The herald., 1895-01-01

Weber, another knock-down that had
been sent out from Philadelphia for the
Stockton trade. She was side wheel,
donble engine, high pressure. She wes
l20 feet loug, "a feet beam, and feet
depth of hold. Her enEin9s wore Il
inches in diameter by 4 foot stroke, and
had two locom 5tive firebox tubular boil
ere, and carried them on her guards.
One was larger than the other and did
not work very we'll. Consequently they
changed them, and put one large boiler
in the hold. Mr.. A. B. Rowley WAS
engineer, and Captain Lamb had charge
OF her. She ran between San Francisco
and Stockton. Between 1850 and 1861
there were many boats brought here
and put up, come iron steamers and
some wood ones.
1t was while was building the soop
g. W. Aspinwall in 1850 that we had
the fret steamboat explosion. A steamer
called the Sycamore exploded her
boiler inst "a she was backing out from
Commercial street wharf for Stockton.
She was full of passengers, and there
were many killed and some we're
drowned, for she eank right away. l
think it was the day we received the
news that California was admitted as
crate. l will here mention that Col.
A. w. Won Smith had small eide-wheel
steamer built by William Walters, called
the Maunswell White. She ran TO
Stockton. She had geared engine in
her.
On the 1st day OF May, 1851, started
on visit to Philadelphia. | went from
San Francisco to Panama on the steam-
ship Union, propeller, Captain Mark5,
and Mr.. William Kohl of the Alaska
Commercial company was chief engin-
eer. l returned in November. 1851, and
went to work at bodybuilding again.
In December, 1851, l built some light
ers for the Colorado river. In the early
part oil 1862 built sloop called Blanca
for the Sacramento trade. Captain
William Kohl and myself owned nor.
She was 70 feet long, IS feet beam and 6
feet deep; she was put in command Of
Captain John Hutton. About June,
1852, built q small aide heel steamer
for man by the name of Turnbol, and
shipped her to che Colorado river; sho
was the pioneer boat on that river, and
was called Uncle Sam. l think Mr..
Turnbol had government contract to
take freight up the Colorado river. /
never saw him again, go I never knew
how successful he was with the steamer.
In the early part of 1858 / built a
Btern.wheel steamer called the Pike for
Captain E. j. Weeks; she was built and
launched in 2S days from the time the
contract was signed. When launched
she was taken alongside of Gordon &
Stein's machine shop, where w. Z. Gar
ratt's brass shop 10 now, at the corner OF
Fremont and Nstoma streets, where
her machinery and boiler were
firm. As soon as 1 launched the Pike
laid the Keel ON the came blocks Tor ths
first ferry boat built in San Francisco
built her for Mr.. Charles Minturn; she
wac side wheel, walking beam, lows
pressure engine, 120 feet long, IA feet
beam, and feet deep. 1 launched her
in 80 days from the day her keel was
laid. She was named "Clinton." Mr..
George Coffee put up her machinery.
At the same time l built small
schooner, Louisa Harker, for the Alviso
trade, for John Ortley. who now lives in
Alviso and is running warehouse.
The same year / put up a
dredge for Mr.. Charles Minturn the
same machine is still in use at Stockton.
In 1854 l built schooner for myself
and others, for the Stockton freighting
business, the Kate l.. Heron. She was
80 feet long, IS feet beam and 6-12 feet
deep. 1t was about this time that Mr..
John G.. North built a schooner at
Steam boat Point, called the Susan and
cKate Daein; also, one built ct the same
|,tims al2ngsids tho schooner Theodore