The Wreck of the Winfield Scott -

This ship was sailing for California in December 1853. It was taking the Panama route from Panama to San Francisco and was loaded with passengers looking to find their fortunes in the gold mines of California. The weather turned foggy but Captain Simon Bunt refused to slow the ship down. He told everyone that he knew these waters as well as anyone. But during the night, the ship hit a sand ledge. The collision casued the passengers to awaken from their sleep. The deck was dark and started to fill with passengers. The ship's officers tried to reassure the people that everything would be all right. The passengers believed them and returned to their cabins. Little did they know that the ship was in big trouble. When the captain tried to steer the ship away from the ledge, it ripped a big hole in the side of the ship. Water poured in through the hole.

Once again, the passengers came on deck. Lifeboats were lowered and most people made it to a small island to be rescued later. When the ship sunk, a lot of gold sunk with it.

The Wreck of the Yankee Blade -

Diaster struck some ten months after the Winfield Scott sunk. There were about 800 passengers aboard compared to the 300 on the Winfield Scott. It was reported that the ship strated racing another ship and continued even after fog set in. The captain didn't want to lose the race, so he didn't slow down. All of a sudden, a current sent the ship sailing toward the rocky shore. The ship broke apart but luckily, most of the passengers survivied by getting into the lifeboats. But once agin, valuable gold was lost to the sea.

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