This Day in Maritime History, November

This Day in Maritime History highlights the connections between SF Maritime NHP Collections and maritime historical events through the year.

January -- February -- March
April -- May -- June
July -- August -- September
October -- November -- December

 

Print of J. Duncan Gleason's painting of the Charles W. Morgan titled "Trade wind." (SAFR 15705)

(NPS photo)

November 5, 1900

Whaler Charles W. Morgan leaves San Francisco for Japan & Okhotsk. She returns almost a year later with 1200 barrels of sperm oil, 375 barrels of whale oil, and 2000 pounds of whalebone.

 

Newspaper announcement about the upcoming series of articles, The Price of Salmon

(Digital image by NPS)

November 8, 1922

The Daily News publishes the thirty-seventh and final installment of Max stern's expose of the salmon fishing trade called "The Price of Salmon."

 

Circe builder's, or wheel boss, plate (SAFR 23629)

(NPS photo)

November 11, 1885

The three-masted, full-rigged ship Circe was launched at Alexander Stephens & Sons in Glasgow, Scotland for use in the nitrate trade between Chile and France.

 

SAFR 4004

(NPS photo)

November 14, 1865

At 11:25 a.m. the monitor Camanche is finally launched to the cheers of over 25,000 well-wishers gathered within the shipyard, in elevated seats along the west side of the yard, and on the tops of buildings and hill sides surrounding the shipyard.

 

Mary Patten captains her clipper around Cape Horn by G. Johnson, 1856

(NPS photo)

November 15, 1856

The clipper ship Neptune's Car arrives in San Francisco after a 136 day voyage from New York. Near the Horn, her captain was striken with a brain fever. His 19 year old pregnant wife, Marry Patten, took command and succussfully navigated the dangerous waters bringing her crew and cargo safely to port.

 

November 15, 1906

Steamer Yale is launched, named by Laura B. Hadley, daughter of Yale University president.

 

Illustration of the Buckman crew in Eugene Block's "Pirates of the Buckman"

Edward S. Hodgson, illustrator

November 21, 1910

At approximately 2:00 a.m., two would-be pirates attempted to take over the SS Buckman, run it aground, and make off with $2 million in gold dust they believed the ship was carrying. Although their efforts were thwarted by the crew, they did shoot and kill the captain before one of the pirates ran and hid in his bunk while the other escaped overboard empty-handed.

 

Cover of Research Center's copy of Scott's journals, published as Scott's Last Expedition

November 26, 1910

Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his crew leave New Zealand to set out for Antarctica in order to be the first to reach the South Pole.