The dying Swift. This is how the flashback starts.

I built the wreckage of the Swift based on a real ship, the Flying Cloud. At the time, she was the fastest thing afloat, and set a record for the trip between San Francisco and New York. Anyhoo, I spread the love between the fore and aft section of the boat, with a gaping hole in it exposing decks and ribs. I added some barrels and boxes and then set the whole thing ablaze.