1 00:00:07,441 --> 00:00:09,441 Narrator: Gold fever. 2 00:00:10,711 --> 00:00:13,145 Builds fortunes. 3 00:00:13,447 --> 00:00:15,948 And destroys lives. 4 00:00:16,050 --> 00:00:18,434 John: If you're the first in you make a fortune. 5 00:00:19,136 --> 00:00:22,071 If you're the last in you lose all your money. 6 00:00:22,573 --> 00:00:25,674 Narrator: A century later, the hidden story of the gold rush 7 00:00:25,776 --> 00:00:28,777 Lies deep below the rivers, lakes 8 00:00:28,879 --> 00:00:31,814 And even the streets of the american west. 9 00:00:35,036 --> 00:00:38,470 Imagine if we could empty the oceans, 10 00:00:38,572 --> 00:00:41,273 Letting the water drain away, 11 00:00:41,742 --> 00:00:44,910 To reveal the secrets of the sea floor. 12 00:00:46,714 --> 00:00:49,615 Now, we can. 13 00:00:49,850 --> 00:00:53,936 Using accurate data, and astonishing technology, 14 00:00:55,039 --> 00:00:58,807 To bring light once again into a lost world. 15 00:01:04,648 --> 00:01:06,865 What can a mystery shipwreck tell us about 16 00:01:06,967 --> 00:01:09,935 The deadly perils of the gold rush. 17 00:01:10,571 --> 00:01:14,039 Lindsey: About 100,000 people set off and only about 30,000 made it. 18 00:01:14,708 --> 00:01:18,844 Narrator: When being first is everything, is any risk worth taking? 19 00:01:19,413 --> 00:01:21,180 Robert: He was asked, "do you wanna slow down?" 20 00:01:21,282 --> 00:01:23,899 And he's like, "no, let her rip." 21 00:01:24,001 --> 00:01:26,268 Narrator: And what extraordinary secret lies 22 00:01:26,370 --> 00:01:29,571 Buried beneath one of america's greatest cities. 23 00:01:30,207 --> 00:01:32,608 Deborah: There could be as many as 100 vessels buried 24 00:01:32,710 --> 00:01:35,210 Under the streets of san francisco. 25 00:01:35,946 --> 00:01:42,101 (theme music plays). 26 00:01:47,274 --> 00:01:50,142 Narrator: This is gold country. 27 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:56,782 The rugged north west of the american continent. 28 00:01:58,819 --> 00:02:03,472 An epic landscape that's home to a truly epic story. 29 00:02:06,544 --> 00:02:10,546 James: The quest for gold has been the defining aspect of world history. 30 00:02:11,849 --> 00:02:14,666 Great movements of people, 31 00:02:14,768 --> 00:02:18,670 The rise of new states, of new cities, of new nations. 32 00:02:20,541 --> 00:02:23,942 We can't under estimate the power of the gold rush. 33 00:02:28,449 --> 00:02:32,734 Narrator: Throughout the 19th century hundreds of thousands of fortune hunters 34 00:02:32,837 --> 00:02:35,771 Raced to the gold fields of north america, 35 00:02:37,374 --> 00:02:41,410 Knowing that just a few nuggets can transform their lives. 36 00:02:44,682 --> 00:02:49,668 In 1896, the most extraordinary rush of them all starts here. 37 00:02:51,839 --> 00:02:53,839 In the klondike. 38 00:02:53,941 --> 00:02:57,075 Deep in yukon territory, northern canada. 39 00:02:58,479 --> 00:03:01,980 One of the most remote places on earth. 40 00:03:03,117 --> 00:03:07,069 At the heart of the region, sits lake laberge. 41 00:03:12,409 --> 00:03:16,478 And in the lake, a gold rush mystery. 42 00:03:27,074 --> 00:03:30,542 An international team of maritime archaeologists 43 00:03:30,644 --> 00:03:34,346 Have come here to investigate the klondike gold rush. 44 00:03:42,439 --> 00:03:48,076 Even in the height of summer the waters of lake laberge are dangerously cold. 45 00:03:50,648 --> 00:03:54,433 Lindsey: You only have about 30 to 40 minutes in the water before you freeze to death. 46 00:03:57,037 --> 00:04:00,372 Narrator: But the team is willing to take the risk because of what's lying 47 00:04:00,541 --> 00:04:02,441 On the bottom of the lake. 48 00:04:07,581 --> 00:04:11,867 Lindsey: As you swim toward the wreck it comes at you out of this brilliant green, 49 00:04:13,270 --> 00:04:15,304 Like a ghost ship. 50 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:19,741 Like it just is waiting for you. 51 00:04:21,178 --> 00:04:23,211 Narrator: It's clearly a ship. 52 00:04:23,314 --> 00:04:26,715 But like no other ever found in the yukon. 53 00:04:29,270 --> 00:04:33,272 In their short time underwater, the team record glimpses of the wreck. 54 00:04:34,608 --> 00:04:37,943 They want to know what it's doing here. 55 00:04:40,047 --> 00:04:44,566 To understand more, we can turn to high resolution scans and data mapping. 56 00:04:46,470 --> 00:04:50,405 Use powerful computer software. 57 00:04:52,376 --> 00:04:57,145 Empty lake laberge and reveal a remarkable sight. 58 00:05:04,204 --> 00:05:08,674 Exposed to the light of day for the first time in over 100 years, 59 00:05:08,776 --> 00:05:13,211 A complete 19th century steamer. 60 00:05:18,502 --> 00:05:23,105 Perfectly preserved, right down to the logs in its boiler. 61 00:05:25,242 --> 00:05:29,811 But with its open decks, it seems more suited to the sub-tropical mississippi 62 00:05:29,913 --> 00:05:33,482 Than the frozen wastes of northern canada. 63 00:05:34,268 --> 00:05:37,536 So what's it doing here? 64 00:05:40,774 --> 00:05:44,009 Delving into historical records, the team pieces together 65 00:05:44,111 --> 00:05:47,946 A story that starts in the summer of 1896. 66 00:05:49,283 --> 00:05:52,768 Prospectors explore deep in the yukon valley. 67 00:05:54,004 --> 00:05:58,306 In a tributary of the klondike river, native american skookum jim mason 68 00:05:58,409 --> 00:06:02,177 And his partners are panning for gold. 69 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:06,681 They find so much they rename the place bonanza creek. 70 00:06:07,568 --> 00:06:10,836 James: The klondike discovery of gold in canada's yukon, 71 00:06:10,938 --> 00:06:13,638 Couldn't have happened in a more inopportune place. 72 00:06:13,741 --> 00:06:17,542 It's very much out of the way and it's also sub-arctic, 73 00:06:18,045 --> 00:06:23,682 So it gets very cold, very, very cold. 74 00:06:27,071 --> 00:06:32,841 Narrator: More prospectors strike it rich and soon, word spreads, like wildfire. 