In the 19th century, steamboats became extremely popular on the rivers of the United States. While typically used to transport cargo and passengers, they were occasionally involved in long-distance racing competitions. Captains raced each other for pride and ego, owners hoped that setting records would generate more business, gamblers bet on outcomes, and passengers cheered for their boat’s victory. The races were unofficial and often not very sporting. Captains would zig-zag to prevent rivals from passing, push them onto riverbanks, or have legal papers served to stall their departure. These races were also very dangerous. Steamboat boilers were prone to explode, especially when crews circumvented safety valves to coax more speed. Charles Dickens once wrote that “western steamboats usually blow up one or two a week in the season.” The worst maritime disaster in U.S. history occurred in 1865 when the Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River, killing over 1800 passengers.

The Chrysopolis, nicknamed “Slim Princess”, was built in San Francisco in 1860, about a block away from where Oracle Park is now. It served as a transport ship on the Sacramento River, providing passage from San Francisco to Sacramento in support of the gold rush. It was the fastest ship on the river thanks to its sleek hull, a 1,357 horsepower engine, and twin paddle wheels with a diameter of 36 feet. The Chrysopolis was above racing, as no other ship could hope to match its speed, and in 1861, the Chrysopolis set the record time from Sacramento to San Francisco at 5 hours and 19 minutes, a 22.7 mph average. The record still stands today.

The development of the railroad rendered riverboats obsolete, so the Chrysopolis was sold, repurposed as a ferry with a new route from San Francisco to Oakland, and subsequently renamed the Oakland. Later, when the construction of the Bay Bridge was underway, the Chrysopolis was decommissioned and dismantled for scrap metal. During this process, a spark from a cutting torch caused the Chrysopolis to become engulfed in flame, a harrowing end to the fastest steamboat on the Sacramento River.

For those interested:

Daugherty, Greg. “When Deadly Steamboat Races Enthralled America.” Smithsonian.com, 26 Apr. 2023, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-deadly-steamboat-races-enthralled-america-180982038/.

MacMullen, Jerry. Paddle-Wheel Days in California. Stanford University Press, 1944.

“The Steamboat Chrysopolis.” YouTube, 26 June 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDjdel-6_KI.