Table of Contents
THE SANCHEZ FILE, Chapter Six
The Alta California
April 12, 1853
San Francisco
AWFUL STEAMBOAT EXPLOSION!
EIGHTEEN LIVES LOST!
THIRTY PERSONS BADLY SCALDED!
We are again called upon to record one of those awful
catastrophes, incidental to steam navigation carrying distress and dismay
to the survivor's and death and deformity to the sufferers. Yesterday,
at about 12 1/2 o'clock as the steamboat Jenny Lind was on her passage
to this city from Alviso, just as she got abreast of the Pulgas rancho,
the plate on the afterward of her boiler blew out, sweeping away, in its
course, and followed by the whole body of steam, the cabin bulkhead head
and the exhaustion pipe of the engine. The Jenny Lind was running at her
usual rate of speed when the accident occurred.
The terrible loss of life is owing to the fact that the
major part of the passengers had just sat down to dinner, and were in a
direct line with the boiler when the explosion occurred and the cabin bulk-head
blows through. The whole number of scalded, as far as has been ascertained,
amounts to fifty persons in all. There were at the time eight ladies on
board, nearly all of whom were at table and are among the sufferers, and
we are sorry to add, that all are
either dead or probably will die..
As soon as word was received in San Francisco of the tragedy,
two boats were sent to aid the wounded. They were brought to the city on
the steamer Union.
Bancroft cites many incidents of steamship disasters caused
either by incompetent or inexperienced engineers. Boilers were overheated
by vessels trying to race each other, or the desire of captains to achieve
a record run between Alviso and San Francisco.
Today there is no trace of Alviso's glorious days of steam
boating.
There had been so many maritime accidents around San Francisco
that the book, Annals of San Francisco, published a year after the Jenny
Lind tragedy commented, "there seemed to be a kind of fatality attending
the passenger steamers connected with our port."
This was probably one of the first statements attributing
a mystique to San Francisco that persists today.
The Alta California
April 18, 1853
San Francisco
DIED in this city, April 17, from injuries received on
board the steamer Jenny Lind, Thomas Godden of San Jose.
The Alta California story confirms that Godden had not died
in the explosion of the Jenny Lind, as other accounts of the Sanchez affair
have claimed, but had been critically injured and taken to San Francisco.
Godden died alone without his wife Encarnacion to comfort
him. She may not have known he was on the Jenny Lind and by the time the
news reached San Juan he was probably already dead.
A Doctor Aldrich submitted a bill to Godden's estate for
$300 for taking care of Godden from April 11th to the 17th. There
was little Aldrich could have done to save him from the scalding he had
suffered in the explosion.
Eight days after Godden's death, a probate was opened
in Monterey County by Encarnacion de Sanchez de Godden on her second husband's
death. She requested that Samuel Head, administrator of the Sanchez estate
be appointed to the same post for Godden. Encarnacion was in the unusual
position of probating the estates of two husbands who had died within four
months of each other. When he wasn't hearing the Sanchez probate, Judge
Merritt was hearing that of Godden's. Head told the judge that Godden was
a resident of Monterey County who had "departed this life" on the seventeenth
day of April 1853.
Then for some reason no further action was taken in Monterey
County on Godden's probate and the file was closed. Two months later a
new probate was opened for Godden in Santa Clara County . Unlike the Monterey
County case this one has no mention of Encarnacion as his wife. There is
nothing in the Godden file that shows where he was buried.
In 1853, burials were still taking place at the Yerba
Buena Cemetery, until recently the site of San Francisco's main library
at McAllister and Larkin.
Godden may have been buried there.
A year later the city was crowding in on the Yerba Buena
Cemetery and it was closed. The coffins were taken miles away to the newly
established Laurel Hill Cemetery amid the fog swept sand dunes of aptly
named Lone Mountain; a cold and desolate place. The city fathers were sure
San Francisco would never grow out that far.
By 1937 San Francisco had long engulfed Laurel Hill and
three other cemeteries nearby. The voters approved the closure of these
cemeteries and coffins were moved to San Mateo County at the rate of 2,000
a month.
The location of Godden's final resting place will probably
never be known.
