History of Sacramento County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, 1923, Part 49

Author: Reed, G. Walter
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1026

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on by the Southern Pacific Company very rare- ly have trouble, and there is a prospect that in the near future the channel will be deepened by the government and state to nine feet, as far as to this city.

Undoubtedly the Russians were the first to navigate the river, as they had posts at Fort Ross and Bodega, and were engaged in trade in tallow, hides, furs, etc., and were in this region prior to 1840, trading in the interior up to the time they sold out to Captain Sutter. At that time, also, there was in this section an agency of the Hudson Bay Company. In 1841 the Russians sold out to Sutter, including in the sale a small schooner of forty tons burden. The first record we have of its appearance up the river was in August of that year, although it had probably made voyages on the river prior to that time. After the purchase, by the terms of which Sutter was to furnish a certain amount of grain each year to the Russian set- tlements, this schooner, manned by Sutter's Indians, made regular trips. It was taken down to San Francisco in 1848, to carry thither the news of the discovery of gold, and con- tinued to be the largest schooner on the river until the trade to the mines began. At that time the voyage from New Helvetia, as this city was then called, to San Francisco and back took from two to four weeks. .

In the spring of 1848 the rush for gold set in, to which the "San Francisco Star" of May 20 sarcastically alluded as follows: "Fleet of launches left this place on Sunday and Monday last, bound 'up the Sacramento River,' closely stowed with human beings led by the love of filthy lucre to the perennial-yielding gold mines of the north, where 'a man can find up- ward of two ounces a day' and '2000 men can find their hands full'-of hard work." On May 27, the "Star" said: "Launches have plied without cessation between this place and New Helvetia, during this time [from the discovery of gold]. The 'Sacramento,' a first-class craft, left here Thursday last, thronged with passen- gers for the gold mines-a motley assemblage, composed of lawyers, merchants, grocers, car- penters, cartmen and cooks, all possessed with the desire of becoming suddenly rich." At the same time it stated that over 300 men were en- gaged in washing out gold, and parties from all over the country were constantly arriving. On account of the departure of her principal citizens for the gold mines, San Francisco soon assumed a desolate appearance. A quarter of a million in gold was taken to that city in the first eight weeks, and during the second eight weeks, $600,000 worth. By September 6,000 persons were at the diggings, and the editor of the "Star" exclaimed: "An export at last, and it is gold !"

In April, 1849, the schooner "Providence," 100 tons, Hinckley, master, came up the river,

and the "Eliodora," purchased by Sam Bran- nan and loaded with goods, started up the river. The "Joven Guipuzcoana," a Peruvian vessel, and other large sailing vessels of first- class dimensions followed. At that time there were about a dozen stores and tenements here. On the success of the "Joven Guipuzcoana" were founded the plans of the first steam-navi- gation companies, and the "McKim" and the "Senator" soon followed. In May the crown- ing success with sailing vessels came with the trip of the bark "Whiton," Gelston, master, in seventy-two hours from San Francisco. She was of 241 tons burden, and came with her royal yards crossed, without any detention, al- though she drew nine and one-half feet of water.

The first steamboat that plowed the waters of either the bay or river was one that arrived in San Francisco, October 14, 1847, owned by Captain Leidesdorff and packed on a Russian bark from Sitka. Leidesdorff had for seven years carried on trade with the Russians, and hearing that they had a small steamboat, he sent up and purchased it for his hide and tal- low commerce on the small streams running into the bay. It did not exceed forty tons burden, was put together under the lee of Yerba Buena Island, and was named the "Lit- tle Sitka." She was cranky, and the weight of a person on her guards would throw one wheel out of service. Her second trip for business was to Sacramento, where she remained for a month, her proprietor insisting in answer to the jibes launched at him, that he would soon make the smoke fly on the bay, and hand the name of his first steamboat "down to dexter- ity," as he pronounced it. She was swamped by a norther in San Francisco Bay in Febru- ary, 1848, was raised and the engine taken out, and was transformed into a sailing vessel. A steamer brought around the Horn and put to- gether at Benicia made a trip to this city on August 17., 1849, and another one from Phila- delphia began on August 25 to ply on the river. accommodating about thirty passengers and steaming "about seven knots an hour.'

