Long before the TITANIC ever sailed, another strikingly similar passenger ship disaster made headlines around the world. On December 22nd, 1853, the Pacific Mail Company Sail-Steamship SAN FRANCISCO left New York on her maiden voyage bound for the city for which she was named. En route, she hit a freakish series of bad weather conditions that would not only sink the vessel but would sadly include a significant loss of life.
This loss of life would have been far greater, though, if not for the heroic actions of two men.-
Lt. Francis Key Murray, a United States Naval Officer and passenger aboard the SAN FRANCISCO, went to extraordinary measures to assist SAN FRANCISCO's captain in saving the vessel and as many of her passengers as possible. Key remained on deck throughout the storms, helping people remain calm and organizing other passengers into teams for bailing and pumping. His kind words of encouragement and comfort kept many from panic, reassuring them time and again that they would be rescued even when many others had given up.
Murray would be given two of these silver pieces in appreciation of his bravery-
First was the outstandingly detailed nautical-themed Tiffany and Company Ewer. A massive rope swirls around a large anchor to form the handle. The fluted silver spout rises up like the crest of a wave and sweeps down to form the perch for an American eagle. Below sit two scenes from the disaster: a view of the SAN FRANCISCO with flag inverted in distress, and a view of two ships coming to the rescue. The two scenes and the presentation are surrounded by oak leaf and acorn motifs, wrapped around a stylized ship's rail border, along with another anchor and a ship's block. Three sea nymphs support the ewer's base, tails swirling the waves and blowing horns in tribute. Two pairs of American flags drape the inscription, which reads:
Presented to Lieut. Francis K. Murray, by the Merchants and Citizens of New York as a testimonial of their appreciation of his humane and gallant conduct, in assisting to rescue the passengers of the Steamship "SAN FRANCISCO" after the terrific gale of the 24th December 1853.
The second was the large lidded compote by Richard & William Wilson, well-known silversmiths of Philadelphia. Nautical motifs cover the vessel, including views of the SAN FRANCISCO as she was adrift and the THREE BELLS, a sailing ship which was among those who came to her aid. Complete figures of mermaids form the handles, each holding a scallop shell aloft. Other details include a conch shell handle on the lid and ropework and wave forms throughout. The inscription, surrounded by flags and arms, reads:
A testimonial, from citizens of Philadelphia, of their sense of the service rendered, December 24th, 1853 by Lieutenant Francis Key Murray U.S. Navy, oneof the wrecked in the steamer San Francisco who became by his professional skill and personal intrepidity and action, gallant and efficient rescuer.
Captain Robert Creighton was the master of the British ship THREE BELLS of Glasgow and first to come across the floundering SAN FRANCISCO when there was no hope the ship could be saved. When THREE BELLS came upon SAN FRANCISCO, she was already six days adrift. Conditions were so bad that the ship was already losing people to either fatigue or exposure to the elements. With wind and waves still battering both ships, Creighton kept his ship alongside the SAN FRANCISCO for nearly a week. THREE BELLS took on as many of SAN FRANCISCO's passengers as possible when weather allowed, even when some of his own crew, feeling rescue impossible in those conditions, refused to lower her boats to assist. Creighton is famous for swearing to SAN FRANCISCO's passengers and crew, "Be of good cheer, we will stand by you."
The City of New York would gift Captain Creighton this magnificent ewer made by Ball and Black of New York. Highly raised motifs cover the entire piece, most notably the fully formed and realistic oak leaf and acorn swags that cover the upper part of the vessel. An American eagle sits at the ewer's highest point, wings spread with talons resting on a stepped naval cannon. Under the eagle a wreath of olive leaves drapes above an American shield. At the handle's base sits a fouled anchor, wrapped in rope all above the crowned head of Neptune in full relief.
On one side there is a view of SAN FRANCISCO as she left port, whole and in her glory. On the other, SAN FRANCISCO in distress with THREE BELLS coming to her aid. Both scenes are surrounded by detailed laurel wreaths. The ewer sits on a base of ropework and tossing waves overlaid with seashells under a fully realized ship's capstan.
A second American eagle spreads its wings over the presentation at the ewer's center. Flags of America and Great Britain, along with a large thistle motif in a nod to THREE BELLS' Scottish home port of Glasgow, surround the inscription:
Presented To Captain Creighton of the British Ship THREE BELLS of Glasgow by the MERCHANTS & CITIZENS of NEW YORK as a testimonial of the high sense which they entertain of his humane, generous & heroic conduct in rescuing the passengers, officers & crew of the STEAMSHIP SAN FRANCISCO, In their perilous exposure on the ocean after the destructive gale of the 24th December, 1853.
