Passenger Lists: San Francisco 1800s
SS Golden Gate
Arrive San Francisco
May 31, 1862
SS Golden Gate
Captain Pearson
From Panama
Passage
14 days from Panama. Left Panama at 11:00 AM on May 15th. Arrived Acapulco, Mexico on Mary 23rd, received coal. Arrived Manzanillo, Mexico on May 24th, discharged freight. Stopped off Navidad Bay to assist H. M. Ship Mutine. On May 28th shipped a sea off Bonita Island, which washed overboard a passenger, J. W. Churchill. Lowered a boat and picked him up. Same day Frederick Hedley, of Richmond Hill, London, England, was reported missing. Supposed he was washed overboard at same time. Had strong NW gales and short head seas since leaving Marguerita Island.
Passengers
Adams, C. B.
Alexander, Miss Mary
Alexander, Samuel
Bradford, Dr. C.H.
Clapp, Mrs. J. and two daughters
Coan, Miss Hattie
Colbert, H. and wife (Might be W. Colbert and wife)
Delarde, F.A.
DeLong, A.A.
Dunscomb, P. (Might be S. Dunscomb)
Geddis, Mrs. M.
Grants, Dr. J.
Hilden, Mrs. L. A. and child
Hyman, S. (Might be P. Hyman)
Johnson, Miss E.
Leeds, S. P.
Murphy, D.S. (Might be D.T. Murphy)
Paine, Capt. G.P. (Might be G.S. Paine)
Phillips, Joseph
Reilly, E. A.
Salfridge, Mr. and wife (Might be Selfridge)
Scott, Mrs. and child
Shaw, Miss S. C.
Soule, Frank
Valanda, F. A. and wife
Weaver, Mrs. E. and child
Wentworth, J. P. H.
Young, Mrs. O. A. and child
Colon. |
The incentive for building a rail line from Chagres to the town of Panama City was the dramatic increase in traffic to California as a result of the 1849 Gold Rush. In 1847, the actual east west transit across the isthmus was by native dugout boats (and later by modified lifeboats) up the often dangerous Chagres River, and then by mules for the final 20 miles (32 km) over old Spanish trails. The trails had fallen into serious disrepair after some 50 years of little or no maintenance and up to 120 inches (3 m) of rain each year in the April December rainy season.Construction on the Panama Railroad began in 1850 and the first revenue train ran over the full length on January 28, 1855. William H. Aspinwall, the man who had won the bid for the building and operating of the Pacific Mail steamships, conceived a plan to construct a railway across the Isthmus; he and his partners created a company registered in New York, the Panama Railroad Company, raised $1,000,000 from the sale of stock, and hired companies to conduct engineering and route studies.
Author Captain Julius Grigore, Jr. discovered many fascinating revelations beyond expectation -- about the Wall Street manipulations and the questionable involvements of the early presidents of the Panama Railroad Company, especially during the Park, Sage, Simmons, and Stockwell terms of office. The author selected the Ludlow through Goethals presidencies, from 1849 to 1916, as this group represented the most controversial, fascinating, and incredible personages concerned with the incorporation, construction, organization, and management of the Panama Railroad Company. |