| Almanac: September | ||
| 11 |
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13 |
The USS Central America, carrying tons of California gold, sank at about 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, about 160 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, drowning a total of 426 passengers and crew, including Captain William Lewis Herndon. The ship was a three-masted, 272-feet long sidewheel steamship that made 43 round trips between New York City and Panama. The loss of that much gold touched off an economic panic. [Source: SSCentralAmerica.com]