S. S. Farallon

I’m working and living in Anchorage, Alaska. I happened to come upon your site looking for some information on a shipwreck I have been researching. The SS Farallon is a ship that was constructed on Sixth Street in San Francisco in 1888 by Alexander Hay with construction supervised by I. E. Thayer.

She was 171 feet long with a beam of nearly 34 feet. In the 1890s she seems to have worked mostly out of ports in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. By 1899 it seems that she was making runs from Seattle to Alaska ferrying passengers and mail with the Alaska Steamship Company.

I’m giving a little bit of background in hopes that you can answer one question for me: Do you know how I can find out if the SS Farallon was equipped with electricity? I have read that by 1884, “three years since the first application of incandescent electric lighting to the general illumination of steamships, the advantages accruing therefrom have been so fully recognised [sic], that already more than one hundred and fifty ships have been fitted with it, and scarcely a man-of-war or a first-class passenger-steamer now leaves the builder’s hands without having it on board.” (Jamieson 1885:1).

Any information regarding this question would be very helpful in my current search. So far this is the best I have to work with. Thank you in advance for your time. Following is a link to a website dedicated to the Farallon: http://www.lostshipwrecks.com/shipwreck_projects/farallon_project/farallon_project.htm

View of Golden Gate and Fort Point San Francisco, California

• Daily Alta California, September 9, 1888: The new steam schooner Farallon made her trial trip around the bay yesterday. She left Berry and Third streets at 10 o’clock, and steamed over the measured mile to Hunter’s Point. A speed of eleven knots was developed on the mile. From Hunter’s Point the steamer went to Fort Point, then back to Hunter’s Point, landing some passengers at Mission No. 1 on the way, and then up the bay, as far as Benicia, returning to Mission street at 4 p.m. There were quite 250 people on the Farallon, who enjoyed the trip immensely. Captain Bonnifield (Bonifeld) was in charge and will retain command. The Farallon is 71-1/2 feet long, 33 feet beam and lO-1/2 of hold. She is fitted with triple expansion engines- with 14.22 and 36-inch cylinders and 24-inch stroke. Dolbeer & Carson are the principal owners, and she will run in their trade to the Humboldt mills. (Note that this indicates that she was 71-1/2 feet long, not 171-1/2 feet long; I’ll continue searching for information
• San Francisco and Humboldt under Captain Bonifeld (October 14, 1888)
• San Francisco Call: between San Francisco and Puget Sound in 1895
• Daily Alta California, June 1, 1890: Steamer Farallon, Bonifeld, 45 hours from Yaquina Bay; pass and 5056 sks wheat, 1518 sks oats to C. H. Haswell, Jr. Consignees: Moore, Ferguson & Co; H. Dutard
• San Francisco Call, January 30, 1897: Steamer Farallon, Roberts, 60 hours from Yaquina Bay and way ports; pass and mdse to Meyer & Ackmann. Importations: 236 tons stone, 4144 qr sks 1162 hf sks 589 bales flour, 7 cords stavebolts, 250 sks oats, 13 coops poultry, 24 pkgs chairs, 13 coops poultry, 6 coops chickens, 2 bbls salmon, 250 sks oats, 16 cs eggs, 29 sks oysters, 1 cs chimneys, 1 cs furs.Consignees: Wells, Fargo & Co; W. C. Ramsey; McDonough & Runyon; Marshall, Tegger & Co; J. McMillan; Thomas Loughran; Chas Harley & Col;Standard Oil Co; Cunningham, Crutiss & Welch; H Levi & Co; Russ, Sanders & Co; Morgan Oyster Co; J. H. Newbauer & Co; Moore, Ferguson & Co; Cal Chemical Works; A. Paladini; C. E. Whitney & Co; Russ, Early & Co; Labor Exchange; J. P. Thomas; W. C. Price & Co; Miller, Sless & Scott; McPhee & Co. Anspacher Bros.; C. J. Leist & Co; Pacific W. W. and Co; Allen & Lewis; Jonas Erianger & Co; J. D. McGilvray; C. Jacobson & Co; Pacific Commercial Co.

A great more detail on the Farallon, including her wreck, is here:

I haven’t found anything re whether or not she had electricity. Please contact the San Francisco Maritime Library or the National Historical Maritime Park regarding ship details. Contact information is mid-way down the following page: http://www.maritimeheritage.org/ships/steamships.html

However, I haven’t located information as to whether or not she had electricity. The Maritime Library researcher might be able to locate that information:  http://www.maritimeheritage.org/resources.htm.

The Lost Ship Wrecks site is great . . . thanks for sending along the link.