But an instant before they were full of life, each one with some expectations from his contemplated voyage, each one with some cherished hope for the future, and no thought of death and there I stood alive and well, who, but for a little chilly wind, would have been among them.” “The next moment all was still but in that short moment more than twenty human beings had been hurled into eternity. His memory of standing on the wharf, watching the ship in the harbor, is beyond haunting: MORE ABOUT THE ADA - Edward Carlson was a soldier who had planned to board the ship, but decided not to go simply because it was too cold.

Phineas Banning, who drove the first stagecoach across Beale’s Cut (and wrecked it!), was injured in the blast, which is still one of the worst accidents in California history.

Both living and dead were launched into the air and ocean from the blast. Banning was on board and was slightly injured. Tough legacy to go through life with, and tougher on the 26 people who died and others who were injured. Hancock was named after a real person, Ada Hancock, the daughter of a Banning friend. Sanford, who was Los Angeles’ second postmaster at the time, and as a younger man had helped dig that first road through the Newhall Pass in the 1850s. Ada Hancock took the lives of 26 souls, including Banning’s brother-in-law, W.T. president, 2 inches taller than James Madison.Ī SHORT BUT FATEFUL NIGHT ON A BOAT - The night of April 26, 1863, the tender (that’s a smaller cargo ship used to transport cargo and people from larger ships to shore, and vice versa) of colorful Southern California teamster Phineas Banning blew the holy heck up in San Pedro Harbor.

SCV Signal News Podcast with Aron BenderĬOCKTAIL PARTY TRIVIA ALERT!!! - Dubbed “Little Ben” by the press, at 5-foot-6, Harrison was the second-shortest U.S.

Ghouls edward lee