The Valencia - A Steamship of the American Revolution

The mid 18 hundred saw the rise of the steel industry in america. Steel could be manufactured and delivered locally, then used to construct steamers that were the life blood of late nineteenth century life. The valencia was built before complex bulkheads and hull compartments. It spent the first decade and a half running passengers between new york city and carancas, venezuela. Blinded by the weather and faulty guesswork, the valencia struck a reef just 50 feet from shore near pacina point on the southwest side of vancouver island.