Merchant Ships in Port

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Please note: Merchant ship arrivals are included to give an idea of the volume and type of goods into early San Francisco. If you had the money, you could have anything your heart desired. Listings are by no means complete; names of passengers on these vessels are often unavailable.

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1855, San Francisco

JANUARY

• January 3: Schooner Far West, Bisley, 185 days frmo Baltimore via Talcahuana 52 days. Bricks. To master. Was 95 days to Cape Horn, had fine weather. Was fifteen days coming around.
• January 10: Clipper ship Hornet, Benson, 126 days from Philadelphia. Merchandise to H. K. Cummings & Co. Clipper ship Hornet was towed up to the city from outside of the bar by steam tug Carolina, Captain Griffith. Memoranda: Was 57 days to Cape Horn; off the Horn had a few days severe weather; broke rudder head and has had to steer with tackles ever since.
• January 10: Clipper ship Flying Fish, Nickels, 109 days from Boston. Merchandise to Flint, Peabody & Co.
• January 12: Schooner Kyluma, Candage, 23 days from Hilo, S.I. (Sandwich Islands). Produce, etc., to A. J. Pope & Co.

• January 15: Schooner Restless, Brown, 20 days from Honolulu. Mdse to G. B. Post and Co. Passengers from Honolulu: Capt S. Allen and lady; Mrs. L. C. Alled; Dr. D. Frouenill, lady and child; W. H. Milder; C. H. Derby; E. Pillet; T. Korn Korn (cq); W. Fox; O. Fox; S. Barnard; J. P. Cobb; H. Hart; J. Ball; J. Fripp; W. Frier; B. Jordon; J. R. Frazier; W. Hundrey; J. Bidan; M. Hart; G. B. Bown.
• January 28: Mexican brig Cornelia. D. A. Nye. From Mazatlan 19th December and San Jose del Cabi 25th.

FEBRUARY

• February 9: Daily Alta California. Clipper ship Winged Arrow, Bearse, 115 days from Boston. Mdse to Flint, Peabody & Co. Memoranda Per Winged Arrow: Was 12 days off Cape Horn in heavy gales; made the run from 50 degrees in the Pacific to within one day's sail of San Francisco in 34 days; has been becalmed for teh last six days; crossed the equator in 118 degrre 30'; made the passage in 115 days; was in company with the clipper ship Pampero from New York for San Francisco for three days.
• February 24, 1855, Daily Alta California, San Francisco:
  

  FOR SYDNEY DIRECT The A 1 CLIPPER BARK HELOISE, 350 tons This splendid vessel, which has the principal part of her cargo engaged, will sail positively on the 1st of March, promixo. The Heloise has made two of the most remarkable passages on record viz: 43 days from here to Valparaiso, and 53 days from Sydney to thi sport. For freight, apply to the captain on board, at the wharf, or to Charles C. Harvey, Broker No. 7 Merchants' Exchange

MARCH

• March 15: Brig Hodgdon, Wade, 15 days from Oregon; lumber to J. B. Harvey
• March 15: Brig Merchantman, Gilroy, 9 days from Puget Sound; lumber to G. A. Meiggs
• March 15: Sch. E. L. Frost, Hempstead, 16 days from Honolulu; mdse to G. B. Pest & Co.

APRIL

• April 20: Steamer Goliah, Fauntleroy, from Crescent City to J. T. Wright. Passengers: J. A. Witt, C. Fairfield (or Foirfield), R. Baker, J. Flechman, J. Wyman, P. Fitzpatrick, J. A. Hamilton, C.H.C. Taylor, Jas Light, John Wilson, Wm. Hutton, N. O. Brient (or Briest), A. Walker
• April 20: Barq Equator, Morton, 40 days from Puenta Arena, Costa Rica; mahogany to D Gibb & Co. Memoranda Per Equator - Left barque Union, from New York, for Callao. First part of the passage had fine weather; 14th inst lat 34 12, long 127 30, experienced a heavy tempest accompanied with lightning and hail which covered the deck some 6 inche sin depth. Capt. M. says he has never experienced such weather on this coast before
• April 20; Sch Mount Vernon, Smith, 36 hours from Santa Cruz, produce to Davis & Jordan.
• April 20: Sch Palestine, Stoddard, 12 hours from Salt Point, 75 M feet lumber to Neefus & Tiehener
• April 20: U.S. Revenue Cutter Wm. L. Marcy, 10 hours from Bodega

MAY

• May 14: Steamer Republic, Isham, 2-1/2 days from Oregon, with passengers; to Forbes & Babcock.
• May 16: Sloop Falmouth, Wiley, six hours from Bolinas, with lumber, to Master.

