SS Central America facts for kids
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|} The SS Central America, also known as the Ship of Gold, was a large steamer(a ship powered by steam) that was about 280-foot (85 m) long. It traveled between Central Americaand the East Coast of the United Statesin the 1850s. The ship was first called the SS George Law, named after George Law from New York. In September 1857, the Central Americasank during a hurricane. Sadly, 425 of its 578 passengers and crew members were lost. The ship was also carrying 30,000 pounds (about 13,600 kg) of gold. This huge loss of gold helped cause a financial crisis called the Panic of 1857.
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The Ship's Last Journey
On September 3, 1857, the ship left the port of Colón in Panama. It was heading for New York City with 477 passengers and 101 crew members. The ship's captain was William Lewis Herndon.
The Central America was carrying a lot of gold. This gold came from the California Gold Rush. After a stop in Havana, Cuba, the ship continued its journey north.
The path of the hurricane
On September 9, 1857, the ship sailed into a powerful Category 2 hurricane. This happened off the coast of the Carolinas. By September 11, the storm was very strong. Winds of about 105 mph (170 km/h) ripped the ship's sails. Water began to pour into the ship, and its boiler, which made the steam for power, was in danger of failing.
A leak near the paddle wheels made things even worse. By noon, the boiler could no longer make enough steam. This stopped the bilge pumps, which were used to remove water from the ship. The paddle wheels also stopped working, so the ship could not stay pointed into the wind. The passengers and crew turned the ship's flag upside down. This was a sign of distress, hoping a passing ship would see it. But no one came to help.
A picture showing the Central Americasinking
Everyone on board formed a "bucket brigade." They worked all night, trying to scoop water out of the ship. During a calm period in the hurricane's eye, they tried to restart the boiler, but it didn't work. Then, the second part of the storm hit. The ship was now close to sinking. Without power, the ship was tossed around by the strong winds and waves.
The next morning, September 12, two ships were seen. One was a brig named Marine. Only 153 passengers, mostly women and children, were able to get into lifeboats and reach the Marine. The Central America was still in the worst part of the storm. It sank at 8:00 that evening. In total, 425 people died. A Norwegian ship, the Ellen, rescued another 50 people from the water. Three more survivors were found in a lifeboat over a week later.
Commander William Lewis Herndon, U.S. Navy
What Happened After the Sinking?
After the sinking, people were very shocked by the great loss of life. It was called one of the worst American shipping disasters ever. When it sank, the Central America was carrying gold worth about US$8,000,000 at the time. Today, that gold would be worth around $765 million. The ship itself was valued at $140,000 in 1857.
Captain William Lewis Herndon was a respected officer. He had served in the Mexican–American War and explored the Amazon River Valley. He stayed with his ship as it sank. Later, two US Navy ships were named USS Herndon in his honor. The town of Herndon, Virginia was also named after him. Two years after the disaster, his daughter Ellen married Chester Alan Arthur. He later became the 21st President of the United States.
Finding the Ship of Gold
The Central America was found by the Columbus-America Discovery Group from Ohio. This group was led by Tommy Gregory Thompson. They used a special method called Bayesian search theory to find the wreck. On September 11, 1988, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which is like an underwater robot, was sent down.
This ROV found a lot of gold and other items from the ship. Another ROV, built just for recovery, brought these treasures to the surface. The gold found was estimated to be worth between $100 million and $150 million. One gold bar, weighing 80 lb (36 kg), was sold for a record $8 million. It was known as the most valuable piece of currency in the world at that time.
Many insurance companies said they owned the gold. They had paid for the lost gold in the 1800s. But the discovery team argued that the gold had been abandoned. After a legal fight, 92% of the gold was given to the discovery team in 1996.
In March 2014, a company called Odyssey Marine Exploration was hired. Their job was to explore and recover more items from the shipwreck. The first expedition had only explored a small part of the ship.
In May 2018, Universal Coin & Bullion, a company that deals with precious metals, showed off gold and silver coins from the Central America. In 2019, Heritage Auctions sold several gold pieces from the ship. A very large gold bar, weighing 174.04 ounces (about 4.93 kg), sold for $528,000.
See also
In Spanish: SS Central America para niños
| History | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Name | Central America |
| Operator | United States Mail Steamship Company |
| Builder | Webb yard |
| Launched | October 1852 |
| Out of service | September 12, 1857 |
| Fate | Sank |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 2,141 long tons (2,175 t) |
| Length | 278 ft (85 m) |
| Beam | 40 ft (12 m) |
| Crew | Captain William Lewis Herndon First Officer Charles W. van Rensselaer |
