January 14, 1854: The steam packet San Francisco sank in a storm off North Carolina. San Francisco was a large sidewheel steamer at 280' long with a passenger capacity of 1,600. At the time she was on her maiden voyage which would take her from New York bound for California.

When off the coast of North Carolina she ran into a violent storm. As the storm got worse attempts to save the ship became futile. A large wave swept across the ship carrying away about one hundred and fifty men who were clearing debris from the deck. Not long after that the ship went under taking an estimated three hundred people with her. There were a large number of survivors despite the storm. About four hundred and fifty were picked up by other ships.