About the first boat advertising for regular runs on the river appears to have been the "Sacramento," in September, 1849, commanded by Captain Van Pelt, and carrying 100 pas- sengers, besides freight. She was built oppo- site the city, where Washington now stands, and Van Pelt made regular trips down to "New York of the Pacific," where. passengers and freight had to be transferred. About the same time a little steam dredge, brought out by the Yerba Company, was set up on a scow, and started on a trip up the Feather River, carry- ing a number of bricks, at one dollar apiece, for freight, and lumber at $150 per thousand. Two months after her arrival she was sold for $40,000 at auction. The next boat was the

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"Mint," also a small one, and really the first boat to make successful regular trips with pas- sengers and freight to and from San Francisco, beginning in October, 1849.

A little steamer named the "Washington" was the first to ascend the river as far as Ver- non, at the mouth of the Feather River, and she afterwards made regular trips to that point. In 1850 the "Aetna," another small steamer, ascended the American as far as Norristown, the first time a steamer had ever reached that point. May 8, 1850, the "Jack Hays" reached Redding, at the headwaters of the Sacramento River, within forty-five miles of the Trinity Diggings. The little steamboat "Linda" was among the first to make the run between here and Yuba City, in the fall of 1849.

The steamer "New World" was built in New York in the fall of 1849 and spring of 1850, purposely for a trip to California. She was 320 feet long, and of 530 tons burden. William H. Brown was the proprietor, and as he became financially embarrassed, he was forced to take the sheriff into silent partner- ship. The latter placed deputies on board to remain during the launching, and to make things sure, went on board himself, being un- known to Ed Wakeman, the captain. The ves- sel was held in the port of New York, the launching being ostensibly for the purpose of getting the boat into the water only, but steam was raised previous to the launching. When the sheriff asked what it meant, he was in- formed that it was "to wear the rust off the bearings and see that the engine worked well." But after steaming around the harbor for a while, the captain put to sea, against the pro- tests of the sheriff. As the captain and crew were more numerous than the sheriff and his deputies, they put the latter on shore in row- boats, and came to California around Cape Horn, making a fine voyage, and arriving in San Francisco July 11, 1850. The "New World" and the "Senator" made alternate trips to Sacramento for a long time. Afterwards, the "New World" was employed in the coast- ing and ocean trade and later was overhauled and put into service at San Francisco as a mag- nificent ferry-boat, and used as such for many years. The "Senator" was an ocean steamer and arrived in Sacramento November 6, 1849, with a load of passengers and freight. She was 755 tons measurement, and drew nine and a half feet of water. The steamer "Miner" brought passengers and freight in December, and afterwards continued her trips to Mecklen- berg, now Marysville, on the Feather River.

In 1850 there were twenty-eight steamers in operation on the Sacramento and Feather Rivers, and in the same year twenty-three barks, nineteen brigs and twenty-one brigan- tines arrived in Sacramento.

The California Steam Navigation Company was organized in March, 1854, with a capital stock of $2,500,000, and began operations on the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, with a large number of steamboats. In 1850 the company launched the "Chrysopolis," 1625 tons measurement, and the largest steamer ever run on the river until the "Seminole" and "Navajo" were placed on the route in 1911.

In 1867 the steamers operating on the river and its tributaries were as follows: Eleven steamers to San Francisco; three steamers to Knight's Landing : two steamers to Red Bluff ; one steamer to Chico; one steamer to Colusa ; one steamer to Princeton; one steamer to Cache Creek, and three steamers to Marysville. In 1867 103 steamers arrived in Sacramento.

In 1869, when the Central Pacific Railroad was completed, that company bought out the California Steam Navigation Company, and for years the Southern Pacific Company has been operating the line of steamers. The mail boats leaving for San Francisco in the morn- ing were the "Apache" and "Modoc." During the year 1911 two magnificent floating palaces, the "Navajo" and the "Seminole," were put on, leaving this city in the evening. At pres- ent, the mail boats leaving for San Francisco at 5 p. m. daily are the "Apache" and the "Navajo.'

The Sacramento Wood Company was or- ganized May 1, 1869, with the late Captain Thomas Dwyer as president, and the late Cap- tain J. H. Roberts as secretary. The company put on the steamer "San Joaquin No. 1," and several barges, and engaged in general freight business between San Francisco and Butte City, 118 miles above Sacramento. During the seventies the company added three steamers to its fleet-the "Verona," "San Joaquin No. 2," and "San Joaquin No. 3," and extended its route to Mcintosh's Landing, 160 miles above this city. It also operated seven barges and had several traction engines of the Roberts- Doane pattern, running from the foothills on both sides of the river, carrying grain from these distant points to the river landings for shipment on the company's barges to tide- water. Each engine drew a train of from fif- teen to twenty wagons over the county roads. the capacity of each of these wagons being about six tons.

