1886 — Nov 14~ Kodiak schnr. Flying Scud lost, Cape Douglas to Kodiak, Gulf of AK-24-26

— 26 Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1800-1899.”
— 26 Daily Alta California, San Francisco. “From the Far North.” 5-18-1887, p. 1.
— 25 Blanchard count on individuals noted by Alaskashipwreck.com as being onboard.
— 18 AK Bur. Ocean Energy Mgmt., Reg., Enforce. Alaska’s Worst All Time Shipping Losses.
[Number seems to include only crew and native hunters, not Mrs. Smith and 5 children.]
— 18 Good, Capt. and Michael Burwell. Alaska Shipwrecks 1750-2015. 2018. Table.
— 18 Indian Journal, Eufaula, OK. May 5, 1887, p. 6.
[Only mentions crew and not Mrs. Smith and her five children – would make 24.]
— 18 Tyrone Daily Herald, PA. Apr 29, 1887, p. 1.
[Only mentions crew. As National Park Service and other sources note, a mother
and five children were onboard – making for a total of 24.]
— 16 Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, IA. May 5, 1887.
[Notes only crew, not Mrs. Smith and 5 children – making for a total of 22.]

Narrative Information

Alaska Bureau of Ocean Energy Management: “Nov 1886. Schooner Flying Scud. Lost. Near Karluk. 18 lost.” (AK BOEMRE. AK’s Worst)

Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks.” Alaska Shipwrecks 1800-1899.”
1886…Flying Scud…SC [south central AK]…50 Foot…Schooner…26 [Lost].”

Alaskashipwreck.com. “Shipwrecks A-Z [F].” “Flying Scud (1886). The 25 ton 50 foot wooden schooner Flying Scud was lost with 26 souls between Cape Douglas and Kodiak in November of 1886. The schooner departed Douglas Station near Cape Douglas November 14, 1886 bound for Kodiak. On board were owner Captain H Anderson, master Nels Hansen, Vasilli Griznoff, Vassili Griznof Jr., 15 native hunters from Afognak, Akhiok and Karluk and the Wife and five Children of John W Smith, the Alaska Commercial Company’s agent at Douglas Station [this totals 25]. The Smith children ranged in age from a toddler to a girl of 17. The Flying Scud never made it to Kodiak even though weather was reported fair when she departed the Alaska Peninsula. The company agent at Kodiak, not knowing that the vessel had departed the Cape Douglas area for Kodiak in November, reported that all was well and the Flying Scud busy hunting into the winter. It was not until broken bidarkas and wreckage was found on area beaches many weeks later that the alarm was sounded. The weather had been particularly cold and severe that winter. The reality of the loss was not fully known or reported until the spring of 1887 when traffic between the outer settlements and Kodiak resumed, following the storms of the winter.

“Mapping and Location: South Central Alaska 57 34 10 N 154 27 30 W Chart 16580.

“Comment: The Douglas Station reported as the point of departure for the Flying Scud may have been the now abandoned village of Kaguyak on the northeast coast of the Alaska Peninsula. WG.

“Additional Information: Tonnage 25.96 Gross 24 Net, Length 50.2, Breadth 16.5, Depth 6.7, Built 1881 at Kodiak, Registered at Kodiak, ON 120605.

“Sources: 1. Shipwrecks of the Alaskan Shelf and Shore (1992), 2. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1885) Pg 138, 3. Daily Alta California (May 18, 1887) “From the Far North”, 4. San Francisco Bulletin (May 16, 1887) “Alaska Territory” Pg 4.”

Good and Burwell: “…1886 [year lost]…Flying Scud…18…”

National Park Service: “….The area’s second known shipwreck occurred in November of 1886, when John W. Smith, the Alaska Commercial Company’s Douglas Station manager, put his wife and five children on board the schooner Flying Scud bound for Kodiak. The Flying Scud never reached Kodiak. It was not until five months later that another schooner, the Kodiak, arrived at Douglas with the news. No evidence of a shipwreck was ever located, so it can only be assumed that all hands were lost during the Shelikof Strait crossing.” (National Park Service. Katmai, Chapter 5)

