1888 — May 3, gale, fishing schr. Isabel leak, abandoned by crew of 19, Shumagin Isl., AK-12-14

–14 Cobb. Pacific Cod Fisheries. 1916, p. 108.
–14 Daily Journal, Logansport, IN. “The Year’s Disasters,” Jan 2, 1889, p. 4.
–14 New York Times. “Fourteen Lives Lost.” 6-23-1888, p. 5.
–14 Tacoma Public Library Online Digital Collections. “Isabel (Schooner).” Accessed 10-30-2021.
–14 U.S. Life-Saving Service. Annual Report…Ending FY June 30, 1888. 1889, p. 432.
–12 Alaska Shipwrecks. A Comprehensive Accounting of Alaska Shipwrecks…Losses of Life…

Narrative Information

Alaskashipwreck.com: “Isabel (1888). The 184 ton 103 foot two masted cod fishing schooner Isabel foundered at sea May 3, 1888 in the Shumagin Islands. During and following the wreck 12 crewmembers were lost, including the captain. The Isabel was valued at $15,000 with cargo at the time of the loss. All nineteen crewmembers abandoned the vessel in eight dories during a storm. In the end, only seven survived. Captain Nickerson was lost along with 11 others. The following excerpt is from the U S Bureau of Fisheries report of 1917:

From 1882 to 1888 Ed. H Hansen, of Wright and Bowne, and Captain A. Anderson, now The Lewis, Anderson, Foard Co., with some others, operated the schooner Isabel, Capt. Nickerson, in this business (cod)…Business became so poor they did not keep the old Isabel in good repair, and in the spring of 1888, while on her way to the fishing banks, she opened up somewhere out at sea. As many of the crew as could do so got into the dories, and after suffering many privations about half of them were rescued more nearly dead than alive.

“Thomas Kenniff drowned and Captain Nickerson and splitter Soborn Roth died of exposure after their dory capsized in rough weather sometime after leaving the sinking Isabel. During the month following the disaster, only five survivors were found including the 2nd Mate, 3rd Mate David Harris, Harry Brown, Harry Holmes and Frank Gordon (Gorman). On June 4th two additional crewmen from the Isabel were found in a dory by the schooner Kodiak. From a crew of 19 aboard the Isabel only 7 survived long enough to regain civilization more than a month after abandoning the wreck.

“Mapping and Location: South Central Alaska 55 10 N 160 W Chart 16551

“Additional Information: Tonnage 184.93 Gross 175.69 Net, Length 103.2, Breadth 29.8, 9.4, Built 1864 at Coos Bay OR, Registered San Francisco CA, ON 12265, SL HVMD

“Sources: 1. Shipwrecks of the Alaskan Shelf and Shore (1992), 2. Dept of Commerce – Pacific Cod Fisheries (1916) Pg 108, 3. Report of the U S Commissioner of Fisheries for fiscal year 1915 (1917) “Pacific Cod Fisheries” Pg 30, 4. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1888) Pg 147, 5. New York Tribune (June 23, 1888) “Hardships Of A Crew Wrecked On Alaska” Front Page, 6. San Francisco Chronicle (June 21, 1888) “Wreck of a San Francisco Schooner” Pg 6, 7. New York Herald (June 23, 1888) “Lost in the Pacific” Pg 9.” (Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. A Comprehensive Accounting of Alaska Shipwrecks and Losses of Life in Alaskan Waters. “Isabel.”

Cobb: “From 1882 to 1888 Ed. H. Hansen, of Wright & Bowne, and Capt. A. Anderson…of the Lewis, Anderson, Foard Co., with some others, operated the schooner Isabel, Capt. Nickerson, in this business. For the first two or three years they caught the market short and did so well that they added the brig W. H. Meyer. But about this time the production began to exceed the demand, and they soon had to drop out the brig. Business became so poor they did not keep the old Isabel in good repair, and in the spring of 1888, while on her way to the fishing banks, she opened up somewhere out at sea. As many of the crew as could do so got into the dories, and after suffering many privations about half of them were rescued more nearly dead than alive. This ended the venture, and the partners paid up their losses and quit.” (Cobb. Pacific Cod Fisheries. 1916, 30)

Tacoma Public Library Online Digital Collections: “The Isabel, a two-masted schooner of 184 tons, was built at North Bend, Ore., in 1864 by J. H. Howlitt. From 1882 to 1888 she was operated in the cod fishery by Hanson & Anderson, San Francisco. In the spring of 1888, on her way to the fishing banks, she sprung a leak and had to be abandoned in the dories. About half the crew were rescued but fourteen perished. John Lyman, “Pacific coast built sailers 1850-1905,” The Marine Digest. May 10, 1941, p. 2.)

U.S. Life-Saving Service: “Founderings. Date of disaster. 1888…May 3. Isabel. American schooner. 185 [tons]. San Francisco, Cal. [bound from]. Shamagin [Shumagin?] Island, Alaska [bound to]. Total [loss]. Ballast [cargo]. 14 [lives lost]. At sea.” (Ann Report…Ending…June 1888. 1889, p. 432.)

Newspaper

NYT: “San Francisco, June 22. – The steamer Bertha, which has arrived from Kurluk [Karluk?], Alaska, brought three of the sailors of the cod fishing schooner Isabel, which encountered a gale May 1, and on the 3d had to be abandoned. The men took to the boats but in a storm got separated. The eight skiffs which contained the 17 men on board the Isabel at firs divided themselves into two parties of four skiffs. After being out three days two of the men went mad from the hardships endured and had to be put in separate boats and soon were drowned. When another boat capsized Capt. Nickerson, on trying to save the lives of the men, was drowned, as were also the men whom he tried to rescue. It is believed that the men in the two boats which got separated from the others were also drowned, making 14 who lost their lives.” (New York Times. “Fourteen Lives Lost.” 6-23-1888, p. 5.)

Sources

Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. A Comprehensive Accounting of Alaska Shipwrecks and Losses of Life in Alaskan Waters. Accessed 10-30-2021 at: https://alaskashipwreck.com/shipwrecks-a-z/alaska-shipwrecks-i/

Cobb, John Nathan. Pacific Cod Fisheries (Appendix IV to the Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Fisheries for 1915 – Bureau of Fisheries [Dept. of Commerce] Document No. 830). Washington: GPO, 1916. Digitized by Google. Accessed 10-30-2021 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=SGEZAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false

Daily Journal, Logansport, IN. “The Year’s Disasters.” 1-2-1889, p. 4. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=83142306

New York Times. “Fourteen Lives Lost.” 6-23-1888, p. 5. Accessed 10-30-2021 at: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1888/06/23/112634443.html?pageNumber=5

Tacoma Public Library Online Digital Collections. “Isabel (Schooner).” Accessed 10-30-2021 at: https://tacomalibrary.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17061coll11/id/283/

United States Life-Saving Service. Annual Report of the Operations of the United States Life-Saving Service for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1888 (Treasury Department Document No. 1228). Washington: GPO, 1889. Google Digitized. Accessed 10-30-2021 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=I3oDAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=true