The Sacramento Transportation Company was organized in 1882, succeeding the Sacra- mento Wood Company, and under the same management. It is now operating seven steamers and twenty-one barges in the grain- carrying trade between points on the upper Sacramento River and Port Costa and San Francisco, and also in freighting at the various landings along the river as far as Sidds Land- ing. 119 miles above Sacramento at the present head of navigation. Formerly the company

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freighted to points along the river as far as Red Bluff, and during the low-water season their steamers and barges were able to ascend as far as Chico Landing, 148 miles above Sacramento.

In 1874 the firm of Miller and Eaton placed two steamers and several barges on the upper Sacramento in the grain-carrying business. In the same year Messrs. D. E. Knight, N. D. Rideout and W. T. Ellis, prominent Marys- ville citizens, established a weekly freighting service between Marysville and San Francisco. They had two steamers and several barges in service, and continued in the business till 1889.

In 1875 the California Transportation Com- pany was organized, with Capt. A. Nelson as president and Capt. N. Anderson as secretary. The two captains, as far back as 1856, had schooners on the river, and in 1866 began to operate the steamer "Reform." On its organi- zation the California Transportation Company put several steamers in service between Clarks- burg and San Francisco and also on the lower tributaries, engaging heavily in the transporta- tion of fruits, vegetables and perishable prod- ucts generally, which the river lands below the city produce so bountifully. They also, in October, 1907, established a freight and pas- senger service between Sacramento and San Francisco. The "Chin-Du-Wan" and "S. M. Whipple" were also steamers in the river ser- vice in the seventies, and the calliope of the former woke the echoes along the river for a number of years.

In 1901 the Farmers' Transportation Com- pany was organized and one steamer was put on the run between Colusa and San Francisco. The Lauritzen brothers' "Weitchpec"; the "Oriole" and "Sea Gull," L. M. Brainard & Son, owners; the "Sentinel," H. W. Crosby, owner; the "Gretta A." and "Albatross," Liuggi Bros., owners; the "San Jose," Stand- ard Oil Company, owner; the "Neponset, No. 2," a trading boat, Ryan & Cleary, owners, and a number of schooners, are operating on the river, in addition to the boats of the organiza- tions mentioned.

An immense amount of produce of all kinds is transported on the river. Indeed, the state- ment has been made that the Sacramento River carries as great an annual tonnage as the Mississippi. It is an inspiring sight to see a steamer towing barges loaded with 800 tons of wheat each, when the stage of the river will permit loading to that amount; and it gives the beholder a practical illustration of the bounteous production of the valley uplands.

Casualties on the Rivers and Bay

But the tale of the river is not all one of prosperity. Steamboat explosions and other accidents were frequent in the early days, and some of them were very disastrous. The ma-

chinery was often defective in those days. During the first few years subsequent to the discovery of gold and the introduction of steam vessels into the state, it was estimated that on San Francisco Bay and its tributaries alone, there were two or three explosions a week. Indeed, they became so common that the newspapers ceased to give details unless they were peculiarly disastrous.

The first explosion of which there is any account was that of the steamer "Fawn," which occurred August 18, 1850, and the "Sag- amore" suffered similarly in the following October, the "Major Tompkins" following, January 23, 1851. During the early part of 1853, the "Jack Hays" was overhauled and re- paired expressly for the traffic between Sacra- mento and Marysville, in opposition to the "Governor Dana," and was renamed "R. K. Page." On her first trip up the river, March 23, she came alongside of her opponent and the crew and passengers began cheering, each one hurrahing for his boat. They began rac- ing, and the engineer of the "Page" tossed in a barrel of oil. As they were passing Nico- laus her boiler exploded, being driven for- ward. Daniel Moore, the former captain of the boat, Thomas Kirbey and Lieut. Harry Moore were standing on the hurricane deck, and were never seen afterward.

The "Jennie Lind," while on a trip to Al- viso, on San Francisco Bay, suffered a terri- ble explosion April 11, 1853. Between forty and fifty of her passengers, most of whom were at dinner at the time, were killed or badly scalded.

On October 18, 1853, the boiler of the "American Eagle" exploded, on the San Joa- quin River, at a point known as the Three Sloughs, twenty-five miles below Stockton, rending the vessel to pieces, killing one of the crew and three passengers. There were fifty- three passengers on board, and Hardiston was the captain. On the afternoon of the same day the steamer "Stockton," while passing New York Landing, burst its boiler, killing one person and scalding eight more. One of the latter, Capt. J. B. Sharp, died on the fol- lowing day.

