SS Central America

History
United States
NameCentral America
OperatorUnited States Mail Steamship Company
BuilderWebb yard[1]
LaunchedOctober 1852[1]
FateSank September 12, 1857
General characteristics
Tonnage2,141 long tons (2,175 t)
Length278 ft (85 m)
Beam40 ft (12 m)
CrewCaptain William Lewis Herndon First Officer Charles W. van Rensselaer

SS Central America, known as the Ship of Gold, was a 280-foot (85 m) sidewheel steamer that operated between Central America and the East Coast of the United States during the 1850s. She was originally named the SS George Law, after George Law of New York. The ship sank in a hurricane in September 1857, along with 425 of her 578 passengers and crew and 30,000 pounds (13,600 kg) of gold, contributing to the Panic of 1857.

  1. ^ a b Remembering Herndon's History: The S. S. George Law (Patch.com, September 6, 2015)