THE NEW STEAMER SAN FRANCISCO.-- This steamer, which is now building in New York, is designed to run between this city (San Francisco) and Panama, in connection with the Sarah Sands, Northerner and New Orleans. Her dimensions are as follows: Length of keel 243 feet; length on deck 255 feet; beam 40 feet; depth 24 feet. She measures 2000 tons, and is furnished with two powerful engines. Altogether she is said to be superior to any thing that has yet made its appearance on the Pacific.
Daily Alta California, July 17, 1853
THE STEAMSHIP SAN FRANCISCO, for the Pacific Mail Co.'s line between Panama and San Francisco, was launched at New York on the 9th of June, from the yard of Mr. Wm. H. Webb. She registers about 2200 tons, is 280 feet long, 40 feet broad and 16 feet deep. She has a very shore model, and for the workmanship it is only necessary to say she was built by Mr. Webb. She will be propelled by two oscillating engines, from the Morgan Works. They are to be of great power, and will be placed fore and aft, thus leaving a clear run on each side of the main deck from stem to stern. She is to be an improvement on the John L. Stephens, and will be fitted up with all the modern appliances to render her second to no steamer afloat.
Daily Alta California, August 12, 1853
The New Steamship for San FranciscoCarl Cutler, in Queens of the Western Ocean, writes: "On Christmas Day 1853, the San Francisco was disabled, and on January 6th, 1854, she foundered with a loss of more than 200 lives. Upwards of 500 were saved, principally by the splendid work of the ships Three Bells, of Glasgow, and (John A.) Zerega's Antarctic, George E. Stouffer Master (from 1853-1858), who saved 197 from SS San Francisco, with the bark Kilby rescuing 108 or thereabouts."
A New York paper of July 5th, gives the following account of this new steamship:This beautiful addition to the steam fleet of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, lately launched from the yard of Mr. Wm. H. Webb, foot of Sixth street, has been built in the most substantial manner and with special attention to the trade she is intended for. Her model is very sharp, having concave lines at each end, and it is fully expected she will excel in speed the celebrated Golden Gate, (another of Mr. Webb’s construction) which has run from San Francisco to Panama, stopping at Monterey, San Diego and Acapulco, in eleven days and four hours, a distance of 3600 miles - beating all competitors from two to three days. Her length on deck is 285 feet; breadth of beam, 41 feet; and she is 24 ½ feet deep. She has three decks. With a light joiner’s deck 8 ½ feet above the 24 ½ feet deck, making a covering for cabins, state rooms, and the officer’s rooms on the latter deck, besides a clear space above, and forming a splendid promenade fore and aft. She will be rigged with two masts.
The hull is remarkable for its immense strength. The bottom is solid, and there are double diagonal braces as an additional security for the frame, running from the floor heads to the upper deck, all bolted to the frame and rivetted (sic) together at each crossing, and still further secured by a large iron plate which runs fore and aft over the upper ends of the diagonal braces, to which it is rivetted (sic), and also bolted to the frame. In addition to this, another method of strengthening has been introduced into this vessel never before adopted. This consists in having two bulkheads, running fore and aft, one on each side of the engine and boilers, and secured to the bottom and the middle deck beams, and diagonally braced with iron the whole length, rendering it an impossibility for anything much less a complete wreck to start a timber.
The interior is to be arranged with state rooms above and with single open berths, similar to the Hudson river boats, and with open steerage berths below. Having a great number of very large sideports and skylights, affording an unusual amount of light and ventilation, this portion of the arrangements will not be subject to the inconvenience resulting from the want of those two necessities for comfort that render traveling in warm latitudes on board some steamships quite a serious consideration.
The machinery is now being completed at the Morgan Works. It will consist of two oscillating engines, with two boilers. The engine will oscillate with a new adjustable cut-off arrangement. The cylinders are 65 inches in diameter, with 8 feet stroke and placed fore and aft in the ship. The wheels, which are fitted with feathering buckets, are 28 feet in diameter, with a face of 8 feet; wheel shafts 18 inches in diameter; one pair of cranks, and one crank pin, and four piston rods. The air pumps will be worked with an auxiliary engine. The dimensions of the boilers are 13 feet eight inches in diameter and 34 feet long. The engine frames are made of boiler iron. The fire rooms are placed fore and aft, with air-tight arrangements. The danger from fire is well provided against, by having two independent fire pumps, with boilers attached.
The San Francisco, when completed, will be the finest steamship on the Pacific. Nothing will be spared to render her worthy of that position. Her beautiful construction must excite much attention there, and she will undoubtedly command a large share of the traveling patronage between San Francisco and Panama. She registers about 2200 tons.
Walt Whitman thus described the sinking with special reference to the part played by the Scottish skipper of the Three Bells, who, in seven long, storm-wracked days and nights, took off more than 200 of the survivors:
I understand the large hearts of heroes,
The courage of present times and all times,
How the skipper saw the crowded and rudderless wreck of the steamship, and Death chasing it up and down the storm,
How he knuckled tight and gave not an inch, and was faithful of days and faithful of nights,
And he chalked in large letters on a board, BE OF GOOD CHEER, WE WILL NOT DESERT YOU;
How he follow'd with them and tack'd with them three day sand would not give it up,
How he saved the drifting company at last,
How the lank loose-gown'd women looked when boated from the side of their prepared graves
How the silent old-faced infants and the lifted sick, and the sharp-lipped unshaven men:
All this I swallow, it tastes good, I like it well, it becomes mine,
I am the man, I suffered, I was there.
In January 1867, Mark Twain boarded another steamer named the San Francisco in Greytown, for a voyage best described in his words.