''Carrier Dove'' was an 1855

medium clipper A medium clipper is a type of clipper designed for both cargo carrying capacity and speed. An evolutionary adaptation of the extreme clipper, the medium clipper had been invented by 1851, when the hull type appeared in U.S. shipyards. Medium clipp ...

. She was one of two well-known clippers launched in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

that year, the other being ''Mary Whitridge''.

Construction

''Carrier Dove'', like ''

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

'' of Mystic, ''Mary Whitridge'' of Baltimore, and ''Flying Mist'' of Medford, was a medium clipper, built on a practical modification of clipper ship lines. She combined much of the speed of the sleek, early 1850s

extreme clipper An extreme clipper was a clipper designed to sacrifice cargo capacity for speed. They had a bow lengthened above the water, a drawing out and sharpening of the forward body, and the greatest breadth further aft. In the United States, extreme clipp ...

s with the larger cargo capacity of the fuller-bottomed traditional packet ships.

Voyages

''Carrier Dove'' was dismasted in a hurricane just eight days out of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

on her maiden voyage to

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

in 1855. Nevertheless, she made it to

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

on November 9, in 55 days. She remained in Rio for two months for repairs. The remainder of her trip around the Horn was more favorable, and she arrived in San Francisco on April 25, 1856, after a voyage of 98 days. Her voyage from New York to San Francisco in 1860 under Captain Montell was more fortunate, and she arrived in 127 days. In 1862, she took a cargo of wheat from San Francisco to Queenstown, Australia, in 124 days.

Fast passages

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, 78 days, in 1858. Melbourne to Valparaiso, 30 or 32 days, under Captain Theodore Corner, very close to the record.

Locomotive transport

''Carrier Dove'' left New York on November 2, 1863, carrying San Francisco & San Jose Locomotive No. 4, and arrived in San Francisco on May 20, 1864.

Went ashore

In 1862, ''Carrier Dove'' sailed in the transatlantic trade under Captain Nash and Captain Jackson. She went ashore at

Portmagee Portmagee () is a village in County Kerry, Ireland. The village is located on the Iveragh peninsula south of Valentia Island and is known locally as 'the ferry', in reference to its purpose as a crossing point to the island. Access to Valentia Is ...

County Kerry County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...

, in February 1863, but was repaired and auctioned to her former owners, Trask & Dearborn. Also in 1863, she "collided with another vessel in the

Mersey The River Mersey () is a major river in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it ...

" that year, requiring assistance from three steam-tugs.The Law times reports: containing all the cases argued ... Vol 8. Salvage awards, p. 402
/ref> In 1865, while en route from

Shields A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, laden with

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

and general cargo, she went ashore on

Governors Island Governors Island is a island in New York Harbor, within the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located approximately south of Manhattan Island, and is separated from Brooklyn to the east by the Buttermilk ...

New York Harbor New York Harbor is a bay that covers all of the Upper Bay. It is at the mouth of the Hudson River near the East River tidal estuary on the East Coast of the United States. New York Harbor is generally synonymous with Upper New York Bay, ...

, just outside her destination,

. Her cargo was taken the rest of the way to the wharves by

lighter A lighter is a portable device which uses mechanical or electrical means to create a controlled flame, and can be used to ignite a variety of flammable items, such as cigarettes, butane gas, fireworks, candles, or campfires. A lighter typic ...

Loss of the ship

''Carrier Dove'' went ashore for the last time on Stone Horse Shoals, near Tybee, while on a voyage from Liverpool to Tybee, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, March 3, 1876. She was a total loss. Her crew survived.

References

External links

*
Clipper ships built in Baltimore, Maryland
Maritime History Virtual Archives * http://carrierdove.org {{1876 shipwrecks California clippers Individual sailing vessels Ships built in Baltimore Maritime incidents in 1855 Maritime incidents in February 1863 Maritime incidents in 1865 Maritime incidents in March 1876 Shipwrecks of Ireland Shipwrecks of the New York (state) coast Shipwrecks of the Georgia (U.S. state) coast 1855 ships