Non RR, but ran across this sea disaster, said to be still the Navy's grestest loss of ships, at Honda Point, California in 1923. Seven nearly new destroyers ran aground and some into each other in a dense fog, with a loss of 23 lives and all of the ships. Though a bit of ammunition was saved, the rest was deemed too dangerous to salvage and simply left to nature, where the stricken ships were demolished by wave action within a year. Plenty of enlargeable photos of the wrecks just after it happened and their broken remains a year or so later.

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/even ... ondapt.htm

I recall a detailed account of this in Railroad Magazine, perhaps an issue in the late 'sixties? SP played a major role in the rescue efforts.

Regards,
Gord McOuat
Halton County Radial Ry.

Steam schooners are another local type out here on the West Coast. After the destroyers were wrecked at Honda, a load of piles were being unloaded at the San Diego naval base and a Naval officer looked down and said to the Mate in charge," So that is one of them there steam schooners."

The Mate looked up at the Officer and said" Yes, she is and when we put them on the rocks we do it one at a time!

Ted Miles

More photos here:

http://www.hazegray.org/features/honda/index.htm