McGinn, Captain T. A.
MCGINN, Captain T. A.
In the News~
May 24, 1894 [SFCall]: “The Association of Masters and Pilots drafted the following resolutions, which were forwarded to Captain McGinn of the wrecking scow San Pedro, who did gallant service when the steamer Los Angeles struck on the Point Sur rocks: Whereas, on April 21, 1894, the steamship Los Angeles on her voyage to San Francisco was wrecked near Point Sur and several persons drowned, and their fate might also have overtaken two of our brothers, who, with others, were left in a very exposed position on the wreck, had it not been for the gallantry of Captain T. A. McGinn, who, in command of a boat, and at the imminent risk of his own life, returned to rescue those who would certainly have been lost had it not been for his timely assistance, and his action was a bright and shining example to all masters and pilots…”
October 8, 1894 [SBMP]: “The wrecking scow San Pedro arrived in port this morning from Redondo. Captain McGinn says he is going over to Anacapa Island to take a look at the wreck of the Winfield Scott, which went ashore in 1852. He says he thinks there is a great deal of copper and brass to be obtained there. After this trip the scow will sail north to the Gosford again.”
October 20, 1894 [SBDI]: “The wrecking scow San Pedro arrived this morning from Anacapa Island with a load of wreckage from the old steamer Winfield Scott which was wrecked in the year 1852. Captain McGinn says this is the most romantic wreck he has ever worked on. The scow lays under the cliff within fifty feet of shore and with one line fast to the rock on which the passengers from the steamer were landed. They broke up portions of the wreck with dynamite and raised a large amount of iron, shafts, wheels, bolts, etc. There are a great many copper bolts four or five feet long which are quite valuable. Captain McGinn got a brass plate from the engine room showing that the steamer was built in 1851, according to which she was only a year old when she sunk.”
October 22, 1894 [LAT/SB]: “The wrecking scow San Pedro arrived in port this morning with a large quantity of wreckage from the side-wheel steamer Winfield Scott, which went ashore on Anacapa Island in 1852. She had a number of shafts and considerable old iron from the engine room, besides a number of copper bolts about five feet in length. Captain McGinn said he thought there must be some mistake regarding the year of the wreck, as he found a brass plate, nickel-plated in the engine room stating that the vessel was built in 1851, and there was evidence that she had been running several years before she was wrecked.”
November 6, 1894 [LAH]: “Captain McGInn of the wrecking scow San Pedro arrived in this city on the stage from Gaviota this evening and reported the total loss of the wrecker late Sunday night by fire. The wrecking scow, which had recently finished working on the Winfield Scott, had returned to Cojo Harbor and resumed the work of taking out coal from the sunken schoonerGosford, and had already six tons of coal and 30 tons of wreckage on board when the fire occurred. Captain McGinn, in an interview this evening, told the following story: About 6 o'clock Sunday evening, he, in company with Seaman Andrew Uden, Diver John Lawrence and Seaman Julius of Santa Barbara, left the scow for a brief trip to Gaviota, 11 miles distant, for the purpose of securing more help, as the crew was short. They left on board the scow Chief Engineer John Harley, Second Engineer John Halkie, Steward C. W. Whom and Seaman Harry Thumb. They left Gaviota to return to the wrecker about 2 o'clock Sunday morning, and on reaching Cojo Harbor found the scow in flames, and in the after part where the fire evidently originated, she was burned nearly to the water's edge. None of the crew were to be seen, but the fact that the scow's life boar was missing showed how the men had made their escape. THe captain made every possible effort to scuttle the wreck, so as to save the machinery, then lay by until daylight, when he left the scow to its fate and returned to Gaviota, coming here by stage. The three men will take the Corona north for San Francisco tomorrow evening. The San Pedro is a total loss, with everything on board, the valuable machinery she carried making the loss a heavy one. She was owned by Rogers & Co. of San Francisco and valued at $12,000, with $6000 insurance. The wrecker had been working in this neighborhood, off and on for a year, having worked successfully on the Golden Horn, Winfield Scott and Gosford, and was on the way to resurrect the Yankee Blade, a side-wheeler similar to the Winfield Scott and which was sunk 30 years ago above Point Conception.”