JULY

• July 16: Clipper ship Polynesian, 128 days from Boston
• July 19: Barque Louisiana, Crosby, 63 days from Hongkong, via Honolulu. Mdse to Capt. Williams. Memoranda Per Louisiana. At Whampoa 13th, U. S. Sloop of war Vandalia; shipGazelle in dock and condemned, ships Wizard, Boston and Beverly, discharging; ship Bald Eagle, just arrived; two ships passed up, names unknown. Left at Hongkong, May 17th, ship American and Electric, waiting cargo. Sld from Hongkong on the 17th, the ship Hoezan, Winson, destination unknown, Storm King, Devans, for Foschowfoo and London; barque Golden Fleece, for sale. Vessels up for San Francisco - Peruvian ship Inca, Peterson, to sail in 7 days; ship Lizzie Jarvis, Burrows, uncertain. The price of rice had fallen some 60c, a picur, but there was still much suffering among the poor, thousands dying of starvation. The pirates still continued their depredations on the east and west coast among the native junks and fishermen. Two pirate junks attemped to board the barque G. E. Webster, in the latter part of April, off Pedro Bianco, but were beaten off. The Webster was bound from Hongkong to Amoy.

August 6, 1855, New York Daily Times, New York, New York

From the Alta, July 16, 1855
The Cholera on Board the Sierra Nevada

Considerable excitement exists throughout town regarding the appearance of the cholera on board the steamer Sierra Nevada, during her passage from San Juan to this port.

The disease was in New Orleans at the latest dates, where nearly 150 per week were dying. No signs of it appeared among the passengers until, at Virgin Bay, a young girl who had been eating fruit imprudently was taken with a severe cramp and died in a few hours; those who were accustomed to the disease pronounced it at once cholera of the most violent type. On the arrival of the passengers al San Juan del Sur, several others ded, and at Consul Priest's American Hotel there were three dead bodies at one time. Twenty dollars were offered and refused to bury them. The natives generally left the town.

A few days out from San Juan the cholera appeared among the passengers, and continued to rage with great fury up to the day of arrival here (Saturday). The deaths on board amount to 30. Our informant, one of the passengers, states that in one four hour watch seven cases terminated fatally. The chief mate of the steamer, Mr. Perry, died on Friday. The doctor did not succeed in saving one case. Most of them were among the steerage passengers, though several died in the upper and lower cabins. Among these was Rev. C.B. WEST, who was on his way here to take charge of a congregation in one of the interior towns. There are now three cases on board the steamer at teh wharf, which the Coroner asserts are likely to prove fatal. Two women died yesterday morning, one named Mary Ann Allen, aged twenty one years, who was to have been married to a gentleman in Nevada, who had written for her to come out and join him. Her body is now at the office of the Coroner.

Ex Mayor GARRISON is taking the most energetic steps in the matter, and has dispatched the best medical aid in the city to attend the suffers on board the steamer. We hear the most flattering accounts of the conduct of Capt. Blethen during the trying scenes on board the Sierra Nevada. For a number of nights, he did not take his clothes off, and, regardless of danger, was in attendance in all parts of the ship to lend assistance and soothe the the last moments of the dying.

