President James Buchanan ended what had been for him a protracted and destructive episode when he signed the bill to admit Kansas as the thirty-fourth state of the Union.  With eight southern senators withdrawn and no longer able to block the measure, the United States Senate had passed the bill to admit Kansas as a free state under the Wyandotte Constitution by a vote of thirty-six to sixteen the previous day.  (By John Osborne)

With eight southern senators withdrawn and no longer able to block the measure, the United States Senate passed the bill to admit Kansas as a free state under the Wyandotte Constitution by a vote of thirty-six to sixteen. President Buchanan signed the bill the following day. (By John Osborne)

The 1,700-ton ship David Brown had sailed from San Francisco for Liverpool on October 11, 1860 but sank after eighty-four days at sea, putting her crew and passengers into two small boats thousands of miles from land.  The British ship Sea Wave found one boat, with twenty of the crew, three days later. The twenty-eight aboard the other, including the captain and all the passengers, were never found.  (By John Osborne)  

The 1,700-ton ship David Brown sailed from San Francisco for Liverpool on October 11, 1860 with eighteen passengers, and a cargo of grain.  In the Atlantic, after eighty-four days, she foundered and all aboard took to two boats.  The British ship Sea Wave found one boat, with twenty of the crew, three days later. The twenty-eight aboard the other, including the captain and all the passengers, were never found.  (By John Osborne)