Newspapers

April 27, 1887: “Kodiak, Alaska, April 27th. – The past Winter has been one of the most disastrous and severe that this part of Alaska has experienced for many years. It has been unusually cold and story, the thermometer having fallen to the temperature of 2 deg. Below zero in St. Paul’s Harbor (Kodiak). The schooner Flying Scud, of 24 tons burden, owned and sailed by Captain H. Anderson, was lost last November near Cape Douglas. She was engaged in sea-otter hunting and had on board at the time a large party of native hunters with their bidarkys [baidarkas], or canoes, and also the wife and five children of John W. Smith, the Alaska Commercial agent at Douglas Station. Twenty-six lives were lost, all told. The Flying Scud was expected home from her hunt last November, but instead of her arrival news was brought to Kodiak that parts of the vessel and broken canoes had been picked up on the beach at various places. As the weather had been somewhat severe and stormy some of the white hunters of Kodiak suggested to the Alaska Commercial Company’s agent that a vessel ought to be sent to seek information as to the fate of the schooner, but the agent responded very knowingly that she was ‘all right’ and ‘getting plenty of otter,’ or words to that effect….

“It would seem that the United States Government does not realize the fact that there is anything in Alaska outside of St. Paul’s and St. George’s Islands, and Sitka as the seat of Government, but really the Government extends no farther than Sitka. In Kodiak District, the most central and flourishing part of Alaska, we have had a two hours’ visit from the revenue cutter Corwin, which, occurring last Fall, was the only sign we have seen in the last fur years that there was such a thing as a United States Government.” (Daily Alta California, San Francisco. “From the Far North. Disasters of a Phenomenally Severe Winter in Alaska.” 5-18-1887, p. 1.)

April 29, 1887: “Advices from Alaska to San Francisco announce the loss in a storm of the schooner Flying Scud of Kodiak, with a crew of 18 men.” (Tyrone Daily Herald, PA. Apr 29, 1887, p. 1.)

May 5, 1887: “Advices from Kodiak, Alaska, bearing date of April 5, state that the sealing schooner Flying Scud, sailing from that port, was lost as sea with all on board. The owner, H. Anderson, Captain Nels Hansen, Vasila Grignoff and his son, and fourteen native hunters were lost.” (Indian Journal, Eufaula, OK. May 5, 1887, p. 6.)

May 5, 1887: “The schooner Flying Scud was reported lost on the 28th off the coast of Alaska, with the owner, captain and fourteen native hunters.” (Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, IA. 5-5-1887.)

Sources

Alaska Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement. Alaska’s Worst All Time Shipping Losses. Accessed 7-18-2011 at: http://www.alaska.boemre.gov/ref/ships/

Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. A Comprehensive Accounting of Alaska Shipwrecks and Losses of Life in Alaskan Waters. Accessed 10-31-2021 at:
Indian Journal, Eufaula, OK. [Schooner Flying Scud lost.] May 5, 1887, p. 6. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=158340462

Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks.” Alaska Shipwrecks 1800-1899.” Accessed 11-2-2021 at: https://alaskashipwreck.com/alaska-shipwrecks-1729-2012/alaska-shipwrecks-1800-1899/

Alaskashipwreck.com. “Shipwrecks A-Z.” Accessed 11-2-2021 at: https://alaskashipwreck.com/shipwrecks-a-z/alaska-shipwrecks-f/

Daily Alta California, San Francisco. “From the Far North. Disasters of a Phenomenally Severe Winter in Alaska.” 5-18-1887, p. 1. Accessed 11-2-2021 at: https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DAC18870518.2.5&e=——-en–20–1–txt-txIN——–1

Good, Captain Warren and Michael Burwell. Alaska Shipwrecks 1750-2015. Published by Warren Good, 2018. Accessed 11-2-2021 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=ArpqDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=true

Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, IA. May 5, 1887. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=
Tyrone Daily Herald, PA. [Schooner Flying Scud lost, Alaska.] Apr 29, 1887, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=139243832

National Park Service. Katmai – Building in an Ashen Land: Historic Resource Study. Chapter 5: Transportation Links.” Accessed 11-2-2021 at: http://npshistory.com/publications/katm/hrs/chap5.htm