Additional information
by John Stewart (Author)
On December 22, 1853, a new steamship left New York on its maiden voyage. The San Francisco--perhaps the finest ocean-going vessel of its time--had been chartered by the U.S. Government to transport the U.S. Army's Third Artillery Regiment to the Pacific Coast.
Two days out, the ship ran into one of the great hurricanes of maritime history. Sails and stacks were blown away, the engine was wrecked and scores of people were washed overboard, as the men frantically worked the pumps to keep afloat. A few days later, cholera broke out.
After two weeks adrift, the survivors were rescued by three ships. The nightmare was not over. Two of the vessels, damaged by the storm, were in no position to take on passengers. Provisions ran out. Fighting thirst, starvation, disease and mutiny, survivors barely made it back. Then came the aftermath--accusations, denials, revelations of government ineptitude and negligence, and a cover-up.
Author Biography
The late John Stewart was the author of nonfiction books on a variety of topics including African states and rulers, Antarctica, the British Empire, Moons of the solar system, Italian movies, Broadway musicals, the British circus, Lord Byron, and the flight of the Confederate government from Richmond. Winner of numerous reference book awards, he lived in West Jefferson, North Carolina.
