The morning call., 1890-09-14
CLIPPERS AND
FULL MODELS.
"reminiscences of Pioneer Ship.
ping in the Early Days.
Romance Of the seas-Exciting Times-The
Wonderful Records Made by the White
Winged Messengers of Commerce.
Written for THE SUNDAY CALL

49, HE remembrance of those connected
S5fyN with the shipping business of the
GGsC golden days of California cannot but
be those Of pleasure, and the subject is one
deeply interesting TO many of the present
generation. The frequency with which
matters pertaining to old-time vessels are
referred to is an evidence of the unwaDing
interest felt. and to preserve few brief
items of this wonderful period is the par
donable object of this brief sketch.
The nucleus of the great accumulation of
vessels in the harbor of San Francisco in
early days" was the sparse arrival prior 10
june 1S49, of those which had left Atlantic
ports during the last three months of 1913
and the few which had been in the Pacific
at the time of the announcement of the gold
discovery. In January, 1S49, the exodus via
Cape Horn commenced in earnest. fer in
that month eighty-tbree vessels CT all sizes
and rigs set sail from Eastern ports of the
United States for the eel Dorado" The
number during the three previous months
had been respectively 8. and II YES
sells. In February, 1S49, it was GA,
gradually falling off during the spring
months TO % for May, when, on account
Of the continued favorable reports from
the gold-delds, it again took an upstart,
running for the following five months 81,
AZ, 80, 40, a. and eliminating for November
in the largo number of 105, with SO for De-
cember. The year 1850 opened with many
departures for California the first three
months being 50. SO and 100, the latter
figure, without doubt, showing greater
activity in this direction than has ever since
occurred. These vessels were generally
overladen, both with respect to cargo and
passenger carrying capacity. In the fleet
were all kinds of vessels-some staunch and
sound; many old and unseaworthy, ready
to be condemned. Many had romantic
histories. There were old-time whalers,
relies of the early 1S00s-worn out, soft
European packets which had brought thou
sands of the oppressed of other nations TO
our generous shores-fast clipper schoOners
from Baltlmore-the tiny coasting slOOpS of
Connecticut. Such had been the anxiety to
get passage to the new 'El Dorado" that
the oldest and most rotten ships in Eastern
ports, valueleSs before the gold discovery,
then commanded high prices; were laid on
Tor California, advertised rs Al clippers,
laden with cargo at enormous freight rates,
and often obliged to refuse mora passengers,
who, had they been in calmer mood, would
have thought it folly to have risked their
life in the crazy craft. Most of these
were small vessels, it being the exception to
find one over 400 tons, while many were
under 100, nut all set sail on the weary and
almost unknown voyage of 1900 miles. In
spite OF many tales OF disaster and shipwreck
the arg0nauts were not deferred Although
there was a considerable diminutOn in tile
number OF Eastern clearanceS for California
after March, 1850. yet that entire year was
able 10 show the respectable figure of $50, as
against 67S for 1919, following with only 121
for 1851 ana about go for 1852. On Septem-
Der IS, 1850, there arrived in San Francisco
twenty-five deep-water vessels and five coast
ers fourteen of which had come from be-
You'd the Horn" This has since been but
twice equaled hs to number, though of course
often surpassed as to Tonnage involved.
The excessive activity of the first two years
of the trade could only result in one
thing to business; an overstocking and glut
in the market Goods were worth but
small proportion 5t SO s and copsigners
and dealers lost heavily. This was finally
Offset, however, by the decreased imports of
1851 and by the great confagratiOns destroy
ing large proportion of the surplus. This
latter fact has been given as the reason that
the business failures in San Francisco did
not reach near the volume of those in Mel
bourne when she passed through similar
commercial activity few years later.
DESERVING SAILORS.
On arrival at San Francisco the sailor gen.
orally deserted his vessel as soon as the
anchor was dropped, often leaving, it is said.
of the vessels with cargo were owned in
shares by the passengers, who would i'm
mediately dispose of everything, all hands
huIrying off to the gold-felds Labor being
scarce and high there was little chance of
the ships departing, and in consequence they
accumulated in vast numbers lay moored
several tiers deep, first row head on to the
beach, with very narrow channel way be-
tween. copy of daguerreOtype taken
early in 1852 shows veritable forest of
frtV, al
clippers overlapping all, crowned queens of
the fleet. A list of the vessels in the harbor
August 90, 1850, shows 6S2, exclusive of about
100 lying at Benicia. Sacramento and Stock
ton. OF these which did not get again to
sea some were d!smantled and entirely idle
others used as store-hOuses saloons, lodg-
ing-houseS, etc. One was q church, an
other the Jail. Few left their original moor
ing-ground until towed away to be burned
for the metal in them, sunk on a waterloo
10 give possessOry title or finally being buried
or built into the city as the streets were ex-
tended into the bay. Each had done good
service, especially those which had trans
ported the pioneers round the perilOus
Horn and through the glorious Golden
Gate, even though the passage often eX-
tended up to 200 days.
The feverish activity of the California
trade having exhausted the Eastern supply
of ships and freight rates having enormously
advanced, the builders there were soon
overwhelmed with orders for new vessels,
the construction of which was pushed with
all possible speed that each might get q
snare of the golden plum. The keel of the
clipper ship John Bertram was laid October
s, 1850, and in ninety-one days thereafter
she was reported loaded and ready to
sail from Boston for California. This
is but one instance, and to show the
character of the work done il is only neces-
sary to state that this ship was afoat up to
q couple of years ago, latterly being under
the Norwegian flag. The new ships build
ing at this time of the trade did not resem-
BILE the old tubs tied up in San Fran
cisco, which had, tiGuratively Speaking,
as to their model, "beon built by the
mile and sawed off, and known as
butter boxes" The necessity for having
goods arrive quickly in good market
brought forward peculiar model. intended
entirely for speed, which was the develop
ment Of the few China clippers heretofore
built, and which were then considered fast
sailers. The California clippers were very
sharp fore and aft, with concave lines and
great dead rise. The Stag Hound, built by
Donald Mackay, for Sampson & Tappan, is
said to have been the first of the very sharp
clippers, but she was soon greatly eclpsed
by the worid-renOwned Challenge, Flying
Cloud, Invincible, Young America, Flying
Fish, Great Republic and Others. Many
were the disputes carried ON in and outside
of the newspapers about tho relative sue
cess of the New York and Boston ship
builders. Each builder tried TO eclipse
himself and others in every new
ship he launched. AS San Fran
cisco paper stated in describing
the latest addition to the fleet, the Young
America, on her first arrival: "She will be
the lion, or rather the ioness. until the
Queen of Clippers arrives. So we go. We
well remember the time when the arrival of
enc of these white-winged sea-birds was
matter of comment for week. Now the
cargo is scarcely out of one ere she is
ecllpsed by some rival, larger, more beauti-
full, and having some new invention to take
the rag off her predecessor" The enor-
nous freight rates received by the
clippers had finally led to everything
being sacrificed 10 speed, n vessel
with first-class reputation, which had cost
$4,000 or 100000 TO build, being able to COM
mand freight of $4,000 for voyage to Cal
ifornia or for the round trip from New York
or Boston 10 California, China and home a
sum equal to her original cost and the
running expenses of the whole voyage. The
original Sovereign of the Seas was sold by
her builder. Maekay, for S15O,000, and her
nntwar1 frpiobf on1 M m Cali