Sailing Vessel in Fog

This week we're offering another instructive rhyme from Nautical Nursery Rhymes by Billy Ringbolt, which resides in the Peterson, Peter H. (Capt.) Papers, (SAFR 18665, HDC 571):

Sailing Vessel in Fog

When a ship is on the starboard tack, the fact you'll always know,

Because upon her fog horn a signal blast she'll blow;

And when upon the port tack the blast will then be two,

At frequent intervals the while the fog obscures the view;

And when you hear a triple blast, you'll know, that it would seem,

That the hidden craft is sailing with the wind abaft the beam.

Photo Archives Spotlight: Shipboard Life on a Merchant Steamship

(by L. Bianchi, Project Archivist)

Alexander Ryan
(P77-003 Ser. 1.3 File 3 Item 85)

Although photographs of ships seen underway from a distance can be nice, sometimes you might find yourself wishing you could zoom in to see what sort of mischief (if any) the crew and passengers are getting into on board. The Alexander Ryan Photographs recently processed by the Historic Documents Department staff here at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park provide a peek into this world. The collection contains 307 images mostly split between glass plate and nitrate film negatives, the bulk of which was likely photographed by Ryan between 1900-1920. Besides cargo, merchant ships carried crews and passengers. Alongside the regular work, shipboard life was filled with activities to combat the boredom of a long passage--games and costumes were common along with the occasional shoreside excursions.

Click for Collection Guide

Alexander Ryan photographs, circa 1895-1926. Collection No. P77-003 (SAFR 23353)

Manoa in drydock. (P77-003 Ser. 1.3 File 1 Item 26)

Alexander Ryan (1871-1964) served as chief engineer aboard steamships operated by various shipping companies, including American-Hawaiian Steamship Company, Oceanic Steamship Company, and Matson Navigation Company. The photographs depict his travels aboard various merchant steamships including Californian (built 1900; cargo vessel), Lurline (built 1908; merchant vessel), and Manoa (built 1913; merchant vessel). Among the collection you'll find photographs of vessels in drydock, decks awash from heavy weather, and glimpses inside engine rooms. The collection also contains views of other miscellaneous sailing, steam, and naval vessels, and as well as views of coastlines, waterfronts, and scenery ashore in San Francisco, Hawaii, and Washington, D.C. One group of 8 photographs depicts views of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition waterfront in 1915 as seen from the San Francisco Bay.

But have you ever wondered, "What did women do during long, monotonous ocean voyages? Did they stay in their cabins and knit?" Well, if they're anything like the ladies photographed in this collection, they cross-dressed! In this collection you'll discover women in borrowed officer's hats, and sometimes full uniforms, posing with crew members. One particularly brave woman is photographed climbing a mast with the assistance of a crew member during her voyage aboard Lurline. Another woman wearing the captain's uniform fully embraced her new look by adding a fake mustache and goatee to her ensemble while aboard Manoa.

She’s no landlubber. (P77-003 Ser. 1.3 File 3 Item 6)

And there are plenty of men sporting mustaches as well.

‘Staches galore. (P77-003 Ser. 1.4 File 3 Item 284)

Yet being a chief engineer requires more than just posing for photographs with passengers or letting women try on your uniform. For those interested in the more technical side of engineering, the Maritime Library holds a book formerly in the possession of Alexander Ryan on the construction of the steamship Maui titled Specifications for building a steel twin-screw geared turbine passenger and freight steamer to three-deck rule, hull No. 127, November 18, 1915. Built by Union Iron Works Company, San Francisco.

Make an appointment to take a closer look at Alexander Ryan’s photographs documenting early 20th century merchant steamship travel. Peruse the collection guides on the Online Archive of California to explore more, and know our reference staff is here to help in person.

Disabled Vessel

(by Heather Hernandez, Technical Services Librarian)

This week we're offering another instructive rhyme from Nautical Nursery Rhymes by Billy Ringbolt, which resides in the Peterson, Peter H. (Capt.) Papers, (SAFR 18665, HDC 571):

Disabled Vessel
If a vessel's disabled and cannot well steer,
By break down of engines, or perhaps steering gear,
Two lights she will show from her foremast head,
One under the other, and both of them red.
By day two balls hoisted in this same position
Will explain to all vessels her helpless condition.

Digging for Gold at the Library: Marine Exchange records

(by Gina Bardi, Reference Librarian)

Every once and awhile, research questions will come in droves about a certain subject. Suddenly, everyone will want to know about a specific ship or event.  Usually this can be traced to news segment or TV show, but there are times when a collection just suddenly, mysteriously becomes popular.  In the last few weeks I’ve had quite a few requests for information in our Marine Exchange Records. They’re one of my favorite resources here and since everyone else is using them, you should be too. 