75 00:06:39,716 --> 00:06:43,502 By the summer of 1897, fortune hunters jostle for 76 00:06:43,604 --> 00:06:47,005 Places on ships heading north from seattle. 77 00:06:48,842 --> 00:06:53,211 100,000 people are trying to reach the klondike. 78 00:06:57,601 --> 00:07:01,436 Before them an epic challenge. 79 00:07:02,339 --> 00:07:08,543 First, a voyage to alaska, then over land to the head waters of the yukon river, 80 00:07:09,213 --> 00:07:13,999 The jumping off point for a perilous journey downstream to the gold fields. 81 00:07:17,538 --> 00:07:22,574 And simply to reach the head waters they have to cross a huge mountain range. 82 00:07:24,144 --> 00:07:27,913 The quickest way through is also the hardest. 83 00:07:30,501 --> 00:07:33,768 John: The chilkoot trail was the shortest land route 84 00:07:33,871 --> 00:07:35,804 Into the head waters of the yukon river. 85 00:07:35,906 --> 00:07:39,608 But the problem of getting into those head waters was that 3600 foot pass. 86 00:07:40,110 --> 00:07:43,578 And the last four miles was at a 35 degree slope. 87 00:07:48,569 --> 00:07:53,138 Narrator: By the time the army of prospectors arrives, it's deep winter, 88 00:07:54,074 --> 00:07:57,008 With temperatures down to minus 40. 89 00:08:02,416 --> 00:08:03,782 Lindsey: Many people couldn't make it. 90 00:08:03,884 --> 00:08:05,634 You would pass out from exhaustion. 91 00:08:05,736 --> 00:08:07,636 Be unable to continue. 92 00:08:07,738 --> 00:08:10,071 Countless numbers turned back at that point. 93 00:08:10,174 --> 00:08:12,707 They just were unable to keep going. 94 00:08:13,944 --> 00:08:18,346 Narrator: Those that do reach the river are still 300 miles from the gold. 95 00:08:20,767 --> 00:08:24,035 And the yukon is frozen solid. 96 00:08:25,939 --> 00:08:30,609 They spend the rest of the winter chopping down trees and building makeshift boats. 97 00:08:34,815 --> 00:08:37,666 Lindsey: Many of who were building boats had no experience at all 98 00:08:37,768 --> 00:08:41,403 And so they actually would call these boats coffin boats. 99 00:08:41,505 --> 00:08:44,739 These rough structures that were meant to pass through these incredible rapids and 100 00:08:44,841 --> 00:08:46,908 Even the deep water lake. 101 00:08:47,010 --> 00:08:50,745 And so many of them, you would die in that boat. 102 00:08:52,916 --> 00:08:55,700 Narrator: One thing is clear. 103 00:08:55,802 --> 00:09:02,107 In the yukon of late 1897, the key to striking it rich is transport. 104 00:09:06,980 --> 00:09:10,799 Which casts new light on the mystery wreck. 105 00:09:11,435 --> 00:09:13,735 It's definitely not a coffin boat. 106 00:09:17,774 --> 00:09:21,910 Where they use oars, this has a paddle wheel. 107 00:09:23,914 --> 00:09:28,233 Where they use sails and muscle power, this has a boiler. 108 00:09:30,103 --> 00:09:35,473 And where they are made of wood and nails, this has iron plates and rivets. 109 00:09:42,649 --> 00:09:48,837 Faster and stronger than any wooden rival, a gold prospector's dream. 110 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:53,959 John: It's the old rule that if you're the first in you make a fortune. 111 00:09:54,044 --> 00:09:57,345 If you're second in you maybe break even, 112 00:09:57,447 --> 00:10:00,315 And if you're the third in you lose all your money. 113 00:10:01,201 --> 00:10:06,938 Narrator: A key question remains, how could a heavy metal ship have gotten here? 114 00:10:08,809 --> 00:10:12,911 Across some of the most unforgiving terrain on the planet. 115 00:10:13,747 --> 00:10:17,248 And with no obvious river route to the coast. 116 00:10:18,602 --> 00:10:22,637 The answer lies in the drained wreck itself. 117 00:10:23,974 --> 00:10:28,610 The sheets of metal which make up the hull are crudely riveted and bolted together. 118 00:10:29,846 --> 00:10:33,782 The boiler is unusually small for a steam ship. 119 00:10:34,968 --> 00:10:41,072 In fact, every part of the steamer is small, light and crucially, portable. 120 00:10:44,378 --> 00:10:46,678 This is its secret. 121 00:10:46,780 --> 00:10:49,414 It doesn't sail here at all. 122 00:10:49,516 --> 00:10:51,966 It is carried. 123 00:10:58,375 --> 00:11:02,744 Its metal hull and engine are hauled over the mountains. 124 00:11:04,681 --> 00:11:07,899 John: The hull was made in san francisco. 125 00:11:08,568 --> 00:11:14,706 They added engine components to it from seattle and then the whole thing was shipped up 126 00:11:14,808 --> 00:11:18,610 In pieces, hauled across the mountain and assembled. 127 00:11:20,247 --> 00:11:22,380 There's nothing like it. 128 00:11:24,067 --> 00:11:26,935 Narrator: The designers of this prefabricated steam ship 129 00:11:27,037 --> 00:11:30,205 Are a remarkable pair of entrepreneurs. 130 00:11:31,074 --> 00:11:34,809 Husband and wife, albert and clara goddard. 131 00:11:35,345 --> 00:11:39,314 James: Goddard realizes the key to opening up the run is to use a modern steamer. 132 00:11:39,950 --> 00:11:41,266 Iron hulled. 133 00:11:41,368 --> 00:11:43,268 Strong and efficient. 134 00:11:43,370 --> 00:11:46,705 What the goddard's come up with is genius. 135 00:11:56,016 --> 00:12:02,337 Narrator: May 1898, an army of gold prospectors jostle for position waiting for 136 00:12:02,439 --> 00:12:07,876 The ice to melt and 7,000 handmade boats stand ready. 137 00:12:10,447 --> 00:12:13,681 James: "the long grip of winter and darkness is coming to an end. 138 00:12:13,784 --> 00:12:18,169 The ice is beginning to crack and groan as the temperatures rise 139 00:12:18,271 --> 00:12:21,806 And everybody's poised and waiting for that moment." 140 00:12:28,682 --> 00:12:32,434 Narrator: Suddenly the way north is open. 141 00:12:34,805 --> 00:12:38,072 The race is on. 142 00:12:40,310 --> 00:12:43,344 Lindsey: There's an incredible scene like rush hour traffic. 143 00:12:44,481 --> 00:12:47,499 With all these ridiculous little boats. 