Watson
From page I
cently as a merchantman, the ship
was soon turned to more devious
pursuits and it wasn't long before
she was involved in smuggling
various contraband from opium
and silk to prostitutes. In between
smuggling runs she often turned
pirate.
This naughty nauti-
cal behavior continued
for several decades
with the ship being
confiscated by Chinese
authorities or--later--
the British. on at least
four occasions in the
early 19th century.
In 1841, fed up with
her reputation, the Im-
Jim Watson
perial Chinese govern-Columnist
ment turned herinto a
prison ship. It was on
a fateful day during this period
that 158 prisoners were summarily
brought on deck and beheaded.
During the Taiping Rebellion
in the 1860s, the ship was captured
by British forces and it was then,
under the command of Colonel
Peter "Chinese" Gordon, that the
name was changed to Ningpo, or
the "Peaceful Wave."
It was only then that the ship
began her new career in the tour-
ism industry becoming something
of an early cruise ship.
But even her appearance as a
larceny. According to a 1958 ar-
ticle in the Journal of San Diego
History, the Ningpo first began
her career in the travel and tour-.
ism industry in the late 1800s in
the Hong Kong area.
The game was to lure a group
of foreign tourists aboard for a
multi-day sojourn down the coast
where the unsuspecting tourists
were then robbed and set ashore.
It wasn't until about
1913 that the Ningpo fi-
nally made it across the
Pacific to the coast of
California where she was
put on display along with
enougtl cutlery and tor-
ture implements to make
even the sturdiest Victo-
rian matron swoon.
After temporary
berthings in San Diego
and San Pedro, she finally
made her appearance at
Catalina Island in 1917--the last
landfall she would ever make.
For awhile, she was anchored
in Lover's Cove and served as a
restaurant and museum, but even-
tually found her way to Cat Harbor
where she continued keeping tour-
ists in awe throughout the 1920s.
Her closing chapter in life be-
gan when a Hollywood movie
crew inadvertently caught the ship
on fire when a burning prop ship
drifted too close for comfort. The
upper decks of the Ningpo burned
to the waterline and what was left
For an early Chinese
junk, the history of the
Ningpo is remarkably
well recorded. She was
originally built in 1753 in
Fuzhou province and was
christeeed Kin Tai long,
or "Gdden Typhoon."
Several 'ears ago, my snorkel-
ing gear ard I made a pilgrimage
to Cat Harbor to see if there was
anything left of the ship. I knew
it had been many years since any
part of the ,essel was visible above
the surface but tough old sailing
ships die had and I hoped I might
find sometaing ,of this piece of
maritime hstory.
I snorkded along a predeter-
mined (sor: of) grid pattern, sift-
ing the bcttom sands here and
there wherever I saw something
promising.
I had h,ped to find a rotting
timber or lerhaps a barnacle-en-
crusted iron fitting or two. But
there was mthing left.
Nothing that is, except for an
unnaturall) straight bed of a pe-
culiar variety of sea lettuce which
spanned th~ bottom for about 30
yards. Ths ray of seaweed was
equally umatural in the consis-
tency of its width of about a yard
over its entre length.
I surmised that this life was per-
The Ningpo sitsin a harbor awaiting her next adventure. Courtesy photo
the long-buried keel and timbers
of the ship, perhaps themselves
only molecules diluted in the fine
sands, of Ballast Point.
I thought it ironic at the time,
and still do, that this ship that had
seen so much destruction and tak-
en part in so much loss of life was
now itself giving back to that life
in a sleepy, wave-lapped lagoon on
The "Peaceful Wave" is finally
at peace.
Jim Wdtson is the author of
MYSTERIOUS ISLAND: CATA-
LINA, available at Amazon, Kin-
did and in stores all over Avalon.
tourist attraction, was tainted with of her hull settled into the mud. haps a grovth that was feeding on Catalina Island. -
Co I mE r local
resident ! a ily I ho las i
There will be a fundraiser for
Randy Thomas from 4 to 7 p.m. on
Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the end of the
Green Pier Shore Boat Float.
