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SS ''Northerner'' was the first
In January, 1851, ''Northerner'' arrived from San Francisco with $2,600,000 in gold dust and treasure on board, and carrying 500 passengers. In August, 1851 ''Northerner'' broke the shaft of her starboard wheel soon after leaving Panama. She completed the voyage to San Francisco using only one paddle wheel, in 22 days, arriving September 8, 1851, with 20 tons of freight and 350 passengers, including mutineers from the passenger ship ''Commodore Stockton'' who had to be clapped in irons for disorderly conduct by the captain.
After 1853, the ''Northerner'' was placed on a more northerly route, carrying mails and passengers between San Francisco and Oregon as far as the Columbia River and the gold fields at Fraser River, arriving for the first time on September 3, 1858.
On October 10, 1858, southbound from Olympia to San Francisco, ''Northerner'' was hit broadside by the Steam Tug ''Resolute'' in Dana's Straits. Since thousands of dollars of damage was done to both vessels,* and it was a clear night in a mile-wide passage, the ship owners filed cross-suits in the Washington Territorial Courts. The owners of the ''Resolute'' were unsatisfied with the Washington's court decision, and filed their case in the U.S. Supreme Court.
''Northerner'' sailed for the last time from San Francisco with 108 persons on board at the time of the wreck, 58 passengers and 53 crew. The ship hit a submerged rock and wrecked January 6, 1860 on Centerville Beach, California, a few miles south of the entrance to Humboldt Bay. Thirty-eight people died: 17 were passengers and 21 crew. One of those who died was Francis Blomfield, son of the late Bishop of London,
paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses we ...
lost in operations by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company
The Pacific Mail Steamship Company was founded April 18, 1848, as a joint stock company under the laws of the State of New York by a group of New York City merchants. Incorporators included William H. Aspinwall, Edwin Bartlett (American consul ...
.
History
''Northerner'' was built in 1847 by William H. Brown, ofNew York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, as a companion to the SS ''Southerner'' for the Spofford & Tileston Company's line of steamers serving Charleston, South Carolina and the East Coast of the United States. In 1850, ''Northerner'' was sold to a Mr. Howard and sent to the Pacific under Captain Waterman. Subsequently, purchased by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company she was initially placed in service between San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
and Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
.
In January, 1851, ''Northerner'' arrived from San Francisco with $2,600,000 in gold dust and treasure on board, and carrying 500 passengers. In August, 1851 ''Northerner'' broke the shaft of her starboard wheel soon after leaving Panama. She completed the voyage to San Francisco using only one paddle wheel, in 22 days, arriving September 8, 1851, with 20 tons of freight and 350 passengers, including mutineers from the passenger ship ''Commodore Stockton'' who had to be clapped in irons for disorderly conduct by the captain.
After 1853, the ''Northerner'' was placed on a more northerly route, carrying mails and passengers between San Francisco and Oregon as far as the Columbia River and the gold fields at Fraser River, arriving for the first time on September 3, 1858.
On October 10, 1858, southbound from Olympia to San Francisco, ''Northerner'' was hit broadside by the Steam Tug ''Resolute'' in Dana's Straits. Since thousands of dollars of damage was done to both vessels,* and it was a clear night in a mile-wide passage, the ship owners filed cross-suits in the Washington Territorial Courts. The owners of the ''Resolute'' were unsatisfied with the Washington's court decision, and filed their case in the U.S. Supreme Court.
''Northerner'' sailed for the last time from San Francisco with 108 persons on board at the time of the wreck, 58 passengers and 53 crew. The ship hit a submerged rock and wrecked January 6, 1860 on Centerville Beach, California, a few miles south of the entrance to Humboldt Bay. Thirty-eight people died: 17 were passengers and 21 crew. One of those who died was Francis Blomfield, son of the late Bishop of London, Charles James Blomfield
Charles James Blomfield (29 May 1786 – 5 August 1857) was a British divine and classicist, and a Church of England bishop for 32 years.
Early life and education
Charles James Blomfield was born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, the eldest son (an ...
. Seventy others made their way through crashing surf to shore and were aided by local people including Seth Kinman
Seth Kinman (September 29, 1815 – February 24, 1888) was an early settler of Humboldt County, California, a hunter based in Fort Humboldt, a famous chair maker, and a nationally recognized entertainer. He stood over tall and was known for h ...
and Arnold Berding.*
The Centerville Beach Cross marks the resting place of some of the victims whose bodies were recovered.
In December 1863, the U.S. Supreme Court (68 U.S. 682), ruled ''Northerner'' was at fault for steering across the path of the ''Resolute''.
References
Further reading
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Northerner Merchant ships of the United States Steamships of the United States Paddle steamers of the United States Ships built in New York City Shipwrecks of the California coast Maritime incidents in January 1860 History of Humboldt County, California 1847 ships