I have found my husband's Swiss Schaad relatives on the ship Challenge that arrived in NYC on 5/1/1854 by going page by page for that listing on the NYC passenger lists. No image/info exists in the Ancestry database for passenger ships about the Challenge. An 80+ cousin recalled that the folks who came over had told him ages ago that the ship was "half sail/half steam." By checking the historical New York Times, May 11, 1854, Marine Intelligence column, I have determined that this ship is the famous clipper ship the Challenge. According the the NYT listing the crossing from LeHarve France was harrowing for it and many other vessels.

A good link to the Challenge's history can be found on:

http://www.eraoftheclipperships.com/eraweb.html

I have several other sources that demonstrate that this ship is the Challenge, including ship registers listed on the Mystic Seaport page.

I just wanted to let folks know if their kin happened to be on that ship, as Ancestry has no info listed.

Marianne