1889 — May 13, sidewheel steamer Alaskan Founders in Storm, off Cape Blanco, OR–28-30

–28-30 Blanchard estimate.*

— 39 Puget Sound Weekly Argus, Port Townsend, WA. “Lost in the Sea.” 5-23-1889, p. 1.
— 6 dead
–33 missing
— 36 Pullman Herald, WA. “The Steamer Alaskan Goes to Pieces off Cape Blanco.” 5-25-1889, p1.
— 8 saved (out of 44)
–36 (drowned, dead from exposure, or missing)
— 36 Herkimer Democrat, NY. “Went Down in the Pacific…Steamer Alaskan…” 5-22-1889, p. 5.*
— 31 Gibbs, Jim. Disaster Log of Ships. 1971.
— 31 Gibbs, James A. Shipwrecks of the Pacific Coast. Portland: 1957, p. 162.*
— 26 Oakland Tribune. “Shipwreck One of Worst Since Janeiro’s Loss…” 8-30-1929, D3.
— 21 Seattle Post Intelligencer. “Lost In The Sea. The Great Steamer Alaskan Sunk.” 5-17-1889, p.1.
— 5 known drowned
–16 missing (another 13 saved when picked up by the tug Vigilance)
— 17 Supervising Inspector-General of Steam Vessels (U.S.). Annual Report… 1889, p. 16.
— ~15 McCurdy. “Ocean Tragedies…Northwest….” Overland Monthly, 34/202, 10-1899, 297.

* Blanchard estimate. If there were 49 onboard (44 crew and 5 stowaways as reported by the Monroe Daily Independent, WI, of 5-20-1889, p. 2), and 10 were picked up in a boat, 5-6 men made it to shore alive in a boat and 4, including the Captain were picked up on floating debris, then 29-30 men died. In October Charles Albert, of Oakland, one of the crew of the steamer wrote from Hong Kong that he had been rescued by a vessel on its way to Hong Kong. Thus the death-toll drops to 28-29. We note that Gibbs, in Shipwrecks of the Pacific Coast, does not note the rescue of this sailor, thus it appears to us that his death-toll estimate of 31 should be 30. In an attempt to be conservative, we choose to rely on a range of deaths of 28-30.

*Herkimer Democrat: “…only twelve men out of the forty-eight on board have been heard from.”

*Gibbs: “Of the 47 men aboard the Alaskan, 31 were officially listed as dead.” [However it was months later that it was discovered that a crewmember had been rescued by a vessel on its way to Hong Kong, and only after reaching there could he write his family in October that he was alive. Sans a list of the “official” deaths, we speculate that this man was among the list of deaths.]

Narrative Information

Forbes: “Loss of the ‘Alaskan’.”

“The following extract tells the story of a recent wreck: —

“Portland, Ore., May. 17. Capt. R. E. Howes of the steamer ‘Alaskan’ and First Officer Wood have arrived here. The ‘Alaskan’ sailed for San Francisco from Astoria last Saturday noon, crossed the Columbia River Bar safely, and headed down the coast on Sunday forenoon. A very heavy gale sprang up, which soon increased to a terrible storm, and the sea ran very high, and the vessel began laboring heavily. In the afternoon, the steamer strained and began making water. The pumps were kept going constantly, and the officers and crew vainly endeavored to stop the leak by stuffing in blankets and bedding.

“The storm continued with unabated fury, and early Sunday evening the upper works of the steamer began going to pieces. The water poured in on all sides, putting out the fires and flooding the upper works. The engines were stopped and the vessel pitched and tossed at the mercy of the elements. The pumps could not be worked and the vessel began filling. Captain Howes gave orders for all to stay by the vessel, in hopes the storm would soon abate. About 12 o’clock Monday night it was evident that the steamer would soon founder. Captain Howes then gave orders to launch the life-boats and rafts. All the boats were launched but one, which was crushed against the side of the steamer. The men behaved well, acting with coolness and obeying orders promptly.

“There were 44 men on board the vessel and 3 stowaways. All but seven or eight put on life-preservers, got into the boats and on the life-rafts, and drifted away. Some refused to leave the steamer, preferring to take chances on board rather than commit themselves to the hungry waters.