144 00:12:48,502 --> 00:12:52,670 Narrator: And one boat enjoys a huge advantage. 145 00:12:53,673 --> 00:12:57,942 Assembled during the depths of winter, weighing 15 tons, 146 00:12:58,945 --> 00:13:00,645 With a flat bottom 147 00:13:00,814 --> 00:13:04,466 Built to navigate shallow stretches of the yukon river 148 00:13:04,568 --> 00:13:09,437 And named after her designer, the a j goddard. 149 00:13:13,443 --> 00:13:15,810 The prospectors crammed on board paid for 150 00:13:15,912 --> 00:13:18,680 The privilege of getting to the gold fields quickly. 151 00:13:19,649 --> 00:13:23,168 Piloted by clara goddard herself. 152 00:13:25,405 --> 00:13:28,606 Lindsey: We don't have a written record of what happened, but 22 people 153 00:13:28,708 --> 00:13:32,510 Crowded on to this tiny boat where there's no interior cabin. 154 00:13:33,213 --> 00:13:36,147 There's nowhere to go to get out of the elements. 155 00:13:40,604 --> 00:13:43,304 Narrator: Steaming ahead at a steady six knots, 156 00:13:43,373 --> 00:13:46,908 She leaves the makeshift coffin boats in her wake. 157 00:13:47,611 --> 00:13:51,646 But downstream lies the fearsome white horse rapids. 158 00:13:53,316 --> 00:13:57,335 Three miles of raging rock strewn waters. 159 00:13:58,738 --> 00:14:02,240 Unknown numbers of people lose their lives here. 160 00:14:06,146 --> 00:14:10,782 But the goddard's flat bottom design helps them navigate through the rapids with ease. 161 00:14:11,835 --> 00:14:16,504 And after just five days, she arrives in the boom town of dawson, 162 00:14:17,007 --> 00:14:19,407 Gateway to the gold fields. 163 00:14:20,243 --> 00:14:24,012 Lindsey: As the goddard steams into dawson city it was met with cheers from 164 00:14:24,114 --> 00:14:28,032 The towns people, who had never seen such a boat come into the town before. 165 00:14:28,602 --> 00:14:30,835 It was quite a reception. 166 00:14:30,937 --> 00:14:33,037 Narrator: It's a huge success. 167 00:14:33,139 --> 00:14:35,840 Now albert and clara plan to make their fortune 168 00:14:35,942 --> 00:14:38,943 Running prospectors back and forth to dawson. 169 00:14:39,813 --> 00:14:42,847 But the goddard never makes the trip again. 170 00:14:42,949 --> 00:14:44,966 What goes wrong? 171 00:14:54,978 --> 00:14:57,545 Narrator: Archaeologists want to know why the a j goddard 172 00:14:57,647 --> 00:15:00,815 Never travels to the klondike gold fields again 173 00:15:01,334 --> 00:15:05,470 And today lies at the bottom of lake laberge. 174 00:15:10,176 --> 00:15:14,479 Now drained, the wreck seems to be in perfect repair. 175 00:15:16,283 --> 00:15:20,735 But accounts from the late 19th century reveal an issue 176 00:15:20,837 --> 00:15:24,706 That albert and clara goddard hadn't thought through. 177 00:15:25,875 --> 00:15:28,343 Gravity. 178 00:15:29,312 --> 00:15:32,080 Lindsey: When they were going to the gold fields, they were going with the rapids, 179 00:15:32,182 --> 00:15:34,548 They were going down river. 180 00:15:34,650 --> 00:15:38,369 Now when they're returning, they're having to go up river past some really strong water. 181 00:15:39,806 --> 00:15:42,607 The goddard wasn't built for that. 182 00:15:43,343 --> 00:15:46,077 Narrator: The goddard's boiler is small. 183 00:15:46,179 --> 00:15:49,113 Small enough to be carried over a mountain. 184 00:15:50,383 --> 00:15:55,136 But too small to generate the power needed to plough upstream through the mighty 185 00:15:55,238 --> 00:15:57,171 White horse rapids. 186 00:15:57,273 --> 00:16:00,475 The goddard's have miscalculated. 187 00:16:00,644 --> 00:16:02,810 Lindsey: At some points they had to tie ropes to the boat 188 00:16:02,912 --> 00:16:05,346 And pull it through the more difficult sections. 189 00:16:07,250 --> 00:16:10,835 Narrator: The goddard never attempts the run to dawson again. 190 00:16:11,972 --> 00:16:15,807 Her days of transporting high paying prospectors are over. 191 00:16:15,909 --> 00:16:19,127 Before they ever really begin. 192 00:16:22,716 --> 00:16:27,902 Instead she becomes a humble ferry boat, here on lake laberge, 193 00:16:29,105 --> 00:16:31,472 Where she spends the next three years 194 00:16:31,574 --> 00:16:35,576 Carrying supplies for prospectors back and forth across the lake. 195 00:16:37,681 --> 00:16:39,681 There's a final question. 196 00:16:39,783 --> 00:16:43,034 Why does she now lie on the bottom? 197 00:16:43,703 --> 00:16:47,071 There's no sign of damage on the wreck itself. 198 00:16:48,274 --> 00:16:54,445 But in October 1901, lake laberge is hit by the worst storm of the year. 199 00:17:05,542 --> 00:17:10,311 The goddard's are working the lake, carrying four crew and one passenger, 200 00:17:11,848 --> 00:17:15,767 Suddenly she's surrounded by a mass of churning waves. 201 00:17:17,337 --> 00:17:19,670 John: You're used to seeing ocean storms with these mountainous waves, 202 00:17:19,773 --> 00:17:21,973 And they're very high. 203 00:17:22,709 --> 00:17:27,245 You don't get waves like that on lakes, they often, at maximum 6 to 8 feet high. 204 00:17:29,516 --> 00:17:34,168 But where their danger is, is they're much closer together and they're much steeper. 205 00:17:38,341 --> 00:17:42,510 Narrator: Waves crash on deck and water fills the firebox, 206 00:17:42,879 --> 00:17:45,313 Leaving the goddard powerless. 207 00:17:48,234 --> 00:17:51,302 She drifts carried by the storm. 208 00:17:54,974 --> 00:17:58,342 Lindsey: Finally, enough water floods into the hull, going through the hatches, 209 00:17:58,445 --> 00:18:01,846 That it just weighs too much and it sinks to the bottom. 210 00:18:11,808 --> 00:18:14,809 Narrator: Two men somehow make it to the shore. 211 00:18:14,911 --> 00:18:17,011 But three drown. 212 00:18:23,736 --> 00:18:27,271 The goddard still lies at the bottom of the lake. 213 00:18:27,373 --> 00:18:30,541 A telling example of the hope, the ingenuity, 214 00:18:30,643 --> 00:18:33,211 But also the disappointment 215 00:18:33,313 --> 00:18:36,514 At the heart of so many gold rush stories. 