Help With Lost At Sea Cover

I have this cover recovered from the SS Tahiti Lost at sea. Postmarked San Fransisco, 18?0. look like 1850 or 1880. It have the wax seal on the back. Stamp has floated off. Does anyone have any info on this ship. hoping someone can tell by the San Franscisco postmark.Pretty sure is is not the 1930 wreck of another Tahiti, This cover is much older. It is clearly 1800's. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Could possibly be from 1930, but pretty sure it is an 8, especially when a microscope is on it. Most of these covers came from my Great Grandfather, who stoped collecting stamps in 1910.

I'm no expert, so maybe someone else on SCF can contradict my observation, but in my opinion this is from the 1930 SS Tahiti that was "lost at sea". I am quite certain the type of San Francisco postmark on the reverse of the envelope would date it into the 20th century (I don't believe they used the now common red violet postmark in the 1800's.)

Unfortunately, the names on the cover are too common to search any geneaology records. I did, however, search the assessor's site for the address in River Forest, IL and came up with this description of the house which would seem to fit that time period:

909 William Street River Forest IL
This 3 bathroom home has 3,537 square feet and was built in 1923.

Of course, it is not to say there may have been a house at that same address any earlier, it's just that all of the obvious signs on the cover would lead me to date it to the 1930's.

I believe the date on the reverse is September 1, 1930. The RMS Tahiti sank on August 18, 1930.

http://www.stampwhiz.com/080530.html

I am rather curious about the "F.D." at the bottom of the San Fran cancellation.

It is DEFINITELY the 1930 SS Tahiti. There was an article in Pacifica, the journal of the Pacific Islands Study Circle a few years back. I have all the issues on search-able CD and will check when I get home. If I recall, that cover would have pretty good value, even without the stamp.

There was mention of a Tahiti Ship in the 1850's but really no record. I figured it was from 1930. Thanks for the info. I am getting into all the covers I have. I have only collected stamps, and found out there are so many different postmarks worth much more than the stamp itself, and much harder to check watermarks, and grills, etc for stamps on covers. what is a good reference on covers out that you all suggest I get?
Thanks for all the help!

smauggie..
cover dated 9/1/1930
ship sunk 8/18/1930

that doesn't make sense. the cover was dated after the ship sunk.

I was wondering when SV was going to show up. The cancellation on the back of the cover with the date of 09/01/30 is a "receipt" cancellation showing when it was received by the San Francisco post office. By that measure the recovery of the ship was a pretty rapid affair.

to the SCF.
It appears you have a real find there.

To clarify what Smauggie said, the cover was rescued from the wreck, sent to SF, and got a receiving mark.

Thanks BeeSee. It's always good to be clarified.