“At 2.15 A. M., Monday, the steamer took a plunge and went down stem first. Captain Howes gallantly stayed with the vessel until she sank, and clinging to a portion of the wreckage, floated away. He was afterwards picked up by one of the rafts. After 33 hours he and others were rescued by the tug ‘Vigilante.’

“John Welch was found dead on a piece of wreckage. Chief Engineer Swayne was washed off one of the rafts soon after leaving the sinking vessel, and is known to be lost. Among those who refused to leave, and are certainly lost, were: Albert Rawles, steward; S. T. Week, second officer; W. Jenny, a seaman. Thirty persons remain yet unaccounted for. The tug ‘ Vigilante,’ after picking up those mentioned, cruised about the scene of the disaster for over twelve hours, but saw no signs of the others. There is scarcely any hope that they escaped. The U. S. light-house tender ‘Manzanilia,’ now on the Southern coast, is cruising about, looking for the survivors, if any.”

“Portland, Ore., May 19. News has just been received that all of the crew of the foundered steamer ‘Alaskan’ have come on shore at Florence near the mouth of the Suisslaw River in Lane County. After leaving the ship, the men were tossed in a fearful manner, the sea breaking over the boat at times. They came near the land at Cape Perpetua, about 14 miles north of the Suisslaw harbor on Thursday noon, but were unable to land on account of the huge breakers, and also on account of the rocky nature of the coast at that point.

“Finally they concluded to try to swim ashore. All were successful except one, who, after enduring the horrible suffering of two nights and three days on the open ocean, lost his life. During the time they were out, all they had to eat was six cans of peaches. Four of the survivors are quite ill from the effects of drinking the salt water.” (Forbes. Notes on Some Few of the Wrecks and Rescues During the Present Century. 1889, 96.)

McCurdy: “A fine vessel was lost to the Northwest when the Alaskan foundered off Cape Blanco in May, 1889. This handsome side-wheeler left Portland to dry-dock at San Francisco, and carried a crew of over thirty men [sic]. She ran into rough weather from the start, and soon her house began to work loose, letting in the water badly. The storm increased in violence, and a mountainous sea was soon running. The upper of the unfortunate steamer began to break up, and the water poured in to such an extent that the fires were put out. Several boats were launched and manned, Captain R.E. Howe and a portion of the crew staying by the vessel. Before long the Alaskan gave a lurch and went down, Captain Howe and several others keeping afloat on bits of wreckage. Hours afterward they were picked up, more dead than alive, by the tug Vigilant and made comfortable. One boat, containing ten men, reached shore, the rest of the crew finding a watery grave.” (McCurdy. “Ocean Tragedies…Northwest….” Overland Monthly, 34/202, 10-1899, p. 297.)

Supervising Inspector-General of Steam Vessels (U.S.): May 13, 1889. – Steamer Alaskan, while at sea off Cape Blanco, encountered a heavy gale of wind and foundered, whereby seventeen of her crew were drowned.” (Annual Report of the Supervising Inspector-General of Steam-Vessels…for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1889. 1889, p. 16.)

Newspaper

May 16, Hartford Courant: “Portland, Oregon, May 16. – The steamship Columbia, which has just arrived at Astoria, bound from San Francisco to Portland, brings a report of the loss of the Oregon Railway & Navigation company’s magnificent side-wheel iron steamer Alaskan. This vessel is reported to have foundered at sea off Cape Blanco, Monday, May 13…” (Hartford Courant, CT. “A Fine Steamer Lost.” May 17, 1889, p. 1.)

May 19: “Thirty-Three Men Missing.”
“Strong Probability That Nearly All of the Alaskan’s Crew Were Lost.”

“Portland, Ore., May 19. – Captain R. E. Howes, of the steamer Alaskan, which foundered off Cape Blanco, and the first officer, Wood, arrived here Friday on the Columbia. The Columbia brought no tidings of the boats which put out from the Alaskan, and the probability that all of them were lost is strong.

“It is not known to a certainty just how many men were on the ship. The crew numbered forty-four, and after the vessel had put to sea three stowaways were found. Two stowaways are among the rescued. One of them, James Foley, said that he knew there were five stowaways, which makes the total number forty-nine. Of this number ten have been saved, six have died and thirty-three are missing. John Welch was found dead on a piece of wreckage, clinging to some ropes. Chief Engineer Swain was seen washed off on one of the rafts soon after leaving the sinking vessel, and is known to be lost. Seven persons refused to leave the ship and were certainly lost.” (Monroe Daily Independent, WI. “Thirty-Three Men Missing.” 5-20-1889, p. 2, col. 5.)