216 00:18:38,768 --> 00:18:42,770 Lindsey: About 100,000 people set off for the gold fields and only about 30,000 made it. 217 00:18:44,574 --> 00:18:48,242 For those who got there, the best claims were already staked, 218 00:18:48,344 --> 00:18:51,779 So they arrived and everything was taken. 219 00:18:53,616 --> 00:18:58,736 Narrator: Gold to the value of nearly $900 million in today's prices is unearthed 220 00:18:58,872 --> 00:19:02,406 In the three years of the klondike rush. 221 00:19:04,077 --> 00:19:08,546 But fewer than 4,000 prospectors ever find any. 222 00:19:09,983 --> 00:19:14,001 And only a few hundred make big money. 223 00:19:15,872 --> 00:19:19,707 Today, little evidence of those dramatic days remains. 224 00:19:21,544 --> 00:19:27,014 The yukon is once again a realm of forest, snow and ice. 225 00:19:30,003 --> 00:19:36,040 But 1500 miles to the south, and 50 years earlier, there is another gold rush. 226 00:19:37,043 --> 00:19:41,279 One that changes america and the world forever. 227 00:19:43,750 --> 00:19:47,702 200 years ago, san francisco is a tiny settlement. 228 00:19:52,609 --> 00:19:56,310 James delgado, archaeologist from search incorporated 229 00:19:56,412 --> 00:20:00,414 Wants to know how it turned into the global city it is today. 230 00:20:01,467 --> 00:20:04,769 The key is a single discovery. 231 00:20:07,140 --> 00:20:11,475 Right next to san francisco's iconic trans america pyramid. 232 00:20:12,979 --> 00:20:18,332 Where over 40 years ago, delgado first glimpses something extraordinary. 233 00:20:20,403 --> 00:20:23,838 James: In may 1978 I was standing basically right here, 234 00:20:24,741 --> 00:20:27,875 Looking down at the outline of a ship in the mud 20 feet below me. 235 00:20:31,581 --> 00:20:35,733 Narrator: A wooden ship, right in the heart of the financial district. 236 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:43,774 Buried beneath the streets. 237 00:20:45,578 --> 00:20:48,179 What is it doing here? 238 00:20:48,815 --> 00:20:53,100 To learn more, we can use the latest computer imaging technology. 239 00:20:57,907 --> 00:21:01,943 Stripping away the 21st century surface. 240 00:21:03,947 --> 00:21:08,499 Peeling back 150 years of urban development. 241 00:21:10,737 --> 00:21:15,573 Even draining away the thick layers of silt that lie under the city. 242 00:21:22,115 --> 00:21:28,502 To expose the ghostly outline of a sailing ship from the mid 19th century. 243 00:21:32,041 --> 00:21:35,543 Its name, the niantic. 244 00:21:40,316 --> 00:21:44,035 An ocean-going merchant ship, the workhorse of the seas, 245 00:21:44,137 --> 00:21:48,039 Built to carry cargo from the us to china 246 00:21:48,141 --> 00:21:50,141 And across the world. 247 00:21:50,243 --> 00:21:55,680 So, what's she doing beneath the streets of san francisco? 248 00:22:04,707 --> 00:22:10,277 Narrator: The story of the ship under san francisco starts in January 1848 249 00:22:10,380 --> 00:22:13,581 Amid the foothills of the sierra nevada mountains. 250 00:22:17,804 --> 00:22:23,040 James marshal, a carpenter spots something yellow and shiny in the 251 00:22:23,142 --> 00:22:26,544 Water channel of a saw mill he's building. 252 00:22:27,847 --> 00:22:31,048 James: When asked what it is, he says, "boys, I believe I found me a gold mine." 253 00:22:32,101 --> 00:22:36,203 And in that simple act of plucking a sun struck fleck of gold from that mill race, 254 00:22:36,305 --> 00:22:41,642 James marshal set off one of the most incredible migrations of human kind. 255 00:22:42,678 --> 00:22:44,879 The california gold rush. 256 00:22:46,716 --> 00:22:51,369 Narrator: Over the next decade, 300,000 people will head west. 257 00:22:52,338 --> 00:22:57,908 Ordinary men and women abandon their homes, jobs, farms, and families, 258 00:22:58,444 --> 00:23:01,312 Driven by the chance to find gold. 259 00:23:02,115 --> 00:23:05,132 Richard: People came from England, ireland, France, germany. 260 00:23:05,234 --> 00:23:08,469 In fact, it probably was the first time, on the planet, 261 00:23:08,571 --> 00:23:10,604 That so many people from all over the world 262 00:23:10,706 --> 00:23:13,107 Gathered in one place. 263 00:23:20,216 --> 00:23:22,900 Narrator: The 49ers, as they're called, 264 00:23:23,002 --> 00:23:26,036 Face a huge challenge getting to the gold fields. 265 00:23:26,939 --> 00:23:29,473 Crossing the continent takes months. 266 00:23:29,575 --> 00:23:35,246 They risk starvation, disease or attack by hostile native american tribes. 267 00:23:37,617 --> 00:23:42,303 It's faster by sea and many 49ers head to panama, 268 00:23:44,407 --> 00:23:48,075 Crossing the isthmus through swelteringly hot jungle. 269 00:23:49,745 --> 00:23:52,079 Thousands pay the ultimate price. 270 00:23:53,549 --> 00:23:59,069 James: At one stage, panama city had more dead 49ers 271 00:23:59,172 --> 00:24:02,206 Buried in its soil than it had living panamanians. 272 00:24:05,178 --> 00:24:08,546 Narrator: Those that survive, begin the third leg of their journey, 273 00:24:08,648 --> 00:24:11,499 Sailing north to san francisco. 274 00:24:13,870 --> 00:24:17,571 One of the ships that will make that voyage is the niantic. 275 00:24:18,708 --> 00:24:21,809 Recently converted to carry passengers. 276 00:24:23,146 --> 00:24:26,981 San francisco's marime archives reveal what happened next. 277 00:24:28,117 --> 00:24:30,901 Deborah: This is the niantic log book. 278 00:24:31,904 --> 00:24:33,437 Here. 279 00:24:33,539 --> 00:24:36,173 James: This is like the iconic scene. 280 00:24:36,275 --> 00:24:38,309 Narrator: The skipper, captain henry cleveland, 281 00:24:38,411 --> 00:24:41,512 Crams 249 fortune seekers on board. 282 00:24:42,215 --> 00:24:46,467 Each paying an exorbitant amount of money, desperate to get to california. 