CURSE OF THE CLIFF HOUSE
The Cliff House, perched majestically above the ocean near San Francisco’s northwestern tip, has been one of the city’s most famous landmarks since it opened in 1863.
On Jan. 13, 1887, the schooner Parallel, loaded with more than 40 tons of black powder and a cask of dynamite caps, ran aground on the rocks below the building. At 12:34 a.m., two hours after the ship ran aground, the cargo exploded.
The ship was obliterated — fragments were found more than a mile away — and the blast destroyed the Cliff House’s north wing and blew two crewmen who were standing atop the rocks 200 feet. Both suffered serious injuries.
Old-timers held that the Cliff House was cursed, and there was reason for their belief.
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San Francisco Chronicle.