''Sweepstakes'' was an 1853
clipper ship
A clipper was a type of mid-19th-century Merchant ship, merchant Sailing ship, 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 ...
in the California trade. She was known for a record passage from New York to Bombay, and for a race around the
Horn
Horn most often refers to:
*Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound
** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments
*Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
with three other clippers.
Record set, New York to Bombay
''Sweepstakes'' made a record passage from New York to Bombay in 1857, of 74 days, between May 9 and July 22. At the time, it was "one of the fastest passages on record between the two ports."
California clipper
''Sweepstakes'' was built at the height of the clipper ship boom, in 1853, when there was a high demand for quick transportation to the
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...
. Forty-eight clipper ships were built that year. ''Sweepstakes'' was the last clipper ship built by the
Westervelt shipyard.
[
]
Just the year before, in autumn of 1852, "four splendid new clipper ships put to sea from New York, bound for California" in "the most celebrated and famous ship-race that has ever been run": ''Wild Pigeon'', ''
John Gilpin
John Gilpin (18th century) was featured as the subject in a well-known comic ballad of 1782 by William Cowper, entitled '' The Diverting History of John Gilpin''. Cowper had heard the story from his friend Lady Austen.
Gilpin was said to be ...
'', ''Flying Fish'' and ''Trade Wind''. "All ran against time; but the ''John Gilpin'' and the ''Flying Fish'' for the whole course, and the ''Wild Pigeon'' for part of it, ran neck and neck, the one against the other, and each against all. It was a sweepstake with these ships around
Cape Horn
Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramírez ...
and through both hemispheres."
''Sweepstakes'', though black-hulled like other clippers, bore a stripe of gold, found on only a few others like the
N.B. Palmer, and was praised for her sleek lines and speed.
The clipper bow of ''Sweepstakes'' was an unusual form, with an upright, curved stem, a straight keel, and a rockered, arched forefoot.
A rather dramatic mishap occurred during the launch. The ship was sliding down the ways towards the water, when the rails gave way and spread out. The ship careened onto its side, and remained toppled over for three days, until Tuesday the 21st.
[
] The ship "struck the staging alongside and around the stern" of another clipper ship under construction, ''Kathay.'' A "large number" of spectators viewing the launch from ''Kathay'' were pitched into the water, but all were recovered without incident.
[
]
With the help of steam tugs and two floating derricks, ''Sweepstakes'' was brought to
Brooklyn Navy Yard
The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a semicircular bend ...
for inspection and repairs.
Afterwards, the owners proposed a sweepstakes race for the new ship. "Messrs. Chambers & Heiser offer
dto sail the ''Sweepstakes,'' a clipper ship of 1600 tons, partially launched on June 18 from the ship-yard of Messrs. Westervelt & Sons, in this city, a race of 3000 miles, say 1500 out and return, each ship to pay an entrance of $10,000; the race to be subject to such rules and regulations as shall be prescribed by the
New York Yacht Club
The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. ...
.
Of the California clippers which sailed between 1850-1860, ''Sweepstakes'' was one of eighteen ships which made passages between New York and San Francisco in less than 100 days. The fastest trip between New York and San Francisco was 89 days; ''Sweepstakes'' came in seventh, with a passage of 94 days.
''Sweepstakes ports of call included New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, Manila, Macao, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Bombay.
In the preface to his autobiography, ''Master of the Show,'' Augustus Pitou, a Broadway producer who spent fifty years in theater as a manager, playwright, and actor, claimed to have sailed to Australia aboard ''Sweepstakes'' as a cabin boy.
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]
Final voyage
''Sweepstakes'' made its final voyage in 1862, from
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
to
Batavia
Batavia may refer to:
Historical places
* Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands
* Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
. The ship went aground on a reef in the
Sunda Strait
The Sunda Strait ( id, Selat Sunda) is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean.
Etymology
The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the weste ...
during this passage, and was damaged. It was drydocked for inspection, and condemned. The ship was sold for scrap on May 13, 1862, for 15,000
florin
The Florentine florin was a gold coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains (3.499 grams, 0.113 troy ounce) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a purcha ...
s.
See also
*
Jacob Aaron Westervelt
Jacob Aaron Westervelt (January 20, 1800 – February 21, 1879) was a renowned and prolific shipbuilder who constructed 247 vessels''Ships and Shipping of Old New York (1915)'' by the Bank of the Manhattan Company, page 48. of all descriptio ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweepstakes (Clipper)
California clippers
Ships built by Westervelt & MacKay
Age of Sail merchant ships of the United States
Individual sailing vessels
Maritime incidents in July 1853
Maritime incidents in April 1862
1853 ships
Shipwrecks of Indonesia