New York Times - Oct 06, 1851 p. 1                                                  Prometheus was Panama Route steamer owned by Cornelius Vanderbilt

Arrival of the Prometheus

     The steamship Prometheus, Capt. Henry Churchill, arrived at this port, on Saturday after noon, from San Juan de Nicaragua, with news from California to the 6th September, the passage having been made from California, over the Nicaragua route, in the unparalleled short time of twenty-eight days.
     The Prometheus brings 465 passengers, and $123,000 gold dust on freight, besides a large amount in the hands of the passengers. The following is her specie list:
Thompson & Hitchcock, $100,000, C. Vanderbilt, $20,000 ; A.M.C. Wood, $700 ; M. Echererrin, $976 ; George Merrett, $596 ; C. Durand, $800. — Total, $123, 072.
     It will be borne in mind that the great bulk of specie comes by the Panama route, at present, and will probably arrive via Havana, to-day or to-morrow.
     By this arrival we have San Francisco dates to the 6th ult., or twenty-one days later than those heretofore received. We are indebted to R. Lord, the gentlemanly Purser of the Prometheus, Thompson & Hitchcock, of Gregory's Express, and to Adams & Co., for memoranda, letters and late papers promptly furnished.
     The Prometheus brings intelligence of the burning of the steamship Lafayette on the 11th ult. She left this port on the 28th August, for San Juan and Chagres. The fire occurred while she was laying at the latter port, and she burned to the water's edge. She had arrived there a few days previous, and had taken on board a few passengers to return, some of whom—such was the rapidity with which the flames spread—saved nothing but the clothes on their backs ; but no lives were lost. The fire is said to have occurred from a quantity of camphene shipped by Palmer's Express. The Lafayette was under the command of Capt. Stoddard, late of the Crescent City, and was a new ship. She had only made a voyage to Europe previous to this, her first trip to Chagres.
     The Prometheus arrived at San Juan, on her outward passage, on the 21st September, and had left on the 26th for this port.
     The steamship Pacific, Capt. Baily, arrived at San Juan del Sud on September 20th, with 220 passengers, and $100,000 in gold dust on freight, having left San Francisco on the 6th September.
     The steamship North America, left San Juan del Sud on September 20th, with 250 passengers, for San Francisco.
     The steamship Gold Hunter, left San Juan del Sud on September 21st, for San Francisco.
     The steamship Monumental City, left September 21st, for Reaeljo, thence to Panama.
     The steamship Tennessee, left San Francisco on September 1st, for Panama. with the mails and one million and seven hundred thousand dollars in gold dust, of which amounts annexed were sent by the following firms:— (list omitted here)

The following is the (full) List of Passengers by the Prometheus:—

The clipper ship Flying Cloud, the largest American merchantman ever launched, astonished the people of San Francisco, by entering their harbor on the 20th August, after the unprecedentedly short passage of eighty days* from this port. Several trips have been, by our California clippers, sufficiently extraordinary to excite the admiration and surprise of the world ; but the passage in sixteen days less time than it was ever before accomplished in by any sailing vessel ! She was built by Mr. Donald McKay, of east Boston, is owned by Messrs. Grinnell, Minturn & Co., of this city, and commanded by Capt. Cressey. She made Cape Horn in 50 days, and the line (Pacific side) in 71 days. her run from Cape Horn to San Francisco was made in 39 days. her best run in 24 hours was 374 miles—the greatest run ever made by a sea-going vessel—averaging 15¾ miles per hour. While making this run, she was carrying top-gallant sails, with the wind one point forward of the beam. She ran in three days 992 miles ! On one occasion, during a squall, 17 knots of line were found insufficient to measure her speed ; 40 miles was her shortest run in 24 hours. When ten days out, she sprung her mainmast head, rendering the mast very tender the rest of the voyage. (*passage time New York to San Francisco was 89 days)

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