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SS Great Republic (1866)

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452:"The most authoritative account of the wreck was given by Capt. James Carroll, the ship's master, who testified at a special hearing following the loss of the ship ... 'There was not a ripple on the water, and we came over the bar under a slow bell all the way, crossing safely and reaching the inside buoy. The first and the third officers were on the lookout with me. I had a pair of glasses and was the first to discover Sand Island, and found the bearings all right. I reported it to the pilot, who had not yet seen it. We ran along probably two minutes, and then I told the pilot that I thought we were getting too close to the island and that he had better haul her up. He replied, I do not think we are in far enough. A minute later I said, Port your helm and put it hard over, as I think you are getting too near the island. He made no reply, but ran along for about five minutes and then put the helm hard aport, and the vessel swung up, heading toward Astoria, but the ebb tide caught her on the starboard bow and, being so near the island, sent her on the spit." 32: 369: 429:, on local boats. The crew remained aboard to re-float the vessel, but storm-driven waves began breaking up the hull, and they abandoned ship. The last boat to leave (except for that of the captain and pilot) overturned after a steering oar broke, casting 14 men into the water, resulting in the death of eleven, or all 14. Waves shortly rendered the vessel a total loss, though parts of the wreckage remained visible at low tide for many years. 53: 364:
at the Erie Basin Dock. It took 21 months to build her engines and put them in place. Steam was supplied to the cylinder by four horizontal tubular boilers, each heated by four furnaces, their grates having a surface of 560 square feet (52 m). The heating surface presented to the action of the
320:, and braced with straps of iron five inches (130 mm) wide and seven-eighths-inch (22 mm) thick, crossing each other diagonally every four feet (1.2 m). The inner planking was also double-strapped, and outside the iron strapping was a double planking of 448:, heading upriver, when it ran aground on Sand Island and was lost. This contradicts some accounts that claim the ship was traveling in the opposite direction, heading out to sea. Primary sources quoted in Gibbs' book support his version of the story, as follows: 376:
The only accident at her launch was the loss of two anchors, the cables breaking the ship was hove to in the river. She was arranged for 20 per cent more power than the other large vessels then in the company's fleet, and was built to make from 15 to 20
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furnaces was 15,100 square feet (1,400 m). The paddle-wheels were 40 feet (12 m) in diameter, having a face of 12 feet (3.7 m), each wheel being provided with 34 oak buckets.
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on November 8, 1866, and was the largest ship of any kind that at that date had ever been built in the United States for commercial purposes. She was the first of the ships built by
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On April 19, 1879, on a clear and calm night, the vessel traveled with over 1,000 passengers and crew, or with 94 crew and 579 passengers. After crossing the
1116: 639: 476:. However, later analysis of the wreck's planking, proven to be American yellow pine, as well as the size of the wreck, suggests the wreck is instead 1126: 461:
Discovery of the wreck occurred in 1986, by a diver working to free a snagged fishing net. Following discovery, the vessel was believed to be
31: 1064: 588: 327:. The whole was thoroughly braced, and bolted together with three-nails of locust, iron, and composition spikes, and copper bolts. 1121: 941: 753: 297: 285: 77: 865: 632: 300:, and was 380 feet (120 m) long, 50 feet (15 m) wide and 31 feet 6 inches (9.60 m) deep in hold. 572: 529: 407:
eventually proved unprofitable in the China trade and was sold in 1878 to P. B. Cornwall for service along the U.S.
1089: 1082: 741: 669: 649: 530:"Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life Saving Service for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1879" 418:
at the beginning of an ebb tide, the pilot failed to heed the captain's warnings and ran aground on Sand Island.