The former U.S. Navy air crew- THE DMV WILL BE IN THE CITY OF AVALON
man has lived'on Catalina since " OCTOBER 22, 23, AND 24.
2003. In the past weeks, Thomas
I
has been diagnosed with Stage IV,Come by City Hall to sign up for your appointment. They will process
cancer and will be undergoing a l California Driver license and identification card appaications, Conduct
series of treatments under the care l drive tests, and process basic Vehicle registration renewals/applica-
,tions.The hours of operation will be:2:30pm-5:00pm on Monday, Oc-
of the City of Hope. l tober 22nd, 20128:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-5:00pm on Tuesday,
Since 2003~ Thomas has made,October 23rd, 20128:00am-12:00pm On wednesday, October 24th,
Catalina Island his home base l 2012.They will accept cash, checks and money orders. Checks are
while working for Avalon Shore ! preferred) .--
Boats, the city of Avalon, United
I
Water and Ocean Rafting. He met
Marie "Manette" Roxas Thomas
while he was working as a shore-
boat captain and Manette contin-
ues to provide clerical and sales
support to Catalina Adventure
Tours. The fundraiser will include
a cookout dinner and a chance to
win raffle prizes courtesy of com-
munity businesses. The commu-
nity is also invited to a dockside
viewing of the P-520 a restored
World War II Crash Boat, courtesy
of the West Coast CRBA "Crash
Boat Association," as well as the
famous yellow semi- submarine,
the Nautilus, courtesy of Catalina
Adventure Tours, Inc.
To contribute to "Randy's
Fundraiser," make checks pay-
able to Marie Thomas and mail to:
Thomas Family, P.O. Box 92766,
Long Beach, CA 90809. For more
information, call (562) 432-8828.
||'
Are you a writer, or would like to be
one for the Catalina Islander. The
paper is seeking to expand its edit0-
rial horizons. New reporters and guest
columnists are welcome. For more
information, contact the Islander pub-
lisher at dan@cinews.us or call (3111)
510-0500.
@
CITY OF AVALON FINANCE DEPARTMENT
IS NOW DEVELOPING A HIRING LIST FOR THE
EQUIPMENT MECHANIC
POSITION OF
Scope: Under general supervision, inspects, troubeshoots, diagno-
ses, and repairs a variety of vehicles and heavy equipment; maintains
and orders necessary inventories of equipment~ sFop supplies, parts,
and materials; performs other related duties as required. The Equip-
ment Mechanic is the journey level class responsil~e for a variety of
mechanical, electrical and hydraulic maintenance ~nd repair on City
owned power equipment.
How To Apply:Applications may be obtained from the Finance
Department at Avalon City Hall. All applications must be turned in by
Monday, October 29, 2012 by 4:00 p.m. All applications should show
educations and experience relevant to the position, incomplete ap-
plications will be rejected.
Selection Procedure: Applicants will be screened ~nd those can-
didates possessing the most relevant experience viii be invited to
participate in an oral interview.
City of Avalon is an equal opportunity employer.
Range 28 Step 1 $23.563 Step 5 $28.641
@
CITY OF AVALON ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
The City is now proceeding, wit~ roadway repairs & improvements
throughout many areas in the t wn" Due tO theupc ming Winter (and i
colder) season, it is imperative that this work be performed as soon as
possible. The work will consist of slurry seal and new asphalt depend-
ing on existing street needs.
The complete package of work will begin thiS next coming week,
Monday, Octobeg:i5i and will ast tfirough the first week of November.
The first order of worl~ is going to be some minor gradin9 of the newly
constructed sewer lines, in order to prepare them for new hot-mix
asphalt. Some areas of Whitley, Marilla, Vieudelou and Hiawatha will
receive a "grinding" prior to a new asphalt overlay. Other areas and
streets will be cleaned and treated with a special slum/mix material.
Many property owners and residents will be required to parkaway
from their regular locat!ons~in order for this'work tolse'compieted.
Every effort will be :made to- notify all residents of the impeding WOrk
in their immediate ~a[ea::Thank you for your patiehce:and Understand-
ing during this requ!redw01rl(. : : : . : ~
THE CATALINA ISLANDER October 19, 2012 i8