The "Ranger's" boiler exploded on January 8, 1854, on San Francisco Bay, killing three and scalding severely five more, and wreck- ing the vessel. On the 10th of the same month a boiler of the "Helen Hensley" exploded at San Francisco, just as she was going to leave for Benicia, and killed two men. One passen- ger was thrown upon a bed, and, with it, clear over upon the wharf. He picked him -. self up and coolly remarked that he guessed he would not go to Benicia that day. The "Secretary," Capt. E. W. Travis, exploded April 15, 1854, when between the islands in

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San Francisco Bay known as the "Brothers and Sisters." She was racing with the "Neva- da," and the engineer was seen to lay an oar across the lever of the safety valve, and that was bending up just before the explosion took place. Of sixty persons on board. sixteen were killed and thirty-one wounded. The "Nevada" picked up the survivors.

The "Pearl," of the Combination Line, burst a boiler January 27, 1855, just below the mouth of the American River, on her way from Marysville, and while racing the "Enterprise" of the Citizens' Line. There were ninety-three persons on board, and fifty-six were killed, in- cluding the captain, E. T. Davis. Most of the passengers were on the front part of the boat. as she approached the landing. James Rob- inson would have been drowned had not a large bloodhound jumped into the water and saved him. Of four ladies on board, none were injured, but the vessel was a total wreck. The legislature, which was in session, ad- journed in consequence of the terrible event.

On February 5, 1856, the "Belle," running between San Francisco and Marysville, ex- ploded her boiler, when about eight miles above this city. The captain, Charles H. Houston, was killed, as well as between twenty and thirty others. The steamer "General Reding- ton," which was coming down the river. picked up the survivors, and the vessel sank almost immediately.

On August 25, 1861, the boiler of the "J. A. McClelland," Capt. C. Mills commanding, ex- ploded when about six miles by water and two by land from Knight's Landing. There were about thirty persons on board, and fifteen were killed outright, several fatally injured and all the rest but one more or less injured. The whole forward portion of the deck was torn away, and a large piece of the boiler was rolled up like a piece of paper and thrown across the river, a distance of 200 or 300 yards. Sheldon S. Baldwin, the pilot. was blown into the air with the pilot-house and several com- panions. He averred that he must have gone up at least 200 feet, and that he came straight down into the place where the boiler had been, "not much hurt." The hull, which sank imme- diately, was later raised, and the vessel was re- built, christened the "Rainbow," ran for a time as a strong opposition boat, and was finally bought off by the Steam Navigation Company.

The "Washoe" exploded a boiler September 5, 1864, thirty-five miles below this city, and ten miles above Rio Vista, with about 175 people on board, killing about half of them and severely injuring more than half of the remainder. Capt. Albert Foster, with the steamer "Antelope," picked up the survivors and hastened toward Sacramento, but ran

aground on a bar opposite R Street and was delayed there for some hours. Captain Fos- ter tolled the bell to notify the citizens of the disaster, and the levee was crowded with anx- ious people, the fire bells having been tolled in response to his notice.

The "Yosemite," Captain Poole, suffered an explosion of a boiler on the first revolution of her wheels, as she left the wharf at Rio Vista October 12, 1865, with about 150 people on board. The cause of the explosion was de- fective iron, all the best iron having been kept in the East during the war for military pur- poses. About one hundred lives were lost. thirty-two of them being Chinamen. The bulkheads were too strong to permit the steam to expand into the hull, so it pushed upward, making a great vacancy, into which the people fell. Captain Fourat, who retired some years ago from the river, pensioned by the Southern Pacific Company, was the pilot on that occa- sion, and the steamer "Chrysopolis," upward bound, brought the dead and wounded into Sacramento.

The "Julia" exploded in San Francisco Bay, nearly opposite Alcatraz, in September. 1866. while rounding it on her return trip to Stock- ton. Thirteen were killed, among them the engineer, Mr. Long. Captain Fourat, being near with a boat. picked up some of the dead.

There have been minor accidents since, but conditions have so improved in these days that serious ones seldom happen.

Tragedy of the Steamer "Belle"

A river tragedy which occurred more than fifty years ago. bringing death to thirty, the evidence of which the waters of the Sacra- mento River had covered for many years, was brought to mind again when the buckets of the dredger "Vulcan." working at the Monu- ment Ranch eight miles up the river, brought up the boxing of the shaft of the steamboat "Belle," which was blown to pieces at that spot in the late fifties by an explosion of the boilers.

