National Marine Sanctuaries

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary

Shipwreck Database

Vessel
*Not A Total Loss

Tennessee

  
Name (former)
Official Number
Propulsion
 Steam
Nationality
 US
Masts
 3
Age
 5
Decks
  
Value
 $200,000
Type
 Side-Wheel Passenger - Cargo Steamer
Call Sign
  
Use
 Commercial
Home Port
 CA, San Francisco
Tonnage (gross)
Built When
 1848
Tonnage (net)
Built Where
 NY, NY
Tonnage
1275
Built by
 William H. Webb
Displacement
  
Hull Material
 Wood (copper)
Length (ft)
 211.1
Cargo
 Mail, gold
Beam
 35.8
Owner
 Pacific Mail Steamship Company
Depth of Hold
 22.0
 
CASUALTY
   
Latitude
37°50N
Longitude
122°3W
WHERE
Point Bonita, 3 miles north of, near Indian Cove (aka Potato Cove) 4 miesl from GG in
STATE
CA
YEAR
1853
LAST PORT
CA, San Francisco
MONTH
03
DESTINATION
Panama
DAY
06
People on Board
TIME
0900
FATALITIES
0
CAUSE
Navigation
NATURE OF CASUALTY

Tennessee lay at anchor near the Farallone Islands, twenty-six miles west of the Golden Gate. Although visibility was limited to sixty feet, Capt. Edward Mellus was confident of his position, and commenced to navigate the steamer slowly ahead, occasionally stopping to take sounds with the lead.

Steaming toward the Golden Gate on the foggy morning of March 6, Capt. Edward Mellus was not aware of the outgoing tide's strong current that was sweeping Tennessee north past the Gate and along the Marine shore. At 9:00 a.m. the lookout sighted breakers, and Capt. Mellus ordered the engines reversed. Rocks blocked Tennessee, however, and Mellus had no choice but to beach the ship on the small beach of [Indian] Tennessee cove. Broadsided and hard ashore, the steamer heeled sharply to port. It was hoped that Tennessee would be pulled off, "she is perfectly tight, and although her copper is much chafed and rubbed off, there is every reason to suppose that no serious injury has thus far been sustained." Heavy surf on March 8 broke Tennessee's back, ruptured her steam pipes and started her timbers, flooding the ship. A visit to the wreck on March 10 revealed her condition to be perfectly hopeless, and her situation almost unfavorable for the preservation of the valuable portions of her machinery and fixtures. She is fast going to pieces. Every joist appeared started. The sea was thumping heavily against her side, and the surf flying wildly over her.

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She cannot hold together another week. The crew had already salvaged the specie, mail, and baggage; salvors stripped the steamer of furniture and equipment through March 19. By that time, the stack had fallen, the deck had collapsed, and the starboard side was breached in several places. By March 21, Tennessee had disintegrated into the surf, leaving her name to mark the site of the wreck at Tennessee cove. Delgado & Haller [2]