SS Central America

  • George Law

The Central America was a 1853 put into operation in 90 -meter three-masted passenger - side wheel steamer that sank on the route Panama - Havana- New York about 175 miles east of Savannah on the evening of September 12, 1857 in a hurricane. There were 477 passengers and 101 crew members on board. Of the nearly 600 people on board were 30 women, 26 children and 44 men to be rescued by the brig Marine under Captain Hiram Burt and 49 men by the barque Ellen under Captain Anders Johnsen. Loading was the Central America with several tons of gold, as they sailed the so-called " Panama Route " from California. The sinking of the ship is considered one of the greatest maritime disasters.

History of Central America

The Central America was taken as George Law into operation on 28 October 1853. During her three years of service she commuted on the route between New York and the port Aspinwall, today Colón, Panama. The Central America ran this on a regular basis on the 20th of each month in New York. Overall, they sailed this route pendulum forty-three times. A tour lasted this each 19-24 days.

The Central America -operated in this way one of the two routes between the U.S. East Coast and the California Gold Rush, the so-called " Panama Route". This led to the sea to the Isthmus of Panama, where a 75 km route had to be overcome over the country, and then head of the Panamanian coast with a ship to the north. The longer and more dangerous alternative route led around Cape Horn. The Central America alone carried about one-third of the gold, which was officially promoted during the gold rush of the Panama route.

On the evening of September 9, 1857, the Central America came after leaving Havana in a severe storm in which she sank on September 12. During the sinking succeeded the captain of Central America, William Lewis Herndon, to let even despite the hurricane bring all on board women and children and 44 male passengers on the brig Marine, before it was driven off by the storm. Captain Herndon went down with his ship.

At the time of the fall of the Central America had officially charged gold in the then value of 1,595,497.13 U.S. dollars and 38,000 letters. In addition, there was probably gold on the same scale unannounced in the luggage of the passengers, where they were for the most part to returning prospectors from California. In addition, the ship was loaded with a secret gold supply of the U.S. government. Overall, therefore, there were about 21 tons of gold aboard the Central America.

Consequences of the fall

The Central America had loaded alongside the official charge and about 30,000 pounds of gold bullion from government stocks in California, which were intended to support the battered by the economic crisis of 1857 North American economy. Due to the loss of this 13.6 tonnes of gold, the economic crisis worsened.

In memory of the captain of Central America, William Lewis Herndon, on the site of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1860 a granite obelisk, erected the Herndon Monument. It is the only monument to heroic deeds in times of peace at the academy.

Recovery of Central America

In 1985, the deep sea engineer Thomas G. Thompson, the Columbus - America Discovery Group for the discovery and recovery of Central America. 161 investors financed the company with more than ten million U.S. dollars. After a long search and several failures, the wreck of the Central America was located September 11, 1987 by the equipped from the Columbus Discovery Expedition Group with the help of a Remotely Operated Vehicle ( ROV). The cargo was salvaged in the wake with a specially designed ROV.

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