283 00:24:47,236 --> 00:24:50,804 James: Here's niantic's passengers coming out in boats to meet the ship. 284 00:24:52,808 --> 00:24:56,877 Deborah: They would have charged around $250, in 1849 prices, 285 00:24:56,979 --> 00:24:59,947 Which today's is about $5,000. 286 00:25:00,116 --> 00:25:02,867 So very much more than the going rate would have cost. 287 00:25:02,969 --> 00:25:05,436 But they had no other option. 288 00:25:06,439 --> 00:25:10,274 Narrator: Niantic arrives in san francisco in July 1849. 289 00:25:11,244 --> 00:25:14,545 Home to just a few thousand traders and sailors. 290 00:25:15,815 --> 00:25:18,899 But her log book reveals that niantic's passengers 291 00:25:19,001 --> 00:25:21,869 Aren't the only ones dreaming of riches. 292 00:25:22,905 --> 00:25:26,473 James: Captain cleaveland holds off anchors and has his passengers ferried ashore 293 00:25:26,576 --> 00:25:28,809 By boat with their baggage. 294 00:25:28,911 --> 00:25:33,280 But he begins to worry, as he should, because gold fever is rampant 295 00:25:33,382 --> 00:25:35,900 And his crew are beginning to mutter. 296 00:25:36,302 --> 00:25:40,004 "baggage ashore, five of the crew deserted." 297 00:25:41,874 --> 00:25:44,775 The last entry here July 12th 1849 is the 298 00:25:44,877 --> 00:25:49,413 Crew is breaking out the last of the run, everything that's stored in the ship. 299 00:25:49,515 --> 00:25:53,634 Narrator: One by one, the crew deserts and heads for the hills. 300 00:25:55,738 --> 00:25:58,606 A week after arriving in san francisco, 301 00:25:58,708 --> 00:26:02,409 The ship sits in the cove almost completely empty. 302 00:26:04,981 --> 00:26:09,833 So why didn't the ship's owners simply hire another crew and sail her away? 303 00:26:13,339 --> 00:26:17,641 The answer to that also lies beneath the streets of san francisco. 304 00:26:20,913 --> 00:26:23,714 Removing yet more tons of ancient silt, 305 00:26:25,701 --> 00:26:29,103 Reveals that niantic is far from alone. 306 00:26:31,474 --> 00:26:35,242 She's just one of a vast fleet of ghost ships, 307 00:26:35,344 --> 00:26:38,946 Lying deep beneath the modern city. 308 00:26:46,138 --> 00:26:49,890 Evidence of an extraordinary story. 309 00:26:51,243 --> 00:26:57,381 James: In 1849 alone, 762 american ships come to san francisco. 310 00:26:58,184 --> 00:27:02,202 Joined by hundreds of others from around the world. 311 00:27:02,305 --> 00:27:06,073 Narrator: Scores of vessels are now moored alongside the niantic, 312 00:27:06,142 --> 00:27:09,109 All bringing prospectors to california. 313 00:27:09,812 --> 00:27:12,946 Deborah: Unfortunately, most of these vessels arrived in san francisco 314 00:27:13,049 --> 00:27:14,398 And their crews deserted. 315 00:27:16,202 --> 00:27:19,169 James: What you find, ultimately, is a scene described by contemporaries 316 00:27:19,271 --> 00:27:24,174 As a forest of masts, with hundreds of these ships sitting there, 317 00:27:24,276 --> 00:27:27,011 With no place to go and nothing to do. 318 00:27:28,681 --> 00:27:33,434 Narrator: And now another astonishing part of the gold rush story comes into play. 319 00:27:35,338 --> 00:27:37,738 In just six months, 320 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:42,976 San francisco's population leaps from 5,000 to 25,000. 321 00:27:46,916 --> 00:27:50,234 The town needs to grow and fast. 322 00:27:52,838 --> 00:27:55,973 Entrepreneurs come up with the perfect solution. 323 00:27:56,075 --> 00:27:59,643 Ships like niantic will become the city. 324 00:28:00,413 --> 00:28:02,079 Deborah: So these savvy businessmen decided, 325 00:28:02,181 --> 00:28:05,165 "we're gonna use these vessels for a new function." 326 00:28:05,267 --> 00:28:07,835 They were hauled ashore and used for store ships. 327 00:28:07,937 --> 00:28:11,638 They were also used for boarding houses, as churches, as offices. 328 00:28:13,209 --> 00:28:18,345 Narrator: Niantic is hauled on to the mud flats and converted into a warehouse. 329 00:28:19,782 --> 00:28:25,302 James: And so it is that getting close to 200 of these ships are converted, 330 00:28:25,404 --> 00:28:29,239 Temporarily or permanently, into floating buildings. 331 00:28:30,676 --> 00:28:35,512 Narrator: Landfill is dumped into the shallow waters of the cove and the city grows. 332 00:28:36,315 --> 00:28:41,769 Soon, it extends around the beached ships, far out into san francisco bay. 333 00:28:42,738 --> 00:28:44,037 Richard: There's construction everywhere. 334 00:28:44,140 --> 00:28:46,140 On the piers. On land. 335 00:28:46,242 --> 00:28:50,077 You can hear the sounds of the city are just a cacophony of construction sounds. 336 00:28:50,613 --> 00:28:53,614 That began at dawn and went into the night. 337 00:28:55,735 --> 00:28:59,636 Narrator: What was once sea, is now the streets and sidewalks 338 00:28:59,739 --> 00:29:02,940 Of san francisco's financial district. 339 00:29:11,517 --> 00:29:13,467 Deborah: There could be as many as 100 vessels 340 00:29:13,569 --> 00:29:16,103 Buried under the streets of san francisco. 341 00:29:16,672 --> 00:29:21,074 Only a small number of those have been found but as new buildings are built and new 342 00:29:21,177 --> 00:29:25,145 Excavations are done, it's likely that we're gonna find more of those. 343 00:29:28,467 --> 00:29:31,902 James: That's why we refer to san francisco's financial district 344 00:29:32,004 --> 00:29:35,105 As a gold rush pompeii. 345 00:29:40,513 --> 00:29:43,747 Narrator: Niantic holds one last surprise. 346 00:29:44,483 --> 00:29:48,836 Found in the wreck is evidence of san francisco's burgeoning wealth. 347 00:29:51,340 --> 00:29:53,474 James: Jacquesson and fils from reims. 348 00:29:53,576 --> 00:29:56,276 A real small vineyard then. 349 00:29:56,378 --> 00:29:58,445 Still a pretty expensive champagne. 350 00:29:58,547 --> 00:29:59,646 They continue to make it. 351 00:29:59,748 --> 00:30:01,615 Woman: Oh, how cool. 352 00:30:03,536 --> 00:30:07,404 Narrator: San francisco isn't the only part of california that's booming. 