The San Francisco Marine Exchange was started in 1849. Its purpose was to look for and report vessels entering the bay.  Located atop Telegraph Hill (Here’s a good “didja know” to bring up at a cocktail party: Telegraph Hill got its name from the signal station there), the Marine Exchange would alert the city to incoming vessels by means of a wooden semaphore.  Everyone in San Francisco quickly learned what the signals met as evidenced by the oft repeated tale of a theatre performance being disrupted by howls of laughter when an actor on stage in response to a revelation in the play, threw his hands open in despair and lamented “What is this?” and a cheeky member of the audience yelled “It’s a sidewheel steamer.”
As I said, the Marine Exchange documented every vessel that came in or out of the bay. Our collection (HDC 559) includes:  12 Ledgers, scrapbooks of marine disasters, mishaps, and total losses, 102 Ledgers vessel arrivals/departures, indexed and a card index to arrivals by vessel name. Some of the collection is available on microfilm. The time span for the records is roughly 1886- 1982 for arrivals and departures and 1854-1962 for disasters, mishaps and total losses.  Here’s an example from Arrivals vol. 1 1904-1906. Note the first entry is the Mathew Turner  brig, the Galilee carrying a load of copra.




The ledger is so large it’s difficult to scan the entire page, but the information contained includes, date of arrival, nation, class name of vessel, tonnage, master, days from last port, cargo, consignees, import folio and departure folio and finally any remarks.  This is a heck of a lot of information.  There is no passenger information though. I REPEAT no passenger information (that’s for the intrepid genealogist who is already picking up the phone to call and see if their relative is listed- they’re not).

The Disaster and Mishaps and Total Losses ledgers are similar. Arranged by date, they list occurrences of cargos burned, masts snapped and crews lost with no traces to be found.  Some are detailed and seem to be retelling of Captains accounts, others are just a line or two.  Below is the entry from the Disaster log vol. 1 1900-1906 for the wreck of the City of Rio de Janeiro, a Pacific Mail steamer which hit a reef in San Francisco Bay.  131 people died. 




There is something for everyone in these records. It is my hope to have them all scanned and made available for researchers the world over.  Until then though, come to the library to see these unique records for yourself. 

The Marine Exchange Records (HDC 559 SAFR 18592) can be accessed in person by appointment. Some of the collection is available on microfilm and will be substituted for original material at the discretion of Collections Staff.  Please contact gina_bardi@nps.gov or call 415/561-7033. Scans or photocopies can be made as well at the discretion of the Collections Staff. Please see our Duplication Services for information on fees.

Digging for Gold at the Library: Shackleton

(by Gina Bardi, Reference Librarian)

Cover of George Butler's film, Endurance

There’s a quite a chill in the air. Or at least there is in the library. As the winds have turned I like to call "brisk," my thoughts to cozying up with a warm blanket, a hot toddy and a film about Ernest Shackleton. The library has two Shackleton films on DVD. Both are documentaries and go in depth describing Shackleton and crew's incredible hard to imagine two year odyssey in Antarctica. The photography is stunning, partly because expedition photographer Frank Hurley went through desperate measures to save his glass plates (We’ll talk about that in another post). So come on over to our mostly warm Library and watch some great films about Endurance--both the ship and the concept. Unfortunately, hot toddies aren't allowed in the library but you can have one when you get home--I'm sure Shackleton did!

Ghosts In the Oakland Estuary by Bill Adams

(by Ted Miles, Assistant Reference Librarian)

The British magazine Blue Peter: the magazine of sea travel was published at London, England between 1921 and 1939. The name comes from the International code flag for the letter P. When flown in harbor in the days of sail the signal meant that all persons connected with the vessel should go aboard at once--as she was going to go to sea. It is especially strong on articles on the passing of commercial sail in its many forms. From the coastal schooners of England to the Cape Horner’s of the Australian grain trade to the remaining sailing types in other parts of the world; more than likely they are to be found there.

The magazine is especially notable for its covers which featured the paintings of Jack Spurling. His paintings of clipper ships, often depicted in heavy weather, were widely recognized and reproduced in many forms, including prints for sale from the magazine.

The March 1937 issue contains an old time sailor's view of the passing of sail. He rows out to the Fortman Basin; the home of the disappearing remnants of the Alaska Packers Fleet; the last American company to employ a fleet of commercial square riggers.

Once there the boat soon meets a group of ghosts of old time sailors. From the bosun of an iron Cape Horner all the way back to the gunner of Francis Drake's ship; all had met their ends at sea or near it.

Of course the old man's memory is a little hazy as he recalls the Star of Holland as the former Balclutha when she was the former Zemindar. The old man looks through the Balclutha’s rigging in 1937; but the ship had become the Pacific Queen in 1933 and sailed down to Southern California to become a movie prop. In the 1930s, they still needed real sailing vessels for making movies.

In an earlier letter in the February 1936 issue of Blue Peter, Bill Adams gives his readers some of his own history. He was born in Bristol, England and went to sea at an early age. He "served his time" in British flag square riggers. He was living in Dutch Flat, California in 1937. This is a tiny village east of Sacramento, California. He sure was a land locked sailor up there!

It was a widely held belief among seamen that after death they would come back as sea birds. And old Bill sees a sea gull waiting for him in the rigging of Balclutha; but he tells him it is not time yet. But when it is he hopes to fly over the waters of Frisco Bay with other departed sailors.

The San Francisco maritime Library has a nearly complete run of the magazine; it is available for use in the library. Come on by and spend some time with them; you will be glad you did!