Henry L. Sanford
May 23, 1853
One month after Godden’s death, Encarnacion renewed her
acquaintance with another American. She had first seen Dr. Henry L. Sanford
in 1851 when he and a partner leased some land from Sanchez to start a
dairy. Now she looked to him for help. Sanford went to the Santa
Clara County courthouse in San Jose and filed a petition to become guardian
of the five Sanchez children. He said he would see to their education and
proper training and protect their interests in the settlement of their
deceased father's estate.
Sanford's petition was not approved because the court
ruled the Sanchez family did not live in Santa Clara County. Although their
largest rancho, Las Animas, was in that county, their home was across the
Pajaro River in Monterey County. Sanford did not file a similar petition
in Monterey county.
Although he would not be their legal guardian he became
their step-father. In June, 1853 he and Encarnacion Sanchez-Godden were
married. Godden had been dead only two months. He was her third husband.
She and Sanford would have one child, a daughter Fidella born the next
year.
Because she had remarried, Encarnacion could not remain
guardian of the Sanchez children and the probate court would name one.
The first person to apply for the position was the administrator of the
estate Samuel Head.
In March, Head had claimed the value of the Sanchez estate
would not exceed $50 thousand. On May 23, 1853 he submitted a revised inventory
showing the estate was worth over $300 thousand, six times his original
estimate.
Head also reported that a flat boat found sunk in the
Pajaro River had been raised and was now laying upon the bank of the river.
This is additional evidence that Sanchez had drowned when the flat-boat
ferry was
struck by a large tree trunk.
During winter rains the Pajaro river ran deep and there
was
a strong current. The boat had sunk and remained hidden.
In summer the river began to dry up and the boat was exposed. It was dragged
up on the bank and found damaged, probably from being rammed by the tree
trunk.
One day Head made an unusual discovery. In going through
the house with
Encarnacion he discovered $13,500. He gave the money
to her and made out a receipt, which she marked with her X, acknowledging
that she was accountable for it.
Roach Makes His Move
May 27, 1853
Learning that the estate was worth $300 thousand alarmed
Sheriff Roach. He knew what Head was up to. If he became guardian of the
children, as well as administrator, he would control of the Sanchez estate.
So far Roach had been a bystander in the probate, doing
nothing but posting notices and issuing subpoenas for which he received
fees ranging from six to thirteen dollars.
Four days after Head petitioned the judge to be named
guardian of the children, Roach told Merritt he wanted the job. In his
formal petition Roach claimed that Encarnacion Sanford and other members
of the family had asked for his appointment. This was later denied by the
family.
The judge told him that he could not be appointed the
guardian and remain sheriff. Roach knew his opportunities were better as
guardian than sheriff and resigned. He appointed his deputy, Aaron Lyons,
to be sheriff. Roach would still have influence.
Roach became the guardian of four of the five Sanchez
children: Refugia, eleven; Candelaria, nine, and the twins, Jose Gregorio
and Guadalupe, seven. Under the law, Vicenta, who was fourteen could select
her own guardian and Judge Merritt told her to submit her choice within
10 days. For some reason she never did and Roach was named her guardian
as well. He was required to give a bond of $15 thousand for each child.
With the appointment of Roach the $300 thousand Sanchez
empire was under the control of three men.
The first was Administrator Samuel Head, who would manage
the estate. He could sell the cattle and other livestock; hire and fire
workmen; make repairs to the buildings; buy supplies, and authorize the
payment of claims. He would decide which claims were justified and the
amount to be paid. He gave the widow Sanchez an allowance.
As administrator Head would travel a lot and stay in hotels
in Monterey and San Francisco at the expense of the estate. He also
had his own living quarters at the Sanchez rancho. His commission would
be based on the value of the estate.
The second man was ex-sheriff William Roach. As guardian
of the five Sanchez children he also could sell the assets of the estate
to support, clothe, feed, and educate the heirs in the manner he deemed
fitting. The youngest children, the twins, were only seven years old, so
Roach knew his guardianship would last for years. Roach was starting the
most important role of his young life; he was only 33 years old.
Born in County Wexford, Ireland, he had emigrated to the
United States in 1830 and for a few years worked on Mississippi steamboats
before joining the New York Volunteers. He was married to Margaret McMahon,
the sister of an old friend, Jerry McMahon.
