Silver Canyon, Santa Catalina Island
Silver Canyon, Santa Catalina Island appears on an 1893 topographical map of "The Island of Santa Catalina in part from the U.S. Coast Geodetic Survey."
SILVER CANYON: “While this interesting canyon, one of the largest on the island, may be reached by following the ridge to the west from the Equestrian Trail, or ascending that beyond Chicken Johnny's, it is far more profitable to the plant observer to enter it from the Coach Road: Turn abruptly to the left at the Summit and follow the top of the ridge for half a mile noting that you pass the heads of several branches of Grand Canyon before you reach the numerous hollows that descend into the main streamlet of Silver Canyon. The upper reaches of all the branches of Silver Canyon are encompassed by rolling hills comparatively free of trees. Its slopes are densely covered with grasses, amongst which, during February, March and April, may be found a large variety of interesting herbs. The canyon contains water throughout the year. Below the junction of the uppermost branches it becomes suddenly precipitous and difficult all the way down to the main branch of Grand Canyon, which enters it from the northwest. A short distance below this junction the creek bed nearly reaches the level of the ocean. From here on the bed is very wide and flat and is composed of loose rock, sand and a tangle of drift rubbish. It proves an excellent bottom for cottonwood and tree tobacco, but is not a profitable collecting place after the early spring months.” [Millspaugh & Nuttall Flora of Santa Catalina Island (1923)].
Ship Wrecks at Silver Canyon:
- Two Sisters (#259445) (1961)
Dive death off Silver Canyon:
- Joseph Jerhoff drowned while scuba diving on November 16, 1976
In the News~
August 21, 1893 [LAT/SCat]: “Catalina. The weather has been remarkably agreeable the past few days… Many stroll into Silver Canyon, and climb Black Jack, and are sunburned, betrousered and happy…”
November 30, 1899 [LAT/SCat]: “Avalon. The young men who established a camp at Silver Canyon and engaged in abalone fishing, have sold shells to the amount of $180, and have 1200 pounds of dried abalone meat still on hand. Yesterday Al Shade and Ernest Morris went round the west end of the island in a rowboat, prospecting for a better place for their camp. It was a long row and a risky one for a small boat at this season of the year. They reached Avalon at 8 P.M.”
July 21, 1901 [LAT/SCat]: “Avalon. A party of young people went for a walk yesterday and before they reached home again they had several adventures in climbing in and out of canyons, scaling precipitous walls of rock, caught a wild goat kid, and covered twenty-five miles. They went to Grand Canyon and having explored it to the ocean, returned by way of Silver Canyon.”
November 13, 1901 [LAT/SCat]: “Avalon. George Hoffmann, Al Shade and Ernest Morris, boatmen, whose occupation is not brisk in the winter season, have established a camp at Silver Canyon, on the south side of the island, and are making a business of hunting abalones for market. Yesterday they made a ‘clean-up’ and brought over a ton of shells and half a ton of dried abalone meat.”
July 30, 1904 [LAT/SCat]: “Avalon. There was a bit of a misunderstanding about the party reported lost in the hills a few days since… They followed the hills, aiming to strike into Silver Canyon, but missed it and struck Grand Canyon…”
August 14, 1904 [LAT/SCat]: “Avalon. The yellowtail catches today have beaten anything of the kind heretofore this season. The ground where the game is found so plentiful lies from Seal Rocks around the point of the island to Silver Canyon.”
September 22, 1904 [LAT/SCat]: “Avalon. A big black goat is exciting a good deal of curiosity among anglers and boatmen who have been fishing in the vicinity of Silver Canyon recently. Last Thursday the animal was first seen standing in bold relief on the top of a pinnacle which stands out from the rocky cliff. How he reached the top of the rock is a mystery…”
June 1, 1908 [LAH]: “Avalon, May 31. Every hour adds to the mystery of the disappearance and probably death of Antonio Christ, known as ‘Tony the Greek,’ who dropped from sight somewhere in the sea between Santa Catalina Island and San Clemente a week ago. At 5 o’clock tonight the launch Nevada returned to Avalon, bringing the skiff which belonged to the ill-fated boatman and which was picked up in the channel at a point about twelve miles north of Avalon by the tug Redondo Saturday morning. When the boat was picked up the painter was beside the small craft. This is taken to indicate that the boat did not break loose, as has been believed. In the boat when found were some stones, which might have been used as light anchors. This shows the boat had not been capsized. On board the Nevada were Al Shade, John Robarts, Tommy Whitley, Charles Parker and another Avalon man. They have been searching for the boatman several days, but until they put into San Pedro today and learned that the boat had been picked up at Redondo they had no trace of the missing man or any of his belongings. At 2 o’clock last Tuesday afternoon the United States cruiser Buffalo, from Panama to Mare Island, twelve days out, picked up the launch Zeus, drifting helplessly at a point nineteen miles southeast of San Clemente Island. The launch contained Edward E. Easton, his wife, two children and a negress nurse of the little ones. The story told by Mr. Easton was one of great hardship to himself and family, as they had been buffeted by the sea nearly forty-eight hours after the engine stopped. Mr. Easton said they had all retired on the Zeus about 9:30 Sunday evening with the understanding that the boatman was to raise anchor and proceed to Avalon early the next morning. Avalon is about an hour and a half run from Silver Canyon, where the boat was anchored for the night. He said that some time before daylight he was awakened by the heavy pitching of the boat. He shouted to Tony, but received no response. The engine was running and the launch was plunging along in the darkness with no guiding hand at the wheel. Mr. Easton made a search for the boatman and was horrified to find the man was not on board. The anchor had been raised, but the anchor rope had not been coiled. About thirty feet of heavy chain lay on the forward deck of the little craft. The launch's tender was also missing and Mr. Easton frequently expressed the fervent hope that the man might be picked up at sea. Mr. Easton went to the wheel and steered, he says, steadily for the east. They ran for hours without sighting land. Finally the engine stopped and all Mr. Easton's efforts to start it again were of no avail. He believed the fuel was exhausted. This was not the case, however, according to the statement of the Avalon boatmen who went on board the Zeus when the launch was moored after the Buffalo had towed her in. The real cause of the engine stopping, these boatmen say, was that the lubricating oil was exhausted and Mr. Easton did not know how to replenish it or did not know it was essential. Without lubrication the engine ran hot and finally stopped. With the boat adrift Mr. Easton attempted to rig a kedge anchor or to make a float to keep the boat's nose to the weather. In this he practically succeeded and doubtless saved his family from much suffering by the launch falling into the trough of the sea and rolling on her beam ends with every swell. What was placed in this drag is not known beyond the use of a tent which the party had used in camping. This tent was thrown overboard and abandoned when the seamen of the Buffalo sought to lighten the Zeus while under tow. The Buffalo's speed threatened to swamp the launch. An Avalon boatman said today there was half a cord of wood in the Zeus. He could not understand why this was not used in the drag or why the sailors had not jettisoned this when they feared being towed under. In speaking of the tragic fate of Antonio Crist, an avalon man who is familiar with launches and the ways of the sea said: "We have discussed the affair at great length here, and we are unable to reach any tenable theory of how Tony met his death, for it seems certain he is dead. One thing is certain: if Tony fell overboard while his engine was running and the clutch was in — that is to say, the propeller working — the boat would have come back to him.”