We furnish herewith a list of the dead, as reported by Purser FOSTER, who, we learn did everything in his power to alleviate the distress around him. Mrs. Rebecca Hirschman, whose name appears on this list, was a lovely girl from Europe, aged sixteen years. The two brothers, who had sent for her, resided at Nevada. One o fthem, who had not seen her for seven years (Henry Hirschman), was in the city awaiting her arrival. As soon as the steamer was telegraphed, he procured a small boat and proceeded on board. After inquiring of several passengers, he received the dreaded intelligence that she died when the steamer was four day's sail from this port. She is said to have been one of the most lovely of her sex. The gentleman that attended her during her sickness showed her every attention and did all in his power to restore her to health, but to no avail. A Her brother obtained her trunks and found a lock of hair, which she clipped for her loved brothers in California. In one instance, a whole family, hunband, wife and child, died in three successive days.

NUMBER OF PASSENGERS WHO DIED ON BOARD
THE SIERRA NEVADA, JULY 1855.

(Editor's Note: List is extremely difficult to read so we have included the list from the Sacramento Daily Union, July 17, 1855 below the clipping)

Cabin
July 4: Joshua Lord
July 7: C. B. West
July 10: Miss R. Hirschman
July 8: Infant of T. H. Brown
July 10: T. H. Brown
July 11: Mrs. T. H. Brown

Steerage
July 7: Chas. Berg
July 7: Thos Morrison
July 7: James Rogers
July 7: Gerd. Behnken
July 7: John Collins
July 8: Infant of Mrs. Riley
July 9: Mrs. Sarah Mullins
July 9: Wm. Slatterly
July 10: Charles Bole
July 10: William Scotley
July 10: S. Camps (or Campo)
July 10: Pat Connell
July 11: J.H. Pope
July 11: Jesse Barstow
July 11: Hugh Mealy
July 11: James Fox
July 11: Ang. Mayer
July 11: Ralph Seymour
July 12: James Gallagher
July 13: J. Madden

Crew
July 14: John Perry, 1st Officer
July 8: James Buckley, Seaman
July 8: Mayor
J. G. Foster, Purser

July 17, 1855, Sacramento Daily Union, Sacramento, California

San Francisco, California

LIST OF THE DEAD: The following list of the persons who died on board the Sierra Nevadaon her passage to the is port has been handed to us by the agent of the Nicaragua SS Co in this city: Joshua Lord, C.B. West, Miss Rosalie Hirschman, T.H. Brown, Mrs. T.H. Brown, infant T.H. Brown, H. Amew, Chas. Berg, Thos. Morrison, James Rogers, Gerd. Behnken, John Collins, infant Mrs. Riley, Miss Sarah Mullins, Wm. Slatterly, Charles Bole, Wm. Scottey, S. Camps, Pat Connell, J. H. Pope, Jesse Barstor, Hugh Mealy, Jas. Fox, Ang. Mayer, Ralph Seymour, Jas Gallagher, J. Madden, John Perry, James Buckley, Mayor. -- Chronicle

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

• Arrived September 8th -- Bark Carib, Pray, 15 days from Puget Sound. Lumber to G. A. Meiggs
• Sch. Laura Bevan, Morton, 9 days from San Pedro, mdse to A. Pierce
• Sailed September 8: Clipper ship Game Cock, Osgood, Shanghae, in two of steamersResolute and Herclues
• Sailed September 8: British ship Lord Geo Bentick, Talbot, Callao
• Sailed September 10: FOR SYDNEY: Messrs. Hughes & Hunter and Lubeck and Co. have put the fine clipper ship Kit Carson, Capt. Crowell, upon the berth for Sydney. The Kit Carson is a fine new ship and turned her cargo out at this port in admirable order. We understand that she has a large portion of her cargo engaged and will have quick dispatch.
• September 10: CLIPPER LINE FOR AUSTRALIA -- The fine clipper ship Starr King, Capt. Turner, has been put upon the berth for Melbourne, Australia, by Mr. J. W. Parker, Australian Packet Office, Sacramento street, between Sansome and Battery. The Starr King is one of the best ships ever put up for Australia, and shippers for Melbourne can rely upon good ventiliation and a quick passage.

DECEMBER

• December 12, 1855, San Francisco: Ship Andrew Jackson, Williams, Cleared for Mazatlan, 28 passengers. D. L. Ross & Co.