William Wheelwright
William Wheelwright, an entrepreneur from Newburyport, Massachusetts, was also on the Pacific coast of South Amercia in the 1820s. Descended from a maritime family, Wheelwright saw the lucrative potential of steam navigation in the South Pacific amidst the short-lived sensations caused by Cochrane's Rising Star and the ill-fated Telica. By 1827 he had apparently begun planning for a shipping company (Duncan 263). At the time, Wheelwright was an American consul at Guayaquil (1825-1829) and was also familiar with Chile. In Valparaiso, Wheelwright used his sixty-ton steamer Fourth of July to trade along the West Coast, with a particular focus on the mineral deposits that would later drive Chilean trade with Britain, including coal, nitrate, borax and other materials essential to fuel the industrial revolution.
1833 is generally considered the founding date of the PSNC, since in that year Wheelwright first attempted to introduce steam navigation to the Pacific. He initially focused on developing trade routes and sourcing coal suitable for steam navigation, which he ultimately found in in 1834 the port of Talcahuano, in southern Chile. The next two years were spent in intensive planning, securing a reliable supply of fuel, gathering support from foreign consuls, and communicating with South American governments whose coasts bordered the Pacific (Duncan 266). His primary proposal included a fleet of steamers to operate from Valparaiso to Panama via Callao and Guayaquil, with the goal of improving connections with the Isthmus of Panama as well as between the Caribbean, Europe and the US.
In 1833, many considered Wheelwright a “madman” to dream of steam navigation in the Pacific. But a few influential associates like Peter Campbell Scarlett, an English diplomat and travel enthusiast, backed Wheelwright’s vision of faster and more efficient communications along the Pacific coast:
"If Mr. Wheelwright should be able to accomplish the plan….for the introduction of steam navigation into the Pacific .... it will become evident that the combination with canals and railroads... must produce an incalculable saving in time and distance.”
In 1835, the British merchant Joshua Waddington, founder of Waddington Templeman & Co., hosted a meeting of merchants in Valparaiso. This gathering proved to be a critical factor in launching the PSNC. Wheelwright’s presentation of well-prepared plans impressed many, including Chilean statesman Diego Portales and English naval officer and scientist Captain Robert Fitzroy of H.M.S Beagle; it is possible that Charles Darwin attended as well (Duncan 267). With Portales' support, Wheelwright petitioned the Chilean government for concessions to launch his company. On August 25, 1835, the Chilean government approved the Chilean concession for steam navigation to Wheelwright, with an exclusive privilege for ten years (Duncan 269).
References:
The portrait of William Wheelwright from Newburyport Public Library Archival Center, n.d. Retrieved from http://www.clipperheritagetrail.com/tour_downalongandridge.php. Accessed July 23, 2020. All rights reserved.
"The Pacific Steam Navigation Company," Star of Chile, vol. 2 (Valparaiso, Chile), August 06, 1904, 1-3. Accessed July 22, 2020.
The 10-cent stamp of William Wheelwright from Correos De Chile (Santiago, Chile), 1840-1965. Retrieved from https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/singapore-september-21-2019-stamp-printed-1510465793. Accessed July 23, 2020. All rights reserved.