June 22, 1908 [LAH]: “That Anton Crist, or ‘Tony the Greek,’ as he generally was known, was rescued by a passing foreign-bound steamer and shanghaied is the latest theory offered in solution of his mysterious disappearance from the launch Zeus Sunday morning, May 24, by sailors and friends who have been trying to fathom the mystery at San Pedro. Crist, who was owner and captain of the Zeus, disappeared with a small skiff from the deck of the Zeus some time after 9:30 o’clock Saturday night, May 23, after he had been instructed by Edward E. Easton, a well-known journalist, to start from Silver Canyon, Catalina Island at 2 o’clock the following morning. The party, including Easton, his wife, two children and a maid, had been camping at San Clemente Island, but returned to Catalina, camping in Silver Canyon, which is about an hour and a half’s run from Avalon. At 4 o’clock in the morning Easton awoke and discovered the launch was chugging at full speed out to sea, and that Tony and the small skiff were missing. For forty-eight hours the party drifted, after the gasoline was exhausted, at the mercy of the sea, and were rescued Tuesday afternoon by the United States cruiser Buffalo, after a harrowing experience. What became of Christ may never be really known. His boat was found nine miles southeast of San Clemente Island, far from the scene of his supposed mysterious departure from the Zeus, with the oars missing. It was towed into Redondo and there identified. Several pebbles in the bottom of the skiff indicated it had not been capsized, and in this event his friends are certain he is not dead. Crist was considered an able seaman and a good swimmer. The theory that he met death in the skiff is discounted by all who know him.”
August 8, 1916 [TI/Avalon]: “Clothing torn and feet bleeding, H. Honda, of the fishing launch Hujo, owned by the Van Camp Sea Food Company, was picked up on Friday by the Greeley stagecoach as he was wandering over the hills searching for assistance and food for his crew. Leaving San Clemente Wednesday night en route for San Pedro, Captain Honda and a crew of three Japanese sailors started out in a dense fog with three tons of albacore for the canning company. They struck the south side of Catalina Island at 10 o’clock Wednesday evening… his crew sought shelter in a cave near Silver Canyon.
January 2, 1917 [TI/Avalon]: “The kelp cutters have been working at Silver Canyon and on the south side of the island. Soon we shall have to send for artificial moss and gold fish for the marine gardens.”
March 12, 1918 [TI/Avalon]: “Silver Canyon — Almost opposite Avalon. Favorite for goat shooting. Also at present the favorite grounds for the anglers after jewfish.”
January 18, 1922 [TI/Avalon]: “Points of Interest. Silver Canyon — Almost opposite Avalon. Favorite for goat shooting. Also at present the favorite grounds for the anglers after jewfish.”
March 30, 1932 1918 [TI/Avalon]: “While walking on the beach at Silver Canyon, a visitor from Pasadena stumbled on a cache containing thirty-six cases of Old Colonel whiskey. A Coast Guard cutter took charge of the liquor and turned same over to the U.S. Customs in San Pedro.”
March 30, 1972 [Redland Daily Facts]: “Corrigan's plane wreck on Catalina. Avalon, Calif. (UPI) — Two youngsters hiking through a rugged area of Catalina Island Wednesday found the wreckage of a small plane and the body of Roy W. Carrigan, son of famous pioneer aviator Douglas 'Wrong Way' Corrigan. Corrigan, 22, and a passenger, Roger Powell, both of Santa Ana, Calif., disappeared March 21. The elder Corrigan, 66, flew as an observer in one of the Civil Air Patrol planes searching for them. He earned his nickname 'Wrong Way' in 1938, when he flew from Brooklyn to Ireland despite the refusal of aviation authorities to give him permission to attempt a transatlantic flight in his monoplane. He took off on what he said was a flight to California, and when he landed in Ireland explained that he must have gotten lost and flown 'the wrong way.' He returned to the United States a hero. A second body was also found in the wreckage of the plane piloted by the younger Corrigan, but authorities had not positively identified it as Powell. The wreckage was found in Silver Canyon on this island 22 miles off the coast of Southern California. Corrigan and Powell took off from the Orange, Calif. Municipal Airport, saying they intended to fly over Laguna Beach to photograph a house Powell was building there.”