November 8, 1894 [LAT/SB]: “On Monday night’s stage Captain McGinn and three seamen arrived from Gaviota and reported the total loss of the wrecking scow San Pedro at Cojo Bay Sunday night. The wrecker was raising the coal from the sunken ship Gosford, and had on board several tons of it beside about thirty tons of wreckage. They were working short-handed, and on Sunday Captain McGinn, seaman Andrew Uden, diver John Lawrence and Captain Julius of this city, who acts as pilot in the channel and among the islands, started for Gaviota to engage more help. They returned in the night or toward the morning Monday, and found the scow burned almost to the water’s edge. The crew had left and were nowhere to be seen. They had been unable to quench the flames, so put off for land in a small boat… The wrecking scow was the property of Rogers & Co. of San Francisco and was valued at $12,000, and was insured for $6000. She has been working recently on the wrecks of the Newburn, Goldenhorn, Winfield Scott, Gosford, and intended in a short time to work on the Yankee Blade…”
November 16, 1894 [LAT/SB]: “The tug Fearless, Captain Haskell, arrived in port at a little after 9 o’clock Tuesday night from Santa Rosa Island, bringing a fuller account of the wreck of the steamer Crown of England. The ship is a total wreck… Captain McGinn of the burned wrecking scow San Pedro was on board the Fearless…”
November 30, 1894 [LAT/SB]: “The tug Katie O’Neil, which is towing the wrecking outfit from San Francisco to Santa Rosa Island [Crown of England wreck], left it there yesterday and came on here, arriving last night to take on coal. She is in charge of Captain McGinn, formerly of the wrecking scow San Pedro.”
June 9, 1895 [SFCall]: “Santa Barbara, June 8. Henry Rohrbeck, a wrecker employed on the ship Crown of England, ashore on Santa Rosa Island, was struck by a piece of iron early this week and his leg was badly fractured. Rohrbeck laid for days without surgical attendance and was today brought to the Cottage Hospital for treatment. Captain McGinn of the Santa Rosa states that the high winds of last week blew down the derricks, completely checking the work of the wreckers.”
October 29, 1895 [SFCall]: “Santa Barbara, October 28. Captain McGinn, formerly master of the wrecking scow San Pedro, left here this morning on the schooner Cleone, bound for Santa Rosa Island, where he will take on a cargo of wreckage gathered by his men from the Crown of England, which will be carried to San Francisco. While on the island the Captain will make a thorough survey of the wreck, with a view to future operations. The Captain states that there is no longer any visible sign of the wreck of the Gosford, the great coal ship lost on the coast in the vicinity of Gaviota nearly two years ago. For a year and a half the Gosford, with its hull apparently intact and masts erect, lay on the rocks in the vicinity, in constant sight of all coast vessels. It was a valuable ship, and it is estimated that efficient work at any time during this period might easily have saved its owners from $40,000 to $50,000 worth of material, for the Gosford was comparatively easy access. But for some extraordinary reason no attempt was ever made to save any portion of the ship's block and tackle or any part of its hull, and it has now gone to the bottom.”
October 29, 1895 [SFCall]: “Santa Rosa Island wrecks. Remnants of the Crown of England recovered; the last of the great ship Gosford. Captain McGinn, formerly master of the wrecking scow San Pedro, left here this morning on the schooner Cleone, bound for Santa Rosa Island, where he will take on a cargo of wreckage gathered by his men from the Crown of England, which will be carried to San Francisco. While on the island the captain will make a thorough survey of the wreck, with a view to future operations. The captain states that there is no longer any visible sign of the wreck of the Gosford, the great coal ship lost on the coast in the vicinity of Gaviota nearly two years ago...”
February 10, 1899 [SFCall]: “Captain Reid, of the steamer Arcata, is seriously ill with the grip. Captain McGinn, first officer of the Corona, will take the Arcata out on her next trip.”
