Francois Coppee's career was short and tragic. Her maiden voyage was to San Francisco. Returning to the Golden Gate from Newcastle, New South Wales, on November 20, 1903, she went ashore on Bird Rock at the northern end of the Point Reyes peninsula. The event, with the loss of a dozen lives, became grist for the San Francisco newspapers, which indulged in much sensationalism and speculation in an effort to outdo each other. The particulars of this wreck are therefore quoted in some length from a report deposited with the French Consulate in San Francisco by M. Edouard Molines, first officer of the shipwrecked vessel: I had left the watch at 8 p.m. but I awakened to hear the man at the cathead yell "Land ahead!" Hearing the command to brace aback, I leaped at once onto the poop, having lain down fully dressed. At this time the vessel touched for the first time across from the foremast very close to a little island; enormous waves covered the central part of the vessel. The captain ordered the foresails to be taken aback and the lifeboats put out. The crew divided into two parts to execute his orders. While the one part was taking aback (a very difficult maneuver under shock of the waves), the vessel fell crosswise on some rocks situated at 500 meters from the island. During this time the steward's mate and 2 of the men were provisioning the lifeboats. The rear port lifeboat on the land side was the first to be put on its hoisting gear and provisioned. The attention was turned to the loanboat on the rear starboard, on the ocean side, and it was provisioned. The apprentices Nicol and Hillion received orders to embark in the first boat. Seven foreigners joined them there and lowered before orders while the rest were busy with the long-boat. The rear falls broke; the two men who were inside were thrown into the sea but were saved. The long-boat was broken, and then it was discovered that the first lifeboat had been swung out with orders and with 9 men. She ordered to return, but could not get back. There was no other lifeboat. Delgado & Haller [2]