 SSMonte Carlo wreck visible at low tide near Coronado Shores 30 January 2010 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Owner | Associated Oil Company (1923–1932)[1] |
| Ordered | 1918 |
| Builder | Liberty Ship Building Company inWilmington, North Carolina (later theNewport Shipbuilding Company)[1] |
| Launched | 1921 |
| Completed | December 1921 |
| In service | 1923 |
| Out of service | 1932 |
| Identification | USOfficial number:2223209 |
| Fate | Wrecked 1937 |
| Notes | Hull built out of reinforced concrete |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Concrete oil tanker based on an incomplete EFCDesign 1070 cargo vessel |
| Type | Oil tanker |
| Length | 300 ft (91 m)[1] |
| Beam | 44 ft (13 m)[1] |
| Height | 24 ft (7.3 m)[1] |
| Propulsion | Single Nordberg triple expansion steam engine[1] |
| Notes | Started construction as the EFC Design No. 1070 concrete oil tankerOld North State |
SSMonte Carlo was aconcrete ship launched in 1921 as theoil tankerSSOld North State. It was later renamedMcKittrick. In 1932 it became agambling andprostitution ship operating ininternational waters off the coast ofLong Beach, California, United States, and was relocated toCoronado, California, in 1936. TheMonte Carlo was grounded at Coronado onNew Year's Day 1937 during a storm; its wreck remains on the beach.
To reduce the use of steel duringWorld War I, on April 12, 1918, PresidentWoodrow Wilson approved the construction ofconcrete ships, overseen by theEmergency Fleet Corporation (EFC).[3] In total, 24 ships were approved for construction. Only 12 ships were completed by the1918 armistice.[4] Although the remaining unbuilt ships were cancelled, a 13th and final ship was under construction at the Newport Shipbuilding Company yard inWilmington, North Carolina. Known as theOld North State this vessel was the third Design No. 1070 class concrete oil tanker constructed, after the previously completedSapona andCape Fear. Author Norman Lang McKellar believed construction was completed in 1921 under the temporary name ofTanker No. 1, being heavily modified from its original EFC design.[1]Tanker No. 1 was used by theU.S. Quartermaster Corps until 1923, when the vessel was purchased by theAssociated Oil Company ofSan Francisco and re-purposed as the commercial oil tankerMcKittrick.[1][2]McKittrick was powered by a singleNordbergtriple expansion steam engine which was the same unit for other EFC concrete vessels.[1]
In 1932,McKittrick was sold to Ed V. Turner and Marvin Schouweiler and renamedMonte Carlo.[5] Its hull was mostly filled with concrete to reduce motion and the former oil tanker was converted for the purpose of gambling, prostitution and drinking, all of which were illegal duringProhibition.[5] Under the operation ofAnthony Cornero,[5] it became the largestgambling ship operating off the California coast.Monte Carlo opened for business offLong Beach on May 7, 1932 coinciding with the1932 Los Angeles Olympics along with two other gambling ships of the fleet.[5]Monte Carlo was moved tointernational waters offCoronado Island in 1936. California law enforcement was unable to shut down the ship's operations as it was just beyond their jurisdiction. Thewater taxis and ferries that carried customers to and fromMonte Carlo were subject to high taxation in an attempt to undermine the financial viability of the business.[2]
In 1937,Monte Carlo was anchored 3 miles (4.8 km) in international waters off Coronado Beach inSan Diego during a storm onNew Year's Day when theanchor lost its hold. The ship drifted onto the beach in front of what is now the El Camino Tower of the Coronado Shores condos. Because this vessel was illegal once on shore, no one claimed ownership. The wreckage can be seen underwater at low tide, and is occasionally exposed during strong storm tides. The surrounding beach where it came to rest was coined locally as "Shipwreck Beach" by a Coronado writer and historian in 2005.[2]
It is speculated that there may be $150,000 worth ofsilver dollar coins remaining in the wreckage. According to the late lifelong resident of Coronado, Edward "Bud" Bernhard[6] who retrieved hundreds of dollars from the shipwreck as a child: "I’m convinced there is $100,000 in gold and silver coins deep in that wreck".[2]
From time to time the wreck becomes visible on the shore of theSilver Strand.[7][8]
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