The third man, probate judge Josiah Merritt, had the ultimate
power. Neither Head or Roach could do anything without his approval. Merritt
would decide what property each man could sell and which claims against
the estate would be paid. Encarnacion Sanchez and her husband Henry L.
Sanford could file objections to his orders, but Merritt had the final
say
Selling the Assets
April 25, 1853
Administrator Head opened the court proceedings with an
appeal to Merritt for the sale of personal property of the estate. He claimed
he had only $50 on hand and that creditors had submitted bills amounting
to $15 thousand.
He presented them to the court:
From Auzerais and Company, the noted San Jose merchants,
a bill for supplies sold to the rancho. This is listed in full as an indication
of prices in 1853:
1500 lbs of flour
@ .08 120.00
100 lbs of sugar
@ .12 12.00
75 lbs of coffee
@ .20 15.00
5 bags of salt
@ 1.00 5.00
1 doz tin plates
2.50
2 sets knives and forks
4.00
1 1/2 doz. tin cups
@ 4.50 $163.00
The company had attached the following note to their bill:
Gentlemen: We received yours of the 23rd with two boxes
of cigaritos, but we could not sell them and we hold them for your account.
The Sanchez rancho raised tobacco and Head put some cigars
on consignment with the Auzerais store but they could not be sold. Tobacco
growing was not a great success in Monterey County.
Head also listed claims from employees of the rancho.
The first man was Jesus Figuroa, the majordomo, or supervisor.
He claimed he was owed $18,576.66 on his contract, an unusually large amount.
Figuroa was the person responsible for the entire operation of the rancho.
He had received his daily orders directly from Sanchez,
and now worked for the administrator Head. The amount included $10 thousand
as damages. Figuroa claimed that Sanchez was going to renew his contract
just before his death but Head refused to honor it.
In another claim William Harris asked for $25 for working
on the bridge across the Pajaro River; it appears that at long last the
ferry was to be abandoned. The ferry had been started in 1851 by Jesse
Smith, the same Smith who served briefly as administrator of the estate.
He later sold the ferry property to Joseph R. Beals.
The rancho supplied various items to its workers and then
deducted the amount from their pay. Administrator Head in balancing the
accounts, occasionally found errors.
Jesse Overton, the carpenter, claimed $2,310 for work
done on the Rancho de Sanchez: he had built four panel doors, put on a
new roof, (this was the work done just before the rains of December, 1852.)
Overton also laid a new kitchen floor, weather-boarded the house, and installed
a slop stand and pipe.
Overton was another man who liked to drink and this caused
him problems with the administrator. The subject came up when one of the
other workers, John Tuttle, answered questions at a court hearing:
Q. Did you or not ever hear S. C. Head
say anything as to having proved accounts against Overton and in favor
of the Estate, which more than balanced Overton's accounts against the
Estate, and if so what was said on the subject?
Attorney Ashley representing Head objected to the question
but was overruled.
A. Capt. Head came into the blacksmith
shop on the ranch about a year ago, I think in July or August. He asked
me where Jesse Overton was. I told him he was in San Juan. He said, "I
suppose he is drunk again. He had better be careful or he will get nothing
from the Estate as it lays in my power whether he gets anything or not.
I have found bills in the house that overbalanced his accounts against
the Estate.
There is an interesting claim by Dr. F.A. MacDougall for
$41.00 for medical
services provided the Sanchez family in 1852. In April
of that year he was called to provide medical attention to Encarnacion
Sanchez, after she dropped her divorce action, and for surgery to Pedro,
the Indian, who had been shot. His bill was $20. It is this bill that proved
Encarnacion had dropped her divorce action against Sanchez and returned
to the rancho.
The first property of the estate that Head wanted to sell
were 200 head of cattle. If they were not sold immediately, squatters would
kill them one by one. Permission was granted along with the sale of some
hogs, wool and cheese. A few months later Head filed a petition to sell
another 350 head of cattle. This was also granted and the two sales realized
$39 thousand. Head now had enough cash to pay the debts of the estate.
The family believed the probate could now be closed and
the assets distributed to them. They were mistaken.
Chapter Seven