Dreadnought

Three-masted medium clipper ship built in 1853 by Currier & Townsend, Newburyport, MA. Dimensions: 212'×41'6"×26'6" and tonnage 1414 tons OM and 2337 tons NM. The deadweight of this cargo was 1559,65 tons including 60 tons of ballast.

"She possessed the merit of being able to bear driving as long as her sails and spars would stand." [Samuel Samuels]

1853 October 6

Launched at the shipyard of Currier & Townsend, Newburyport, for David Ogden, E.D. Morgan, F.B. Cutting et al., New York. Sailed for the Red Cross Line of New York and Liverpool packets. Was orginally intended for the "Racehorse Line" of California clippers.

1853 December 6

Sailed from New York for Liverpool under command of Captain Samuel Samuels. Her outward cargo on her first roundtrip consisted of:

12.750 bushels of corn
304 bales of cotton
198 barrels of potash
150 boxes of bacon
5600 staves

1854 February

Sailed from Liverpool to New York in 19 days.

1854 November 20 - December 4

Sailed from Sandy Hook to Cape Clear in 12 days 12 hours.

1855 [?] February

Sailed from New York and made 1080 miles during the first 72 hours from Sandy Hook. Later delayed by ice and being in collision with the British ship Eugenie prolonged the voyage to 14 days.

1856 January 24

Passed Sandy Hook and was off Point Lynas after 14 days.

1859 February 27 - March 12

Sailed from Sandy Hook to the Northwest Lightship, Liverpool, in 13 days 8 hours.

1859 June 17 - July 2

Left New York and arrived off Queenstown after 9 days 17 hours.

1862 February

Collided with and sank the ship John Evans two days out from New York on voyage for Liverpool.

1863 January 16

Sailed from Liverpool for New York. Five days out she encountered a severe gale and lost her rudder. Captain Samuels broke a leg and was almost washed overboard. Having failed to rig a jury-rudder, the ship was sailed backwards under Captain Samuels' directions towards Fayal. Continued to New York after 52 days of repairs.

1863 December 26

Put into Fayal on voyage from Liverpool to New York after having been partly dismasted and the rudder torn away. Captain Lytle received injuries from which he subsequently died.

1864 February 26

Arrived to New York under command of the First Mate Rockwell.

1864 May 19 - October 1

Sailed from New York to San Francisco in 134 days under command of Captain Cushing.

1868 [?] January 18

Arrived at San Francisco after 127 days from New York.

1869 April 28

Sailed from Liverpool for San Francisco under command of Captain P.N. Mayhew late of the clipper ship Wild Pigeon.

1869 July 4

Drifted ashore and was wrecked on Cape Penas, off Tierra del Fuego. The crew reached Cape San Diego at the Straits of Le Marie after a 17 days long journey in two of the ship's boats. They were picked up by the Norwegian barque General Birch under command of Captain Amundsen who hove to after having seen their signals.

The Dreadnought made 31 roundtrips between New York and Liverpool during the years 1853 to 1864. The average for the 20 eastward passages is 19 days. For the westward passage the avarage of 20 crossings is 26½ days.

Painting by J.E. Buttersworth, c1853, at the Peaboy Essex Museum, Salem, MA, USA.

References:

Clipper ships, general references.
Samuels, Samuel: From the Forecastle to the Cabin.
Harper & Bros., New York, 1887.

Updated 1999-07-29 by Lars Bruzelius

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