AH-WR-0803

Ada Hancock

Steam Tender · United States · Lost 1863 · Southern California & Catalina

A harbor steam tender's boiler exploded off Wilmington in 1863, one of the deadliest disasters in early Los Angeles history.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Ada Hancock was a small steam tender ferrying passengers between shore and steamships anchored in Los Angeles Harbor. On April 27, 1863, her boiler exploded, killing roughly half of those aboard. Popular legend holds that a shipment of gold was lost with her, though this has never been recovered or verified. The wreck site itself has not been documented in modern surveys.

Vessel

Built: Not established
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: April 27, 1863
Cause: Mechanical failure
Location: Los Angeles Harbor (Wilmington), California
Water: San Pedro Bay
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: 53
Lives lost: 26
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 33.78° N 118.26° W
Accuracy: General area only
Nearest: Wilmington, Los Angeles Harbor, California
Region: Southern California & Catalina

General area only: coordinate of Wilmington from the USGS Geographic Names Information System, marking the named place of loss recorded for this vessel (Los Angeles Harbor at Wilmington), not a surveyed wreck position.