contact the station at Surf. He advised that “a warship” had gone aground, and medical help and more would likely be necessary. He also called on his Santa Barbara Telephone party-line , to alert the General Foreman for the section, who in turn called authorities in Lompoc. Giorvas woke his section crew and directed them to the shoreline to start rendering aid. It was scarcely an hour after the first ship crashed into the shore.