261: 1039: 977: 625: 246: 238: 118: 916: 705: 466: 1051: 693: 382: 149: 497: 928: 826: 350: 321: 273: 269: 1111: 1015: 989: 368: 265: 891: 573:"Wreck holds a rich history: The Great Republic carried Chinese immigrants and luxury passengers" 469: 357: 242: 353:. She had four stout, watertight bulkheads, dividing the hold into five separate compartments. 903: 878: 852: 717: 386: 953: 839: 617: 445: 281: 965: 789: 681: 426: 361: 226: 360:(New York), at the foot of Twelfth Street, where she received her machinery, after being 17: 777: 473: 441: 334: 234: 219: 135: 1105: 1002: 577: 408: 289: 230: 87: 801: 415: 184: 421:
Stranded on sand in a falling tide with a storm approaching the next morning, the
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105 in (2,700 mm) bore by 12 ft (3.7 m) stroke vertical beam
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left San Francisco in the spring of 1879 and arrived off the mouth of the
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Immediately after the launch the steamer was taken to the wharf of the
313: 532:. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 1879. pp. 42–43 367: 91: 341:, her foremast, however being the highest of the three, and her 317: 621: 309: 39:
under construction at the yard of Henry Steers, New York, 1866
245:, in 1879, in a region of frequent wrecks known as the 814: 657: 345:the shortest. She had three full decks, with an 444:at midnight on April 18, and was on the way to 633: 381:(28 to 37 km/h; 17 to 23 mph). Her 8: 640: 626: 618: 233:when it ran aground near the mouth of the 650:Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1879 308:Her frame timbers were of white and live 549: 547: 524: 522: 489: 198:(28 to 37 km/h; 17 to 23 mph) 465:, lost in 1830, carrying cargo to the 349:fore and aft, extending to the engine 26: 49: 7: 571:Wells, Robert (November 17, 2012). 557:Portland: Binfords, 1950; pp. 35–42 540:– via University of Michigan. 175:31 ft 6 in (9.60 m) 25: 1117:Maritime incidents in April 1879 425:evacuated the 896 passengers to 51: 30: 498:"The Lost Pacific Mail Steamer" 436:by James Gibbs Jr. states that 372:Great Republic (1866 steamship) 1127:Shipwrecks of the Oregon coast 286:Pacific Mail Steamship Company 78:Pacific Mail Steamship Company 1: 385:was 3,881 tons, the same as 1143: 1077: 288:for the new line between 125: 44: 29: 247:Graveyard of the Pacific 159:380 ft (120 m) 18:SS Great Republic (1867) 1122:Ships built in Brooklyn 126:General characteristics 457:Discovery of the wreck 454: 383:gross register tonnage 373: 167:50 ft (15 m) 450: 371: 578:The Sunday Oregonian 553:Gibbs, James A. Jr. 467:Hudson's Bay Company 304:Construction details 270:George Steers and Co 1066:Virgen de Covadonga 600: /  868:Duke of Wellington 604:46.278°N 124.024°W 555:Pacific Graveyard. 