353 00:30:08,741 --> 00:30:15,112 120 miles away, near the gold fields of the sierra nevada other towns are growing fast. 354 00:30:20,069 --> 00:30:24,705 What can these strange timbers at the bottom of the sacramento river 355 00:30:24,807 --> 00:30:28,442 Tell us of the dark side of the gold rush? 356 00:30:37,970 --> 00:30:42,239 Narrator: Sacramento. State capital of california. 357 00:30:45,110 --> 00:30:49,179 Through the city flows the 400 mile sacramento river. 358 00:30:51,317 --> 00:30:55,402 In 1849, it's the vital artery of the gold rush. 359 00:30:59,408 --> 00:31:01,775 After landing in san francisco, 360 00:31:01,877 --> 00:31:05,345 The 49ers continue their journey to the gold fields inland 361 00:31:05,447 --> 00:31:08,348 By sailing along the river. 362 00:31:19,378 --> 00:31:23,046 Archaeologists discover a wreck on the river bed here. 363 00:31:24,149 --> 00:31:27,200 Right in the heart of the modern city. 364 00:31:28,737 --> 00:31:32,639 James: And in those dives, what we found in the murkiness of the sacramento river, 365 00:31:33,075 --> 00:31:38,211 Was a portion of the hull that broken at its back, or it's keel, lying there, 366 00:31:38,314 --> 00:31:43,133 But with the whole form or the body of the hull itself still there for us to see. 367 00:31:44,837 --> 00:31:47,671 Narrator: Historical research comes up with a name. 368 00:31:47,773 --> 00:31:49,573 Lagrange. 369 00:31:49,675 --> 00:31:53,677 A ship known to have carried prospectors to the city in 1849. 370 00:31:57,549 --> 00:32:01,768 Today, archaeologists return to the river hoping to learn more. 371 00:32:02,304 --> 00:32:04,338 But it's a challenge. 372 00:32:05,674 --> 00:32:08,575 Foster: The sacramento river, it's always carrying silt, 373 00:32:08,677 --> 00:32:10,811 Because it runs down the valley. 374 00:32:10,913 --> 00:32:15,999 So to look for gold rush ships, we need to use a sonar that sees through that 375 00:32:16,101 --> 00:32:19,970 Sediment to see the bones of a gold rush vessel. 376 00:32:21,807 --> 00:32:25,409 Yeah, so it's 1.6 aft, and it's 0.5 starboard. 377 00:32:33,135 --> 00:32:36,069 Narrator: Based on the sonar data from the latest survey, 378 00:32:36,171 --> 00:32:39,606 We can start to drain the water from the river. 379 00:32:43,979 --> 00:32:47,481 To reveal a gold rush wreck. 380 00:32:52,171 --> 00:32:55,939 The partial remains of a ship's hull clearly visible. 381 00:33:05,117 --> 00:33:10,270 Exploring deeper inside, reveals something surprising: 382 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:14,408 Metal ring bolts. 383 00:33:16,445 --> 00:33:20,681 Like those used to restrain captives on a slave ship. 384 00:33:21,283 --> 00:33:24,468 But what would be their purpose in the gold rush? 385 00:33:25,537 --> 00:33:28,638 California is never a slave state. 386 00:33:28,741 --> 00:33:32,609 So the reason for the ring bolts remains unclear. 387 00:33:34,179 --> 00:33:37,948 To understand more, the team delves into lagrange's past. 388 00:33:39,668 --> 00:33:42,035 Man: Okay go ahead. More out that way. 389 00:33:42,137 --> 00:33:43,437 Woman: You see this thing right here? 390 00:33:43,555 --> 00:33:46,306 Man: Yeah. In line. Turn the fish off. 391 00:33:46,408 --> 00:33:49,209 Narrator: They discover she's a sea going barque. 392 00:33:49,311 --> 00:33:52,512 First used to take cargo between new york and savannah. 393 00:33:53,282 --> 00:33:58,935 Then, to cash in on gold fever, she's converted to carry 63 fortune seekers. 394 00:34:01,407 --> 00:34:05,475 In early 1849, she sails from salem, massachusetts, 395 00:34:05,577 --> 00:34:09,012 Arriving in san francisco seven months later. 396 00:34:10,582 --> 00:34:13,533 Then she continues up the sacramento river, 397 00:34:13,635 --> 00:34:16,403 Before docking along the water front. 398 00:34:17,639 --> 00:34:21,708 From here, her passengers travel on to the gold fields on foot. 399 00:34:21,810 --> 00:34:23,910 Man: Follow the shoreline here. 400 00:34:27,583 --> 00:34:30,367 Narrator: But a ship taking prospectors to the gold fields 401 00:34:30,469 --> 00:34:33,403 Wouldn't need restraining bolts. 402 00:34:33,505 --> 00:34:36,173 So, what are they for? 403 00:34:37,709 --> 00:34:41,445 Local archives reveal she spends the last ten years of her life 404 00:34:41,547 --> 00:34:44,681 Simply moored on the river bank. 405 00:34:45,484 --> 00:34:48,735 Did her crew desert to j? 406 00:34:48,837 --> 00:34:51,772 Or is there another explanation? 407 00:34:56,478 --> 00:35:00,647 Gold rush california is a dangerous and violent place. 408 00:35:02,017 --> 00:35:04,901 Deborah: You had people coming from all over the world trying to strike it 409 00:35:05,003 --> 00:35:09,306 Rich and that caused tension because you had people getting in brawls, 410 00:35:09,408 --> 00:35:12,642 People pulling knifes, people pulling guns. 411 00:35:13,745 --> 00:35:18,782 Narrator: Along with theft, assault and murder, there's ethnic tension too. 412 00:35:19,701 --> 00:35:22,669 James: So you have the american mobs assaulting chileans. 413 00:35:22,771 --> 00:35:27,541 Other hispanics sent chinese as well as native indians to clear the land or to send a 414 00:35:27,643 --> 00:35:30,277 Message that you're not welcome. 415 00:35:31,780 --> 00:35:34,548 Narrator: Sacramento needs a solution. 416 00:35:34,650 --> 00:35:40,203 And so lagrange is converted from a sailing ship to become a floating jail house. 417 00:35:41,573 --> 00:35:44,074 James: It's out of town. 418 00:35:44,176 --> 00:35:46,042 It's on the river. 419 00:35:46,145 --> 00:35:48,678 It is controlled and self-contained. 420 00:35:48,780 --> 00:35:52,966 And so, it serves a perfect purpose 421 00:35:53,068 --> 00:35:56,469 As not only a place in which you can incarcerate, 422 00:35:56,572 --> 00:36:00,473 But one which you can completely control and keep inaccessible. 