''Lookout'' was an 1853

clipper A clipper was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing vessel, designed for speed. Clippers were generally narrow for their length, small by later 19th century standards, could carry limited bulk freight, and had a large total sail area. "C ...

known for her passages from New York to

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, and as an offshore and coastal trader in the

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

and coal trades.

Launched at the height of the clipper boom

''Lookout'' was launched in 1853, just as the construction of clippers reached its peak. The day that ''Lookout'' loaded for her first trip to sea, 10 November 1853, there were ten other new clippers loading at the piers in New York for their maiden voyages: ''Chief of Clippers'', ''Edwin Forrest'', ''Electric'', ''David Brown'', ''

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'', ''Dreadnought'', ''Golden Fleece'', ''Lightfoot'', ''Pride of America'', and ''Quickstep''.

Voyages

''Lookout'' made 16 passages to San Francisco between 1854 and 1871. Her fastest was 108 days. On three voyages she met with unfavorable weather, her slowest trip being 157 days; however, her remaining 13 passages averaged 121 days, a very respectable showing. She also called at the ports of Boston,

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, Chamala, Mexico,

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, and

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, as well as making a voyage to

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, before she was sold into the Pacific Coast lumber and coal trade in 1871. In 1855, on a voyage from San Francisco to Hong Kong, ''Lookout'' was two days shy of Hong Kong when she encountered a British clipper, ''Invincible'', in distress and about to be abandoned. ''Invincible'' had collided with the ship ''A. Chesebrough'' and sunk it, but managed to save members of ''Chesebrough''s crew. ''Lookout'' received $25,000 in salvage money for its efforts in assisting ''Invincible'' to reach Hong Kong.

Locomotive transport

In September 1867, the three clipper ships ''Lookout'', ''Franklin'', and ''Haze'' delivered a total of four

locomotives A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, motor coach, railcar or power car; the u ...

between them to San Francisco for the '' California Pacific Railroad Company''. ''Lookout'' left New York on 26 April 1867, and arrived in San Francisco on 11 September 1867.

Loss of the ship

In 1878, Lookout was wrecked in the Japan Sea. She was en route to

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from Shanghai, and was partially dismasted in a typhoon on September 12. She went up on a reef near the island of Kutsonoshima. Three crewmen drowned attempting to land the ship’s boats; the rest managed to land with the help of local fishermen.

References

{{coord missing, Pacific Ocean California clippers Individual sailing vessels Ships built in Warren, Rhode Island Shipwrecks in the Sea of Japan 1853 ships Maritime incidents in Japan