150th anniversary of SS Japan fire, sinking: Steamship brought Chinese emigrants to Placer County

An important anniversary occurred on Dec. 17, the 150th anniversary of the loss of the Pacific Mail Steamship SS Japan off China. The SS Japan was one of the trans-Pacific steamers authorized by President Abraham Lincoln in February 1865 and commenced steamer service to China from San Francisco in 1868. At the urging of Charles Crocker and Leland Stanford, she was one of the ships that brought thousands of Chinese emigrants in 1868 to help build the Central Pacific railroad through Placer County and over the Sierra Nevada mountains. The ship was on her 25th voyage back to China with more than 400 Chinese emigrants returning home from more than three years in California. She left San Francisco on Nov. 14, 1874, and made it to Yokohama, Japan, to take on coal. Just before midnight on Dec. 17, the coal created a spontaneous fire deep in the hull of the ship and she burned to the waterline in 45 minutes and sank with the greatest loss of Chinese emigrant life in Chinese and American history. More than 130 passengers and crew survived and took five lifeboats to Hong Kong. The story of the final tragic voyage can be found at www.southchinavoices.com. We remember those emigrants for their contributions in building the railroad through Auburn, Placer County and for their contributions to building California. Some of those emigrants remain in California in Auburn's historic Chinese cemetery. There is a strong reverence for this history in Auburn. For those who would like to help with the restoration efforts of the cemetery, contact Mike Holmes, Auburn City Councilman.