423 00:36:03,679 --> 00:36:06,313 Narrator: Today, the prison ship, lagrange, 424 00:36:06,415 --> 00:36:09,866 Lies beneath layers of silt on the river bed. 425 00:36:10,302 --> 00:36:15,505 And the reason she sinks, casts light on another dark chapter of the gold rush. 426 00:36:18,076 --> 00:36:20,443 James: One of the biggest fears of every gold seeker 427 00:36:20,546 --> 00:36:23,263 Is that everybody else gets to it first. 428 00:36:25,667 --> 00:36:27,767 Narrator: Prospectors take extreme measures 429 00:36:27,870 --> 00:36:30,303 To get their hands on whatever gold is left. 430 00:36:31,473 --> 00:36:35,108 Blasting river beds and cliff faces with high pressure water cannons, 431 00:36:35,210 --> 00:36:37,844 To expose hidden seams. 432 00:36:37,946 --> 00:36:40,347 James: The california landscape in the gold fields 433 00:36:40,449 --> 00:36:43,166 Is dramatically changed forever. 434 00:36:43,268 --> 00:36:47,637 Entire hillsides are washed free of mud and of anything growing on them, 435 00:36:47,739 --> 00:36:49,706 Leaving only barren rock. 436 00:36:50,576 --> 00:36:54,144 Narrator: The mud and uprooted trees flow downstream. 437 00:36:54,246 --> 00:36:57,547 The sacramento becomes ever more clogged with silt. 438 00:36:57,649 --> 00:37:01,434 Over time, it becomes more prone to flooding. 439 00:37:04,106 --> 00:37:08,842 When a huge storm hits the city, la grange is threatened by rising water. 440 00:37:12,814 --> 00:37:15,482 The guards and prisoners manage to escape. 441 00:37:19,438 --> 00:37:23,440 But she sinks to the bottom of the river. 442 00:37:23,542 --> 00:37:29,546 Where today, she still lies, as a reminder that the lust for gold 443 00:37:30,482 --> 00:37:35,101 Led many 49ers not to a fortune, but disgrace. 444 00:37:39,608 --> 00:37:43,710 In california, everything comes back to the gold rush. 445 00:37:46,281 --> 00:37:50,166 Many immigrants stay on, building the great cities of 446 00:37:50,269 --> 00:37:54,571 San francisco, sacramento and stockton. 447 00:37:57,709 --> 00:38:01,411 But others can't get out quick enough. 448 00:38:04,883 --> 00:38:07,434 Off the coast of southern california, 449 00:38:07,536 --> 00:38:10,837 Can the wreck of another great gold rush ship explain 450 00:38:10,939 --> 00:38:14,808 How even those who managed to get rich, 451 00:38:14,910 --> 00:38:18,478 Are always one false step from disaster? 452 00:38:27,973 --> 00:38:33,009 Narrator: Gold isn't just transforming california, by the early 1850s, 453 00:38:33,111 --> 00:38:36,446 Some of those who struck pay dirt are returning home. 454 00:38:38,317 --> 00:38:44,671 To towns and cities back east, to europe, to china. 455 00:38:46,375 --> 00:38:50,694 Gold helps kick start the economy of the entire world. 456 00:38:52,748 --> 00:38:57,400 But those leaving the golden state, put themselves in a new kind of peril. 457 00:39:03,308 --> 00:39:09,379 On December 1st 1853, the steamship winfield scott leaves san francisco for 458 00:39:09,481 --> 00:39:13,733 Panama, carrying 450 passengers, and gold, 459 00:39:14,302 --> 00:39:16,936 Today worth over $30 million. 460 00:39:17,973 --> 00:39:19,405 Deborah: It was a normal journey, 461 00:39:19,474 --> 00:39:21,841 One that steam ships had done many, many times before. 462 00:39:24,146 --> 00:39:27,080 Narrator: The winfield scott is an ocean-going steamer, 463 00:39:27,182 --> 00:39:29,966 Whose builders declare no expense has been spared 464 00:39:30,068 --> 00:39:33,269 To achieve strength, safety and speed. 465 00:39:34,106 --> 00:39:37,807 She even has first class cabins for those who struck it rich. 466 00:39:39,077 --> 00:39:40,410 Robert: These ships are amazing. 467 00:39:40,512 --> 00:39:43,847 Yeah, they were built staunchly with white live oak. 468 00:39:44,816 --> 00:39:50,737 They had four decks and the machinery on these were just state of the art. 469 00:39:51,673 --> 00:39:54,841 Narrator: She has sailed this route eight times before. 470 00:39:54,943 --> 00:39:58,211 But this time she never reaches panama. 471 00:40:05,737 --> 00:40:09,539 The research vessel, shearwater, is heading towards the channel islands, 472 00:40:09,641 --> 00:40:12,542 A few miles off the coast of southern california. 473 00:40:13,645 --> 00:40:17,614 She's carrying a team of archaeologists, plus experts from noaa, 474 00:40:17,716 --> 00:40:22,068 America's scientific agnecy that monitors climate and seas. 475 00:40:23,605 --> 00:40:28,274 They want to learn more about the final fateful voyage of the winfield scott. 476 00:40:31,113 --> 00:40:35,181 The channel islands are home to a protected national marine sanctuary, 477 00:40:35,283 --> 00:40:40,703 But dd marx, an archaeologist with search incorporated, and her colleague, 478 00:40:40,806 --> 00:40:44,541 Noaa official, bob schwemmer, regularly dive the wreck. 479 00:40:45,911 --> 00:40:47,677 Deborah: You never know what you're gonna encounter. 480 00:40:47,779 --> 00:40:51,448 The wind and the waves and the seasons uncover things and recover things. 481 00:40:52,184 --> 00:40:54,934 So you might find new features of the hull you hadn't found before, 482 00:40:55,036 --> 00:40:57,070 As well as new artefacts. 483 00:41:00,275 --> 00:41:04,744 Narrator: In these waters the sands continually shift. 484 00:41:07,415 --> 00:41:11,367 So every expedition is a new adventure. 485 00:41:13,505 --> 00:41:17,273 These remains of the winfield scott lie in shallow water. 486 00:41:20,645 --> 00:41:23,580 Her wooden hull has rotted away. 487 00:41:23,682 --> 00:41:27,267 Her metal parts covered with decades of marine growth. 488 00:41:32,941 --> 00:41:36,776 To see her in detail, and understand what happened here, 489 00:41:36,878 --> 00:41:41,681 We can combine 3d scanning data with visualization software, 490 00:41:42,567 --> 00:41:45,602 And pull the plug on the pacific ocean. 491 00:41:55,146 --> 00:41:59,465 Slowly, the remains of the winfield scott appear. 492 00:42:00,835 --> 00:42:05,438 Hidden from view since she set out laden with the gold of california. 