Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-12-24
Misesllaneuas 8eaains.
OVER THE sATTLEsHIPs' ROUTE
The Pioneer Steam Voyages to the
Pacific.

The sailing of the fleet Of battle
ships for the Pacific recalls the SAIL
ing of another fleet on similar Voy-
age more than half century ago.
This earlier fleet was composed OF the
steamers hurried to California on the
discovery Of gold.
Attention has been directed to the
risk involved in sending so many and
so large vessels on so long a voyage
as that of the battleships between the
James river Virginia, and the upper
Pacific coast, but a comparison be-
tween them and the pioneer steam
vessels on the route makes the voyage
of the naval fleet seem like an excur.
sion by contrast.
Prior to 1S45 our experience with
ocean steamships had been very lin
tied, and 1t was only after that date,
or in fact i'm 1S47, that the first Amer
lean ocean steamship line was estab-
lished. About the same time the first
coastwise steamship was constructed
after the Robert Fulton Of 1919.
So when the gold fever broke out
In 1S4S there were not more than six
or eight steamships in service in this
country and they were on established
lines. The Pacific Mail Steamship
company had at this time two steam
ships under construction for the Cali
fornia trade.
The first vessels leaving the Allan
tic coast after the outbreak of the
gold fever were three sailing vessels
sent out in October, 1S4S, by the war
department. The virulence Of the fe-
yer is shown by the fact that In one
month from December IA, 1848, there
we're cleared from New York for CAL
ifornia six ships, five barks, five brigs
and one schooner, carrying a total OF
665 passengers, and each vessel filed
with freight to the limit of its capac-
ity, and from Boston in the same time
there were nine sailing vessels carry
ing 325 passengers and freight. For
the year 1849 there were 235 ships,
210 barks, 154 brigs, 120 schooners,
a total of 71s sailing vessels, and II
steamships, most Of these vessels go
Ing by the way Of Cape Horn, and
carrying about $4,000 passengers and
freight.
In the latter part Of. 1S4s the first
real news was obtained In the east of
what the prospect was for the trans
portation business on the Pacific
coast and then began the fitting out
of small steam vessels for the voyage
for service on the inland waters and
short coast routes Of the new terri
tory. Many vessels were purchased
and refitted that were in fact totally
unsuitable in type for so long and
hazardous a voyage.
Among those that took the risk was
the Governor Dana, a sternwheeler of
the western river type, from Oldtown,
Me. She was only 130 feet long, and
yet this small vessel arrived safely on
the Pacific side and was in service
there until 1864.
There sailed from New York the
New World, a vessel similar to the
Sound steamboats, of that date, and
about 200 feet long. This is the YES
sci that was launched with steam UP
and made a trial trip Immediately al
terward and had the reputation of
carrying the sheriff's officers, who
were on board with a process for a
debt, down the bay. Having thus
been kidnapped these officers had the
choice of going to California with the
vessel or ashore in a small boat; they
followed the latter course.
The vessel went to sea and arrived
safely at San Francisco. and was In
service there for many years. The
VOYAGE was also made by the Ante
lope, a comparatively new vessel that
had seen service in Now York bay,
and the Confidence, another New York
bay vessel, neither one as large as the
New World and neither designed for
such service.
The Wilson G.. Hunt, small river
boat that had run to Coney island,
met with many mishaps on the voy-
age. Leaving New York on March
3, 1850, the vessel encountered a Sc
we're gale on March 9, and narrowly
escaped laundering, her upper works
being almost wholly a wreck from
the violence of the storm.
She put into one Of the Bermuda
islands for repairs and subsequently
proceeded on her way. 1t was no ex-
cursion for the crew Of that vessel
getting to San Francisco.
About the most unfortunate OF all
these refitted vessels was the Rhode
Island, which had been on the New
York and Providence route and had
been laid aside as a spare boat. She
was sold and refitted, or prepared as
we'll as the short time would permit,
for the voyage. She left New York
on January 25, 1850, and four days
later ran into violent gale.
The vessel was loaded down with
coal and provisions so that her free
board was very small for a vessel on
such a voyage. After laboring in the
heavy sea for twelve hours she began
TO leak badly. Her engine refused to
work. while her steering gear became
deranged, and she was at the mercy
of the waves and sank a few hours
later. Twelve of the passengers and
crew escaped in small boat to
schooner that was near by at the
time, but thirty-two were lost with
the vessel.
All of these vessels had the light up
per works common to river boats, but
most of them were fitted with masts
and sails for this voyage.
OF another type, like the vessels on
the coast of Maine. were the Senator
and the w. ]. Pease. They had run
outside from New York to Philadel-
phia. They sailed for California.
There were also two propellers OF
about 800 tons each that had been
on the New England coast, the Gen.