505:The New York Times 374: 358:Novelty Iron Works 243:Ilwaco, Washington 1099: 1098: 434:Pacific Graveyard 268:'s shipyard (see 210: 209: 16:(Redirected from 1134: 1092: 1085: 1069: 1063: 1057: 1050: 1044: 1038: 1032: 1026: 1020: 1014: 1008: 1001: 995: 988: 982: 976: 970: 964: 958: 952: 946: 940: 934: 927: 921: 915: 909: 902: 896: 890: 884: 877: 871: 864: 858: 851: 845: 838: 832: 825: 806: 800: 794: 788: 782: 776: 770: 764: 758: 752: 746: 740: 734: 728: 722: 716: 710: 704: 698: 692: 686: 680: 674: 668: 652: 642: 635: 628: 619: 615: 614: 612: 611: 610: 609:46.278; -124.024 605: 601: 598: 597: 596: 593: 582: 558: 551: 542: 541: 539: 537: 526: 517: 516: 514: 512: 507:. April 22, 1879 502: 494: 446:Portland, Oregon 312:, fastened with 225:and the largest 206:1,450 passengers 134:Passenger-cargo 59: 56: 55: 54: 34: 27: 21: 1142: 1141: 1137: 1136: 1135: 1133: 1132: 1131: 1102: 1101: 1100: 1095: 1088: 1081: 1073: 1072: 1061: 1060: 1048: 1047: 1036: 1035: 1024: 1023: 1012: 1011: 999: 998: 986: 985: 974: 973: 962: 961: 950: 949: 943:Principe Amedeo 938: 937: 925: 924: 913: 912: 900: 899: 888: 887: 875: 874: 862: 861: 849: 848: 836: 835: 823: 822: 815:Other incidents 810: 809: 798: 797: 786: 785: 774: 773: 762: 761: 750: 749: 738: 737: 726: 725: 714: 713: 702: 701: 690: 689: 683:Abraham Leggett 678: 677: 666: 665: 653: 648: 646: 608: 606: 602: 599: 594: 591: 589: 587: 586: 570: 567: 562: 561: 552: 545: 535: 533: 528: 527: 520: 510: 508: 500: 496: 495: 491: 486: 459: 427:Astoria, Oregon 402: 362:copper-bottomed 337:, and was full 306: 255: 227:passenger liner 121:, 19 April 1879 109:8 November 1866 57: 52: 50: 40: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1140: 1138: 1130: 1129: 1124: 1119: 1114: 1104: 1103: 1097: 1096: 1094: 1093: 1086: 1078: 1075: 1074: 1071: 1070: 1058: 1045: 1033: 1021: 1009: 996: 983: 971: 959: 947: 935: 922: 910: 897: 885: 872: 859: 846: 833: 819: 818: 816: 812: 811: 808: 807: 795: 783: 771: 759: 747: 735: 731:Great Republic 723: 711: 699: 687: 675: 662: 661: 659: 655: 654: 647: 645: 644: 637: 630: 622: 584: 583: 566: 565:External links 563: 560: 559: 543: 518: 488: 487: 485: 482: 478:Great Republic 474:Fort Vancouver 458: 455: 442:Columbia River 438:Great Republic 405:Great Republic 401: 398: 331:Great Republic 305: 302: 258:Great Republic 254: 251: 235:Columbia River 215:Great Republic 208: 207: 204: 200: 199: 192: 188: 187: 181: 177: 176: 173: 169: 168: 165: 161: 160: 157: 153: 152: 146: 142: 141: 132: 128: 127: 123: 122: 115: 111: 110: 107: 103: 102: 99: 95: 94: 85: 81: 80: 75: 71: 70: 68:Great Republic 65: 61: 60: 47: 46: 42: 41: 37:Great Republic 35: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1139: 1128: 1125: 1123: 1120: 1118: 1115: 1113: 1110: 1109: 1107: 1091: 1087: 1084: 1080: 1079: 1076: 1068: 1067: 1059: 1056: 1055: 1046: 1043: 1042: 1034: 1031: 1030: 1022: 1019: 1018: 1010: 1007: 1006: 997: 994: 993: 984: 981: 980: 972: 969: 968: 960: 957: 956: 948: 945: 944: 936: 933: 932: 923: 920: 919: 918:City of Paris 911: 908: 907: 898: 895: 894: 886: 883: 882: 873: 870: 869: 860: 857: 856: 847: 844: 843: 834: 831: 830: 821: 820: 817: 813: 805: 804: 796: 793: 792: 784: 781: 780: 772: 769: 768: 760: 757: 756: 755:Independencia 748: 745: 744: 736: 733: 732: 724: 721: 720: 712: 709: 708: 707:Bonnie Dundee 700: 697: 696: 688: 685: 684: 676: 673: 672: 664: 663: 660: 656: 651: 643: 638: 636: 631: 629: 624: 623: 620: 616: 613: 581:. p. B4. 