Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-12
THE YANKEE BLADE.

a "Reminiscences of the shipwreck- Strange
Incident of Recovery
Those who were among the early pioneers
to the Golden State. who either came with
an Ok team and arrived here at the end of a
several months trip across the plains, or
came across the Isthmus or by the longer
journey around the Horn, will remember the
various routes and accommodations" to and
from :" the States, and it requires but recur-
renee TO any incident connected with those
far-of yet recent days to fill their minds with
volumes of by-gone scenes and incidents,
and cause them to live over again
in memory these pages of tbs past.
Those who have come to the coast in more
recent years, drawn by the iron horse, and
making the trip between Sundays, hardly
estimate the task that lay in the transit OF
those former years. The stay of many an
absent one in "the land of gold was ex.
tended months and even years from the home
'back in the States by reason of the long
time and journey required to return to it, and
the task encountered in the effort to go back
East and again return to the Pacific coast, to
which from opportunities and climate they
had become attached from their sojourn
The quickest route in those days was by
steamer to the Isthmus of Panama, thence
overland to the gulf, and again by steamer
up the Atlantic coast But the cost and
time required in getting down from the
" diggiDgs" to San Francisco, to reach
steamer, was nearly as much as now required
to sit and read novels and crack the necks of
champagne bottles in Silver Palace sleeper
across the continent.
ABOUT TwENTY-sEvEN YEARS AGO
DR.. G.. L. Simmons of Sacramento, then only
a student for his profession, started from San
Francisco on the steamer Yankee Blade for
New York. There existed at that time
fierce competition between the Pacific Mail
and the opposition line of steamers, and the
Yankee Blade was built and sent to this coast
by Commodore Vanderbilt as the finest and
fastest ship in America. On this trip there
were over eleven hundred people on board,
and large sums OF money were bet upon her
making the quicket time on record. To
shorten the distance to Panama the captain
ran the ship through the Santa Barbara channel
and in twenty-four hours after she left San
Francisco, while going at full speed and in
the midst of dense fog, she ran upon sub
merged reef of rocks near Point Conception.
The terrible scenes which Immediately fol.
lowed this disaster are well remembered by
old Caiifornians. About one hundred men,
women and children were drowned and the
rest were saved by passing boat, when they
had become nearly exhausted. The wreck
went rapidly to pieces, and no trace remained
of the noble ship except the broken frag-
ments which hoated along the coast for miles.
Amongst the doctors luggage there was
large box of medical books, which went down
with the wreck and which were considered
by him as forever lost.
sHIPwRECK RELICS DISCOVERED.
While Judge benson, of this city, was in
Santa Barbara to preside at the trial of
Clarence Gray, be was guest at the Arling
ton Hotel, kept by ID. w. Thompson.
While in the hotel office one day he noticed
on the table an old Noah Webster's diction-
airy, published in 1871. In looking at the
title page for the date he discovered the
name of G. L. Simmons, printed in stencil
upon the leaf. Judge benson asked the pro-
prietor where he got the book. and he said he
fshed it out with a box of other books from
the kelp upon the margin of Santa Cruz is.
land, off the cost of Santa Barbara, in 1854,
directly after the wreck of the steamer
Yankee Blade, and that it came from that
ship. He asked if Judge benson knew such
a person, and stated that he made extensive
inquiries at the time in reference to the
owner, so as to return the books to him, but
could never find any one that knew the per-
son. Upon being informed that DIR. Simmons
resides in Sacramento, he expressed pleasure
at the opportunity of returning the long
absent book to its owner. He also stated
that he could probably find some of the
Others which were found in the same box, and
would gladly make the effort if DR., Simmons
would like to regain possession of them.
Upon Judge Denson's return to Sacra-
mento he reported to DR.. Simmons the anti
quarian discovery be had made, and letters
were at once dispatched to Santa Barbara by
the doctor for further information, and the
following
INTERESTING LETTERS
Have been received in reply by him. A
letter from the proprietor of the Arlington
Hotel at Santa Barbara, where the dictionary
was found, is as follows:
SANTA BARBARA, February IS, 1881.
Dear Sir: was very glad TO hear from you by
letter this morning l have dictionary bearing
your name Dr. Brinkerhoff died about year ago
Mrs lives here and will see her about the books
AT the time of the wreck of the Yankee Blade |
was living on the Island Of Santa Rosa in the en-
ploy Of my uncle, A B. Thompson. One day while
riding on the northwest end of the island found
number Of pieces of cabin furniture also cases of
lard, and saw many pieces far out in the kelp.
The next day, very early, took whale boat from
the west harbor and man with me, and went up to
the head of the island. On the way up in
the kep we picked up chest OF medical
books, and trunk or two, with nothing in them OF
value. This was, think, in 1854. Surprising a
steamer to be wrecked somewhere near, the next
day we went up the head Of San Miguel to see if
we could make any discoveries of wreck, but OF
course found nothing. After returning to the
island harbor we took the books and dried them in
the sun. | either took them to my uncle in Santa
Barbara or sent them-I don't remember which |
DIR. Wallace (now dead), learned from my uncle |
picked out some Of them. DR.. Wallace said there
were some rare books among them that he would
like to have, and my uncle allowed him to take
them. He died some years ago at the house OF
native Californian and have no idea what became
of his effects VIII inquire OF the woman who had
the care OF him and if can ge. any trace OF the
books In early days the superstition was that
when people were going East they were going not
to return and for one little thought you to be in
Sacramento. The dictionary have always kept on
my table, and have found it very useful Shall re-
turn it with pleasure, and any Others Of the chest
that may find The most valuable wood work of
the Yankee Blade that we picked up a carved
eagle which came of OF the paddle-box This relic
is now an ornament in the theater here viii write
you again Very truly yours.
The other letter received in relation to the
same subject is as follows:
SANTA BARBARA March /, 1891
Dear Sir: Yours addressed to my late husband
was duly received. You may have had some ac-
quaintsnce with DIR. Brinkerhof and will be inter
ested know that he died suddenly INSTANTLY last
March. He died as his father did at the same age,
Of heart trouble. In regard TO the books you in
quired for, one was among my husbands books aud
put it into the Art Loan Exhibition something
Of curiosity. / will hand it to Mr. Thompson, who
is getting together all he can find
I can readily understand how interesting such
survivors of your shipwreck must be to you and
trust and hope may be able to return them all
in not very much worse order for their sojourn in
Santa Barbara / remain, truly yours,
LUCY a. BRINKERH0FF.
Thus the doctor is likely to again obtain
possession of the first installment of his medi-
cal library, after its shipwreck and subse-
quent romantic history. and it is needless to
say that the rescued volumes will be priced
higher than sli other books and occupy the
choicest Iocatior rron HE library sheives