493 00:42:07,108 --> 00:42:11,945 Two paddle wheels lie exposed and a handful of metal parts. 494 00:42:14,950 --> 00:42:20,803 But the most significant thing about the wreck isn't what it is, but where it is. 495 00:42:24,643 --> 00:42:30,280 The drained landscape of the channel islands reveals the winfield scott is not alone. 496 00:42:31,816 --> 00:42:35,735 Scattered across the seabed, lie dozens of other shipwrecks. 497 00:42:37,239 --> 00:42:40,006 These waters are clearly dangerous. 498 00:42:40,108 --> 00:42:43,142 So why was she here? 499 00:42:46,481 --> 00:42:50,900 In the mid 19th century, most ships give the channel islands a wide berth, 500 00:42:51,002 --> 00:42:54,938 Sailing past them and onto central america. 501 00:42:56,141 --> 00:43:01,411 But in local archives, researchers discover evidence that the winfield scott 502 00:43:01,513 --> 00:43:04,747 Decides to take a calculated risk. 503 00:43:05,116 --> 00:43:08,134 Robert: We're very fortunate with the diaries from some of the passengers 504 00:43:08,236 --> 00:43:10,770 That were on board the winfield scott. 505 00:43:11,773 --> 00:43:14,474 The captain, simon blunt, has studied the area for 506 00:43:14,576 --> 00:43:17,644 The us costal survey a few years before. 507 00:43:17,746 --> 00:43:22,248 Narrator: And he's sure he knows a safe route directly through the islands. 508 00:43:24,769 --> 00:43:27,036 Robert: Captain simon blunt felt pretty confident about 509 00:43:27,138 --> 00:43:29,172 Coming through the santa barbara channel 510 00:43:29,257 --> 00:43:31,941 Because it cut 100 miles off his course 511 00:43:32,043 --> 00:43:35,211 And of course getting to panama first, 512 00:43:35,313 --> 00:43:38,848 Or panama to san francisco, you got bragging rights. 513 00:43:40,302 --> 00:43:42,235 Narrator: It's not just bragging rights. 514 00:43:42,337 --> 00:43:44,904 It's cold hard cash. 515 00:43:45,407 --> 00:43:48,274 Competition is fierce between rival shipping lines, 516 00:43:48,376 --> 00:43:50,643 All vying for a slice of the action 517 00:43:50,745 --> 00:43:53,079 On this most lucrative run. 518 00:43:53,181 --> 00:43:57,266 Deborah: The winfield scott's owners were very keen on getting there quicker, 519 00:43:57,369 --> 00:43:59,836 That means they could turn around and make a return trip, 520 00:43:59,938 --> 00:44:02,405 Hence more money in their pockets. 521 00:44:05,310 --> 00:44:08,444 Narrator: On the night of December 1st 1853, 522 00:44:08,546 --> 00:44:11,014 The islands are shrouded in dense fog. 523 00:44:11,549 --> 00:44:14,167 But captain blunt isn't worried. 524 00:44:15,837 --> 00:44:20,006 Robert: He was actually asked, in the wheelhouse, about, 525 00:44:20,108 --> 00:44:25,545 "do you wanna slow down, it's kind of getting you know foggy, and a bit dirty out there." 526 00:44:26,514 --> 00:44:29,248 And he's like, "no, let her rip." 527 00:44:29,367 --> 00:44:31,434 Of course he did. 528 00:44:32,771 --> 00:44:35,938 11 knots right into california real estate. 529 00:44:43,281 --> 00:44:47,200 Narrator: The ship smashes into the rocky coast line of anacapa island. 530 00:44:53,875 --> 00:44:55,575 James: Water begins coming in. 531 00:44:55,677 --> 00:44:58,044 You're standing there on a moment on a deck that is heaving, 532 00:44:58,146 --> 00:45:00,046 With timbers cracking and moaning. 533 00:45:00,215 --> 00:45:04,233 With steam hissing out of pipes, as cold sea water pours in. 534 00:45:04,936 --> 00:45:08,171 With the hull ripping and tearing on rocks. 535 00:45:11,659 --> 00:45:15,745 Narrator: All the passengers scramble onto this windswept shore. 536 00:45:17,315 --> 00:45:20,533 The ship's cargo of gold is salvaged. 537 00:45:21,336 --> 00:45:26,339 But some of those carrying the precious ore in their personal luggage aren't so lucky. 538 00:45:28,009 --> 00:45:32,378 Passengers who've risked everything to achieve their gold rush dream, 539 00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:35,715 See it lost on the sea floor. 540 00:45:39,104 --> 00:45:42,705 James: To have that voyage end in shipwreck had to be heart breaking, 541 00:45:42,807 --> 00:45:44,974 Because they would have lost everything. 542 00:45:45,076 --> 00:45:48,211 All that effort. All that work. All gone. 543 00:45:58,673 --> 00:45:59,839 Robert: Great job. 544 00:45:59,941 --> 00:46:01,107 Deborah: That's really good. 545 00:46:01,209 --> 00:46:03,042 It looks so cool. 546 00:46:05,180 --> 00:46:08,681 Narrator: Today the wreck of the winfield scott still speaks loudly of the huge 547 00:46:08,783 --> 00:46:11,968 Wealth generated in the gold rush era. 548 00:46:15,173 --> 00:46:17,273 Deborah: So within a span of five years, 549 00:46:17,375 --> 00:46:19,876 From san francisco being a tent city, 550 00:46:19,978 --> 00:46:22,979 In the blink of an eye really, you had a bustling city, 551 00:46:23,081 --> 00:46:25,348 And you had steam ships like the winfield scott 552 00:46:25,450 --> 00:46:28,000 That were able to have passengers that could afford 553 00:46:28,102 --> 00:46:30,570 A first class state room on their way home. 554 00:46:31,339 --> 00:46:36,175 Narrator: By the end of the 1850s, just a decade after the first discovery, 555 00:46:36,277 --> 00:46:41,147 $187 billion worth of gold in today's money, 556 00:46:41,249 --> 00:46:44,400 Is pulled from the mountains of california. 557 00:46:45,103 --> 00:46:47,470 An extraordinary decade of adventure, 558 00:46:47,572 --> 00:46:51,607 Endeavour and sometimes heartbreak, 559 00:46:54,245 --> 00:46:57,647 That utterly transforms america. 560 00:46:59,117 --> 00:47:03,503 California becomes the 31st state of the union. 561 00:47:04,405 --> 00:47:09,208 A booming economy that's soon home to 400,000 settlers. 562 00:47:11,779 --> 00:47:16,048 The gold rush opens up the american west, and in so doing, 563 00:47:16,150 --> 00:47:19,068 Creates the modern united states. 564 00:47:19,170 --> 00:47:20,369 Captioned by cotter captioning services.