Coated with quartz, rusted in places but still in fair shape considering its long immersion. the boxing is one of the few relics which have ever been discovered from the remains of the "Belle."

The steamer "Belle," Capt. Charles H. Hous- ton in command, left this city on February 5. 1856, for Red Bluff with sixty souls aboard. When opposite the present Monument Ranch the boilers exploded without any warning. The "Belle" was shattered from stem to stern and all but forty feet of the rear end of the boat sank immediately. The passengers, men, wom- en and children, were blown into the water. many frightfully mangled. Thirty-two were saved out of the total sailing list.

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Early-day Competition on the River

There was some lively opposition in the river traffic in the early days, it proving so profitable to the owners of vessels and steam- ers. The steam propeller "McKim," of 326 tons, came to Sacramento in September, 1849. On her arrival the citizens turned out as for a holiday, and joined in an ovation to the first "big" steamer that had arrived here. One of her trips, under Captain Macy, brought the owners $16,000. The "Senator," of 755 tons, arrived in this city on November 6 of the same year. The fare charged at that time was $30; berths $5, and meals for cabin passengers, $1.50. When trade opened in the winter, live- ly opposition began, one set of agents on the wharf extolling the merits of the "McKim" above all the other boats, and another saying that the "McKim" was a "scow" and a "junk," and that the "Senator" and "New World" were the only boats for speed and safety. The competition benefited travelers by reducing the fare, and many other steamers coming on the river, in 1851 the fare had been reduced to one dollar.

On September 18, 1851, the steamer "Com- anche" was launched on the Yolo side of the river. In 1855 the "Defender" came up and found no place for her to land; she finally inoored to the hulk "Dimond." A few minutes afterwards the steamer "Pike," also tied to the "Dimond," swung out into the river, and the "Defender" took her place. It was found that the gangway had been boarded up, but the deck-hands soon opened a way with their axes, and the passengers and freight were dis- charged. When the time for the departure of the "Defender" approached, a band began to discourse music, to entice passengers on board. A few minutes afterward a small steamer in the stream began to sound her shrill whistle, drowning the music of the band, stopping when it stopped and beginning again when it began to play. The people on shore cursed the steamer, but soon a man and two boys armed with Chinese gongs essayed to rival the band and the steamer. The noise became so strenuous that Judge Morrison was obliged to adjourn his court. Such scenes were not uncommon in the early days of com- petition.

Yolo Bridges

Although a bridge over the Sacramento River is spoken of prior to 1857, there is no record extant that we have found indicating when or by whom it was built, or whether or not there was more than one.

By an act approved by the California legis- lature, however, April 3, 1857, the Sacramento and Yolo Bridge Company was incorporated, consisting of Johnson Price, V. E. Geiger and

George Years, to erect a toll-bridge across the Sacramento River from Broad Street, in Sacramento County, to Ann Street, in Wash- ington, Yolo County. The drawbridge was not to be less than sixty feet wide for the pas- sage of vessels, and the bridge must be com- pleted within two years. At 12 m., September 18, 1857, the first pile for the bridge was driven. The bridge was 800 feet long, was built on five piers, supported by 600 piles, at least twelve inches in diameter and driven thirty feet to the solid river bed. It was of Leonard's patent, four spans of 135 feet each, the draw when opened having two spaces of seventy-five feet each. It was completed and opened for traffic June 27, 1858, and cost $60,000.

The California Pacific Company began the construction of a new bridge on the Howe truss pattern, October 2, 1869, in order to allow its cars to cross the river and enter Sacramento. While the bridge was being built the steamer "Belle" ran as a ferry-boat. The draw to this bridge was 200 feet long, leaving an opening on each side seventy feet clear. The bridge was completed January 15, 1870, and on that day William Rowan, chief engineer, ran across on the engine "Sacra- mento." This bridge was rebuilt by the Cen- · tral Pacific Railway in 1878, the draw being swung into place on December 5 of that year, and the bridge opened for traffic the next day. These bridges were of one story, the trains and wagon tracks occupying the same level, and flagmen guarding each end in order to promote the safety of those traveling in wag- ons. The railroad company had purchased the bridge of the Sacramento and Yolo Bridge Company in June, 1878.

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History of Sacramento County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, 1923, Part 49

Author: Reed, G. Walter Publication date: 1923 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1026

Author: Reed, G. Walter
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1026