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A guide to the Apollo (ship) records, 1849, 1852
HDC0029 (SAFR 13575)  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Access
  • Publication and Use Rights
  • Processing Note
  • Preferred Citation
  • Acquisition Information
  • Historical or Biographical Note
  • Collection Scope and Content
  • Collection Arrangement

  • Title: Apollo (ship) records
    Date: 1849, 1852
    Identifier/Call Number: HDC0029 (SAFR 13575)
    author: Beach, Joseph Perkins, 1828-1911
    Physical Description: 5 items
    Repository: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Historic Documents Department
    Building E, Fort Mason
    San Francisco, CA 94123
    Abstract: APOLLO (ship) records (SAFR 13575, HDC 29) is comprised of three logbooks, a letter, and one chart. The three rough logs were kept from January 16, 1849 to November 12, 1849 by Joseph Perkins Beach, the son of the ship's owner, during its voyage from New York to San Francisco. The chart is hand-drawn and shows the voyage from New York to San Francisco. The letter is dated August 1852 and is addressed to Henry Day Beach from William B. Cooke. The collection has been processed to the collection level. It is open for use without restrictions.
    Physical Location: San Francisco Maritime NHP, Historic Documents Department
    Language(s): In English.

    Access

    This collection is open for use unless otherwise noted.

    Publication and Use Rights

    Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.

    Processing Note

    Note on Description: The descriptions in this collection guide were compiled using the best available sources of information. Such sources include the creator's annotations or descriptions, collection accession files, primary and secondary source material and subject matter experts. While every effort was made to provide accurate information, in the event that you find any errors in this guide please contact the reference staff in order for us to evaulate and make corrections to this guide. P lease cite the title and collection number in any correspondence with our staff.

    Preferred Citation

    [Item description], [Location within collection organization identified by Collection Number/Series Number/File Unit Number/Item Number], HDC0029 (SAFR 13575), Apollo (ship) records, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

    Acquisition Information

    SAFR-00001
    This collection was transferred from Golden Gate National Recreation Area to San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

    Historical or Biographical Note

    The APOLLO was built in 1831, by Samuel Badger of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for the original owners John Haven and Robert Rice of Boston. It was a 3 masted, fully rigged ship of 121'L x 27' W and 13.5' draft, rated at 413 tons. The ship was originally intended for both the European packet trade, and the southern US cotton trades. Like many packet ships, the Apollo also had accommodation for passengers in the 'tween decks.
    In 1836 the ship operated between Boston and New Orleans under the "Regular Line."
    In 1841, the APOLLO was sold to new owners; and in 1843 it was trading between Boston and Savannah under the "Dispatch Line."
    In 1845, the APOLLO was sold again and its home port changed to New York. In 1847 it was trading between New York, New Orleans and Natchez as part of the Union Line.
    In 1848, Charles Coffin was appointed Master. The ship made a voyage to London, where it was re-coppered, and returned to New York by November of that year. It was sold to Moses Beach, who intended to use the ship for trading to California, retaining Charles Coffin as master.
    The APOLLO left New York for San Francisco on January 16, 1849. The collection contains a complete log and journal of the voyage, which was kept by Joseph Perkins Beach, the son of the ship's owner. The APOLLO arrived in San Francisco on September 18th, 1849.
    The crew abandoned the ship shortly after arrival. The owner's, unable to find outbound work for the ship, decided to employ her as a store ship. The APOLLO was pulled to shore and served as a floating warehouse for several years. In the fire of May, 1851, the ship was burned to its waterline. Over subsequent years, land was filled in around the ship's timbers. Some remains of the ship were excavated in 1901, 1921 and 1925, when the land was developed for the former site of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, at what is now Sacramento and Battery streets.
    The Log of the Apollo, edited and annotated by James P. Delgado and published by the Book Club of California in 1986, reproduces the log of Joseph Perkins Beach, and gives a full history of the vessel.

    Collection Scope and Content

    APOLLO (ship) records (SAFR 13575, HDC 29) is comprised of three logbooks, a letter, and one chart. The three rough logs were kept from January 16, 1849 to November 12, 1849 by Joseph Perkins Beach, the son of the ship's owner, during its voyage from New York to San Francisco. The chart is hand-drawn and shows the voyage from New York to San Francisco. The letter is dated August 1852 and is addressed to Henry Day Beach from William B. Cooke. The collection has been processed to the collection level. It is open for use without restrictions.
    The logbooks total a 117 pages in three volumes and have daily entries that keep track of course, record winds, etc. The entries have a tone of humor when describing the discontent and disorder among passengers. There is frequent mention of the passengers "grumbling" about the food, breaking into the galley at night, drinking, gambling and being noisy. Among the comments about the majority of the passengers are mentions of the Episcopal minister and an occasional service performed by him. Also there is mention of kinds of fish seen and caught. In San Francisco, there is more narrative and description including desertion of crew members.

    Collection Arrangement

    This is a collection of five items.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Gold Rush--California--1840-1850
    Death at sea
    Beach, Joseph Perkins
    Apollo (ship)
    Logbook