Captain Creighton was also awarded a congressional lifesaving medal for his service, and poet Walt Whitman would write a poem about the wreck and Creighton's bravery published in his masterwork "Leaves of Grass." In it Whitman writes how Creighton saw "death chasing [the San Francisco] up and down the storm," and includes Creighton's oath to stand by the wrecked ship.
The Storms and The Ordeal
When the steamer SAN FRANCISCO was built, she was fastest and most modern ship of her day; 276 feet long, with more than 2000 horsepower, the classified "A-1" sidewheel steamer had three decks. Coming in at a total cost of $350,000 ($11.3 Million in today's dollars), she was fitted out in an unusually luxurious manner for her time with staterooms and fine public rooms for relaxation and entertainment. She could transport almost 1000 passengers, and 2500 tons on any given trip.
For her maiden voyage the SAN FRANCISCO was chartered by the U. S. Government as a troop ship, transporting eight Companies of the Third Regiment U. S. Artillery along with some of their families and other passengers from New-York for San Francisco. Numbers vary, but it's reported that there were about 800 passengers and crew aboard SAN FRANCISCO when she left New York on December 22, 1853.
The bad weather started on the night of December 23rd, somewhere off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina, first with winds that grew to hurricane speeds followed by increasingly rough seas and high waves. By the early morning of the 24th, the SAN FRANCISCO's chief engineer reported that the engines had broken down. Without steam power and only sails remaining the crew attempted to maneuver but the waves were too strong and the ship was quickly blown off course.
The first major wave hit SAN FRANCISCO at 5am on the 24th taking her last means of navigation- her foremast, spars, the sails and four life boats broke and went overboard. Two hours later, she was hit by a second even larger wave that nearly swept her top deck completely away. In one massive blow the ship lost 150 passengers along with both steam stacks and paddle boxes, upper saloon, 50 feet of spar deck, the entire deck aft of the paddlewheels. and the remaining lifeboats. SAN FRANCISCO'S situation was dire- no engines or sails, significant portions of he ship damaged and leaking badly, still adrift in the storm.
Over the next ten days, the ship would drift. Two other boats came besides THREE BELLS, taking as many passengers as they were able before weather or capacity made any more transfers impossible. Armed guards were required to keep passengers from rushing the boats when they came alongside.
Some of the troops and some of SAN FRANCISCO's crew took a more fatalistic approach. Thinking themselves lost and hopeless, they resolved to have one last hurrah. A group first broke into the ship's food stores, cleaning them of all pastries, cakes, jams, candies, and other sweets before moving on to the ship's stores of alcohol. So intense was the gluttony and drunkenness that about 60 of these men died within hours of severe abdominal ailments or lingered only to succumb a few days or weeks later aboard the rescue ships or already on shore, wasted by illness.
In the end, 500 passengers and crew survived- a very high number considering the conditions at sea, the level of damage to the SAN FRANCISCO, and the long period of time she drifted while waiting for more ships to render aid.
The wreck received major media coverage with news coming in over telegraph to newspapers as soon as the first survivors reached land. People followed the news for weeks until the story was known in full, including many stories of Key and Creighton, whose bravery led to so many being saved. Years afterward, others would publish books on the wreck- one by a female survivor would detail Francis Key's contributions, and that manuscript is in the collections of the Mystic Seaport museum. Others would write accounts in the period, some of which are available online.
A modern biography of Captain Creighton, "Faithful of Days: The story of Robert Creighton, Master Mariner" is included with the silver pieces. The 2014 volume details the 1853 San Francisco disaster and Captain Creighton's actions aboard THREE BELLS.
Ewer with Large Anchor, Tiffany and Company, Size: 17¼ Inches High, 7 In. at widest. Approx. 74 troy ounces
Ewer with Oak Leaf motifs, Marked Ball, Black & Co. Successors to W.F. Marquant & Co., New York, Size: 19 inches high, 7 3/4 at widest, 75 troy ounces
Compote with Mermaids, Marked R & W Wilson, Size: 17 3/4 inches wide at figures, bowl 14 at widest. 14 1/2 high, 130 troy ounces
Comes with provenance information and written accounts of the wreck and rescue.