Overtaken

(by Heather Hernandez, Technical Services Librarian)

This week we're offering another instructive rhyme from Nautical Nursery Rhymes by Billy Ringbolt, which resides in the Peterson, Peter H. (Capt.) Papers, (SAFR 18665, HDC 571):

Overtaken

If a vessel astern of you closes at night,

Over the taffrail you show her a light;

Or a "flare up" would do if you have it quite ready;

And mind you, don't yaw, and lookout you steer steady.

Site picks and newly available Niantic journals

(by Heather Hernandez, Technical Services Librarian)

We are delighted to announce that the latest issue of our Park's Maritime News, now available online as an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file, contains two articles by Collections Dept. staff members:

• Reference Librarian Gina Bardi writes as entertainingly as always in her article, "Plumb the Depths with Online Maritime Resources."  The sites included aren't just for hardcore researchers--she includes sites that will entertain and delight as well.
• Dan Brogden, Archives Specialist, contributes "Vividly-Written Journals Detail Four Voyages of the Niantic," an excerpt of a longer piece, available on the Park's website in its entirety, about exciting additions to our archival collections.  (But be sure to see the Maritime News version for two images not included in the online version.)

Digging for Gold at the Library: Gold Rush Ships

(by Gina Bardi, Reference Librarian)


The reason I am here today and you are reading this blog is Karl Kortum. Karl was the indefatigable visionary who got this museum up and started. He was a collector, historian, sailor, achiever, and all around bulldog of a man, from what I hear. I never met him, but I run into him every day--his records, his notes, his general mark on this collection is ubiquitous. One of my favorite things in the library is something he put together with Harlan Soeten and Albert Harmon, Notes on the Gold Rush Ships.

This large format (it measures 59 x 42 cm) book is a lovely combination of text, images, maps, newspaper clippings and other delights. It’s one of the most engaging resources we have. There’s all sorts of information on arrivals, departures, wharves, buried ships- knowledge enough to entice the novice and excite the pro.
When I first started here, I thought the Gold Rush would be our most popular topic. It is up there in the top 10, but I don’t have as many chances to bring this out as I would like. I've included some photos below to entice you, but please, do me a favor. Come to the library and ask to see this remarkable piece of history.

Digging for Gold at the Library: U.S. Coast Survey Report

(by Gina Bardi, Reference Librarian)

I often talk about how walking through the stacks of the library I find gems based on unusual titles or interesting bindings.  Today’s gem has neither of these.  The binding is standard blue library binding and the title, U.S. Coast Survey Report is about as thrilling as a cotton ball. However, I walk past these volumes (it’s a continuing resource which is fancy library talk for “they publish it in volumes” [or maybe that’s fancy librarian talk for continuing resource…which is more fancy?!]) and a few months ago I stopped to take some off the shelf and see exactly what they were and what information they contained.   U.S. Coast Survey Reports are yearly reports from the Superintendent of the Coast Survey to Congress. For the most part, they have coastal maps, charts, tide tables, lists of maps completed or in progress and reports from various field offices which include shore line measurements, soundings, tidal observations, etc. There are also many appendices which give information such as who are the people doing the surveys in each area and a heaping dose of  math Math MATH! So much math!

 These reports are incredible resources for people who want to do in depth coastal research.  As I was flipping through the pages of the 1858 volume, however, I came across an appendix which popped out at me – it wasn’t the more dry scientific measurements, rather it’s statistics about shipping in and out of San Francisco.

The appendix (no.44) entitled “Directory for the Pacific Coast of the United States” is chock full of information which crosses all sorts of information needs.  The appendix is actually an extended report 8 years in the making on San Francisco Bay and port activity.  It has such bits of information such as in the year 1857, 1,328 vessels entered San Francisco from other American ports, 130 that entered were American vessels from foreign ports and 125 were foreign vessels from foreign ports making a total of 1,583 vessels that came to San Francisco that year (349).   Also according to the appendix, “At the end of the fiscal year , June 30, 1855, there were registered, enrolled, and licensed, at the custom-house of San Francisco, owned wholly or in part by citizens of California, 702 steam and sailing vessels engaged in trade upon the Pacific” (348).  The breakdown of that number is as follows: 

There’s more information in this wonderful resource including the average amount of gold shipped out of the state (351), value of exports of California for a three year period (350) and clipper passages times from 1850-1857 (346).

If any of these tidbits excite you, then stop on by the library and check out our U.S. Coast Survey Reports.

Source:

U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Report of the Superintendent of the Coast Survey, Showing the Progress of the Survey During the year 1858. Washington: William A. Harris, Printer, 1859.

Sailing Vessels

(by Heather Hernandez, Technical Services Librarian) 

This week we're offering another instructive rhyme from Nautical Nursery Rhymes by Billy Ringbolt, which resides in the Peterson, Peter H. (Capt.) Papers, (SAFR 18665, HDC 571):

Sailing Vessels

A sailing ship when under sail,
Or being towed must never fail
Her side lights to let others see,
As told by Regulation Three;,
And also, as we all should know,
A masthead light must never show.