Built as a wooden side paddle wheeler by Henry Steers at Greenpoint, Long Island for account of Cornelius Vanderbilt.
03 June 1863 launched as the GOLDEN RULE her intended name was RETRIBUTION, and one source gives that she was launched under that name and later renamed GOLDEN RULE.
Tonnage 2,767 gross tons, dim. 304 x 43.6 x 24ft.
Powered by a vertical beam steam-engine, manufactured by the Morgan Iron Works. Diameter of the paddle wheels 30 ft.
Rigged as a topsail schooner.
Three masts, round stern, scroll head.
Anyhow before launching purchased by Marshall O. Roberts, which had organized a steamship service between New York and San Francisco starting in October 1862.
The company was first advertised as the M.O. Roberts Line, later known as the Central American Transit Company, later renamed in the North American Steamship Company,
In 1864 and 1865 the GOLDEN RULE made monthly sailings from New York to San Juan, Nicaragua until she was wrecked on the Roncador Reef on 30 May 1865 in route from New York to San Juan, Nicaragua.
She was the only Panama steamer what was lost on the Atlantic leg. She struck in the early morning of 30 May the reef and within thirty minutes the ship had bilged.
All of the passengers and about half of the baggage and stores were saved by transfer to a small island nearby.
Two gunboats from Aspinwall arrived on 09 June taking off all passengers after ten days on the island.
Nicaragua 1990 10,000 cor sg?, scott1785
Info received from Mr. Kevin J. Foster.
Her loss is given in the New York Times see http://www.nytimes.com/1865/06/25/news/ ... ieces.html