Andrew Jackson (clipper)
Encyclopedia
The sailing ship Andrew Jackson, a 1,679-registered-ton medium clipper
, was built by the firm of Irons & Grinnell in Mystic, Connecticut
in 1855. The vessel was designed for the shipping firm of J.H. Brower & Co. to carry cargo intended for sale to participants in the California Gold Rush
.
s, skysails
, and royal
studdingsails
."
s such as the Flying Cloud and Flying Fish, which averaged 105 5/7 days and 103 1/3 days respectively, and the vessel was advertised as "The Fastest Ship in the World."
from New York City to San Francisco, which the vessel performed in 89 days and 4 hours. The run began at noon on Christmas Day, 1859, and ended at 4 p.m. on 23 March 1860 at the Farallon Islands
.
This was one of only three 89-day runs performed by square-rigged ships driving from New York City to California. The other two runs were both posted by the Flying Cloud. The Flying Clouds fastest New York-to-California run had taken 89 days and 8 hours; the Andrew Jacksons run was, by four hours, widely acclaimed in the newspapers as the fastest in history.
The Andrew Jackson's run, as calculated above, was from New York City to the Farallon Islands, the pilot boat
entry point to the harbor of San Francisco. The Andrew Jackson did not get a pilot boat in a timely manner and did not actually tie up at a San Francisco wharf until the next day. Some clipper ship authorities, including Howe and Matthews, assert that the Andrew Jackson did not actually set the record described above. They concede, however, that this medium clipper, perhaps not naturally as fast as the Flying Cloud, achieved a remarkable passage as the result of a combination of hard driving by the captain
and favorable winds.
. Flying Cloud holds the record time for a passage anchor-to-anchor from New York to San Francisco, of 89 days 8 hours, while Andrew Jacksons completed passage anchor-to-anchor may have been as long as 89 days 20 hours.
.
led to the creation of a network of coaling stations worldwide to serve fast steamships with a reliable supply of fuel, and the market for clipper-ship freight collapsed.
Medium clipper
A Medium clipper is a type of clipper designed for both cargo carrying capacity and speed. An evolutionary adaptation of the extreme clipper, the medium clipper had been invented by 1851, when the hull type appeared in U.S. shipyards...
, was built by the firm of Irons & Grinnell in Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic, Connecticut
Mystic is a village and census-designated place in New London County, Connecticut, in the United States. The population was 4,001 at the 2000 census. A historic locality, Mystic has no independent government because it is not a legally recognized municipality in the state of Connecticut...
in 1855. The vessel was designed for the shipping firm of J.H. Brower & Co. to carry cargo intended for sale to participants in the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
.
Construction
The ship's dimensions were: length 220 feet (67.1 m), beam 41 ft., 2 in., and draft 22 ft., 3 in. The vessel was described as "a very handsome, well-designed ship. She was heavily sparred and carried double topsailTopsail
A topsail is a sail set above another sail; on square-rigged vessels further sails may be set above topsails.- Square rig :On a square rigged vessel, a topsail is a square sail rigged above the course sail and below the topgallant sail where carried...
s, skysails
Sail-plan
A sail-plan is a set of drawings, usually prepared by a naval architect. It shows the various combinations of sail proposed for a sailing ship.The combinations shown in a sail-plan almost always include three configurations:...
, and royal
Royal (sail)
A royal is a small sail flown immediately above the topgallant on square rigged sailing ships. It was originally called the "topgallant royal" and was used in light and favorable winds....
studdingsails
Studding sail
A studding sail or studsail is a sail used to increase the sail area of a square rigged vessel in light winds. Traditionally pronounced stuns'l.It is an extra sail hoisted alongside a square-rigged sail on an extension of its yardarm...
."
Voyages
Andrew Jackson made seven passages from New York to San Francisco, with an average time of 106 1/3 days. These times compare well with the passages of extreme clipperExtreme clipper
An extreme clipper is a clipper designed to sacrifice cargo capacity for speed. They had a bow lengthened above the water, a drawing out and sharpening of the forward body, and the greatest breadth further aft. Extreme clippers were built in the period 1845 to 1855.-Medium and extreme clippers:From...
s such as the Flying Cloud and Flying Fish, which averaged 105 5/7 days and 103 1/3 days respectively, and the vessel was advertised as "The Fastest Ship in the World."
Record passage to San Francisco
The Andrew Jackson is best known for its 1859–1860 run around Cape HornCape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
from New York City to San Francisco, which the vessel performed in 89 days and 4 hours. The run began at noon on Christmas Day, 1859, and ended at 4 p.m. on 23 March 1860 at the Farallon Islands
Farallon Islands
The Farallon Islands, or Farallones , are a group of islands and sea stacks in the Gulf of the Farallones, off the coast of San Francisco, California, USA. They lie outside the Golden Gate and south of Point Reyes, and are visible from the mainland on clear days...
.
This was one of only three 89-day runs performed by square-rigged ships driving from New York City to California. The other two runs were both posted by the Flying Cloud. The Flying Clouds fastest New York-to-California run had taken 89 days and 8 hours; the Andrew Jacksons run was, by four hours, widely acclaimed in the newspapers as the fastest in history.
The Andrew Jackson's run, as calculated above, was from New York City to the Farallon Islands, the pilot boat
Pilot boat
A Pilot Boat is a type of boat used to transport pilots between land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting.-History:The origins of the word pilot probably disseminates from the Latin word pilota, a variation of pedota, the plural of pēdón which translates as oar...
entry point to the harbor of San Francisco. The Andrew Jackson did not get a pilot boat in a timely manner and did not actually tie up at a San Francisco wharf until the next day. Some clipper ship authorities, including Howe and Matthews, assert that the Andrew Jackson did not actually set the record described above. They concede, however, that this medium clipper, perhaps not naturally as fast as the Flying Cloud, achieved a remarkable passage as the result of a combination of hard driving by the captain
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
and favorable winds.
Andrew Jackson vs. Flying Cloud
However, after careful scrutiny of the logbooks, one author, Carl C. Cutler, concludes that a case can be made for either Flying Cloud or Andrew Jackson holding the record. Some will consider the passage from pilot-to-pilot as the appropriate indicator of fastest sailing performance around Cape HornCape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
. Flying Cloud holds the record time for a passage anchor-to-anchor from New York to San Francisco, of 89 days 8 hours, while Andrew Jacksons completed passage anchor-to-anchor may have been as long as 89 days 20 hours.
Loss
The Andrew Jackson was lost on Dec. 4, 1868, after going ashore on a reef in the Gaspar StraitGaspar Strait
Gaspar Strait separates Belitung and Bangka islands in Indonesia. It connects the Java Sea to the South China Sea.These straits, formed between the large islands Banca and Billiton, are generally called Gaspar Straits, after the Spanish captain from Manila, who passed through them in 1724; but...
.
Legacy
The Andrew Jacksons 1859–1860 run was to be one of the final sailing-ship records posted by an American clipper ship. During the 1860's the progress of colonialismColonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
led to the creation of a network of coaling stations worldwide to serve fast steamships with a reliable supply of fuel, and the market for clipper-ship freight collapsed.
Images
- Painting of clipper ship Andrew Jackson, Mystic Seaport Museum