Robert Schwemmer's video: Visiting the shipwreck site of the California Gold Rush side-wheel Winfield Scott

Winfield Scott departed San Francisco upon its last voyage on 1 December 1853, with a full load of passengers and a shipment of gold bullion. On 2 December, electing the Santa Barbara Channel rather than a passage outside the islands in an effort to save time, Captain Simon F. Blunt entered the passage as a fog developed. Evidently intending to steam between Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands the Winfield Scott piled into Middle Anacapa Island at full speed, probably around 11 knots, at eleven o'clock that evening. Amid general confusion, a boat was launched and located a nearby landing place. The entire ship's company, more than 500 persons, left the vessel that evening for a small rock outcrop off Middle Anacapa Island. The following morning, the ship's boats transferred the group to the island proper, today the location is known as Frenchy's Cove. A temporary camp sheltered most of the group for the eight days. The majority of the passengers left on December 10, when the side-wheel passenger steamship California plucked them from the beach and took them on their way to Panama. The ship's company remained on the island for two more days, concentrating on recovery of the mail and baggage carried aboard. They also recovered some furniture and "small portions of machinery." Other salvors removed foodstuffs and other items. Captain Horatio Gates Trussell of Santa Barbara salvaged wood that became incorporated into the home now preserved as the Trussell-Winchester Adobe, which also contains two brass thresholds from the ship. Major salvage took place in 1894 from the wrecking scow San Pedro, operated by Captain Maginn and Colonel Baker. The operation removed several hundred large copper bolts and much of the iron machinery, blasting it into manageable pieces. Additional iron and brass were salvaged during World War II. If you'd like to send a donation to help support this channel and keep it going, you can do it here (Thank you!): https://www.paypal.me/RobertSchwemmer