580: 579: 574: 569: 568: 564: 556: 550: 548: 544: 531: 525: 523: 519: 506: 499: 493: 490: 483: 481: 479: 475: 471: 468: 464: 456: 453: 449: 447: 443: 439: 435: 430: 428: 424: 419: 417: 412: 410: 409:Pacific coast 406: 399: 397: 395: 391: 390: 384: 380: 370: 366: 363: 359: 354: 352: 348: 344: 340: 336: 332: 328: 326: 323: 319: 315: 311: 303: 301: 299: 295: 291: 290:San Francisco 287: 283: 279: 275: 271: 267: 263: 259: 252: 250: 248: 244: 240: 236: 232: 231:US west coast 228: 224: 221: 217: 216: 205: 202: 201: 197: 193: 190: 189: 186: 182: 179: 178: 174: 172:Depth of hold 171: 170: 166: 163: 162: 158: 155: 154: 151: 147: 144: 143: 140: 137: 133: 130: 129: 124: 120: 116: 113: 112: 108: 105: 104: 100: 97: 96: 93: 89: 88:San Francisco 86: 83: 82: 79: 76: 73: 72: 69: 66: 63: 62: 58:United States 48: 43: 38: 33: 28: 19: 1065: 1053: 1040: 1028: 1016: 1004: 991: 978: 966: 954: 942: 930: 917: 905: 892: 880: 867: 854: 842:Constitution 841: 828: 803:Agnes Irving 802: 790: 778: 766: 754: 742: 730: 729: 718: 706: 695:Ralph Creyke 694: 682: 670: 585: 576: 554: 534:. Retrieved 509:. Retrieved 504: 492: 477: 462: 460: 451: 437: 433: 431: 420: 416:Columbia Bar 413: 404: 403: 393: 388: 375: 355: 330: 329: 307: 266:Henry Steers 257: 256: 214: 212: 211: 185:steam engine 101:Henry Steers 67: 36: 1054:Southampton 671:Loch Sunart 607: / 595:124°01′26″W 536:26 November 511:December 3, 339:ship-rigged 325:yellow pine 296:and China, 278:Long Island 241:, south of 239:Sand Island 148:4,100  119:Sand Island 117:Wrecked on 1112:1866 ships 1106:Categories 658:Shipwrecks 592:46°16′41″N 484:References 347:orlop deck 343:mizzenmast 333:had three 298:China Line 294:California 274:Greenpoint 180:Propulsion 1052:HMS  1005:Alexandra 1003:HMS  990:HMS  931:Iron Duke 929:HMS  904:HMS  879:HMS  866:HMS  853:USS  840:USS  829:Thunderer 827:HMS  779:El Majidi 743:Esmeralda 432:The book 223:steamship 220:sidewheel 194:15 to 20 139:steamship 136:sidewheel 1017:Royalist 992:Achilles 979:Novgorod 967:Pericles 955:Derzhava 893:Republic 791:Adelphoi 463:Isabella 387:SS  351:bulkhead 282:New York 262:launched 203:Capacity 106:Launched 1049:26 Nov: 1041:Venezia 1037:23 Nov: 1029:Arizona 1013:13 Oct: 963:31 Jul: 939:25 Jun: 914:21 Mar: 901:10 Mar: 850:27 Jan: 837:16 Jan: 799:28 Dec: 787:21 Dec: 767:Waubuno 763:22 Nov: 751:21 May: 739:21 May: 727:18 Apr: 703:10 Mar: 691:20 Feb: 679:26 Jan: 667:13 Jan: 470:outpost 423:captain 392:and SS 389:America 322:Georgia 229:on the 145:Tonnage 98:Builder 45:History 1090:1880 → 1083:← 1878 1025:7 Nov: 1000:4 Oct: 987:4 Oct: 926:9 May: 906:Thetis 881:Active 863:4 Feb: 855:Supply 824:2 Jan: 715:3 Apr: 314:copper 272:), at 253:Design 218:was a 156:Length 719:Clyde 501:(PDF) 394:Japan 379:knots 335:masts 264:from 237:, on 196:knots 191:Speed 92:China 84:Route 74:Owner 1062:Unk: 975:Jul: 951:Jun: 889:Feb: 876:Feb: 775:Nov: 538:2019 513:2019 400:Loss 318:iron 316:and 260:was 164:Beam 131:Type 114:Fate 64:Name 472:at 310:oak 213:SS 150:GRT 1108:: 575:. 546:^ 521:^ 503:. 480:. 411:. 396:. 292:, 280:, 276:, 249:. 641:e 634:t 627:v 515:. 90:– 20:)

Index

SS Great Republic (1867)
SS Great Republic
Pacific Mail Steamship Company
San Francisco
China
Sand Island
sidewheel
steamship
GRT
steam engine
knots
sidewheel
steamship
passenger liner
US west coast
Columbia River
Sand Island
Ilwaco, Washington
Graveyard of the Pacific
launched
Henry Steers
George Steers and Co
Greenpoint
Long Island
New York
Pacific Mail Steamship Company
San Francisco
California
China Line
oak

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