May 20: “Alaskan Survivors.”
“Eugene City (Or.), May 20th. – A life raft from the Alaskan came ashore on the beach near the Umpqua river on Saturday morning with James McGarry, the only survivor of four, including Chief Engineer Swain, who left the ship on Monday off Cape Blanco. Swain died very shortly after reaching the raft, and two sailors, names unknown, died the same day. One boat is reported to have arrived at the Siuslaw river a few days ago with five or six men.” (Sacramento Daily Record, CA. “Alaskan Survivors.” 5-21-1889, p. 4, col. 2.)

Oct 21: “Saved From the Deep.”
“San Francisco, October 21. – Charles Albert, of Oakland, one of the crew of the steamer Alaskan, which went down off Cape Blanco last May, has been heard from in Hong Kong. His family had given him up for dead. He writes that as the steamer sank he caught hold of a piece of wreckage, floated thereon for seven days, and was finally picked up by a bark from Portland, lumber laden to Hong Kong.” (Los Angeles Daily Herald. “Saved From the Deep.” 10-22-1889, p. 5, col. 1.)

Sources

Forbes, Robert Bennet. Notes on Some Few of the Wrecks and Rescues During the Present Century. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1889. Digitized by Google. Accessed 2-2-2021 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=kHkSAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Gibbs, Jim. Disaster Log of Ships. Seattle: Superior Publishing Company, 1971, 176 pages.

Gibbs, James A. Shipwrecks of the Pacific Coast. Portland: Binford & Mort, 1957.

Hartford Courant, CT. “A Fine Steamer Lost.” May 17, 1889, p. 1. Accessed 2-2-2021 at: https://courant.newspapers.com/search/#query=%22a+fine+steamer+lost%22

Herkimer Democrat, NY. “Went Down in the Pacific. The Big Steamer Alaskan…” 5-22-1889, p. 5, col. 5. Accessed 2-2-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/herkimer-democrat-may-22-1889-p-5/

Los Angeles Daily Herald, CA. “Saved From the Deep.” 10-22-1889, p. 5, col. 1. Accessed 2-2-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/los-angeles-daily-herald-oct-22-1889-p-5/

McCurdy, James G. “Ocean Tragedies on the Northwest Coast.” Overland Monthly, Vol. 34, No. 202, Oct. 1899. Pp. 291-300. Digitized by Google. Accessed 2-2-2021 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=otNUAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Oakland Tribune, CA. “Shipwreck One of Worst Since Janeiro’s Loss, 1901.” 8-30-1929, D3. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=105413307

Puget Sound Weekly Argus, Port Townsend, WA. “Lost in the Sea.” 5-23-1889, p. 1. Accessed 2-2-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/port-townsend-weekly-argus-may-23-1889-p-1/

Pullman Herald, WA. “The Steamer Alaskan Goes to Pieces off Cape Blanco.” 5-25-1889, p. 1. Accessed 2-2-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/pullman-herald-may-25-1889-p-1/

Reno Evening Gazette, NV. “A Reported Wreck.” 5-16-1889, p. 2, col. 2. Accessed 2-2-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/reno-evening-gazette-may-16-1889-p-2/

Sacramento Daily Record, CA. “Alaskan Survivors.” 5-21-1889, p. 4, col. 2. Accessed 2-2-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/sacramento-daily-record-union-may-21-1889-p-4/

Seattle Post Intelligencer. “Lost In The Sea. The Great Steamer Alaskan Sunk.” 5-17-1889, p. 1. Accessed 2-2-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/seattle-post-intelligencer-may-17-1889-p-1/

Supervising Inspector-General of Steam Vessels (U.S.). Annual Report of the Supervising Inspector-General of Steam-Vessels to the Secretary of the Treasury for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1889 (Treasury Department Document No. 1251. Steam-boat Inspection, dated 9-27-1889). Washington: Government Printing Office. 1889. Accessed 1-1-2021 at:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nnc1.cu09189980&view=1up&seq=197&q1