1890 — Jan 23, bark Nellie May (Port Madison WA for SF CA) lost in gale off Cape Flattery WA–13

–13 Bannerman, K. “The Loss of Nellie May.” 1-3-2014 blog post. Accessed 6-27-2022.
–13. Gibbs, James A. Shipwrecks off Juan de Fuca. Portland, OR: 1968, p. 226.

Narrative Information

Bannerman: “The Loss of Nellie May

“….The Nellie May was…was a bark, a sailing vessel with three or more masts and fore- and aft-sails, and she disappeared in heavy seas off the coast of Cape Flattery in January of 1890. She had departed from the deep water bay of Port Madison in Washington, and she was bound for San Francisco with a cargo of lumber.

“The Nellie May had been built at Newcastle, Maine in 1867, and she was owned by three men: Capt. Axtel Austin, W. P. Sayward of Port Madison, and E. M. Herrick of San Francisco. She had a crew of thirteen, comprised of Captain Austin; J. D. Wilson, first mate; C. Wright, second mate; J. E. Perkins, Edward White, G. Larson, Paul Ritters, Otto Nasch, P. Peterson, John Bowers and one other sailor, as well as a steward and a cook. They’re names are unknown, and no photographs have been found of the Nellie May. She was just a working ship of little consequence, I suppose, and no one thought to document her.

“So she set sail with her cargo of timber, but she didn’t get very far. The nasty winter storms blew in from the North Pacific, dashing against the exposed point of Cape Flattery, the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States. On the night of January 23, 1890, the Nellie May vanished, and the only traces ever found of the ship or her tragic crew were bits of wreckage of one of her life boats, discovered by a group of Nuu-chal-nulth men in Clayoquot Sound, and her name-board, which was picked up off Cape Flattery by the tug Lorne in early May….” (Bannerman, K. “The Loss of Nellie May.” 1-3-2014 blog post.)

Gibbs: “Nellie May, American bark, 699 tons, foundered off Cape Flattery in January 1890. The vessel departed Port Townsend [WA] with lumber for San Francisco and vanished with all hands, probably the victim of heavy seas. Her name board was picked up on May 4, off Cape Flattery, by the tug Lorne, and the wreckage of one of her boats was found by Indians at Clayoquot, B.C. The vessel was owned by Captain Axtel Austin; her skipper, W. P. Sayward of Port Madison, and E. M. Harrick of San Francisco. She was built at Newcastle, Maine, in 1867 and carried a crew of 13, including the captain.” (Gibbs, James A. Shipwrecks off Juan de Fuca. Portland, OR: Binfords & Mort, 1968, p. 226.

Sources

Bannerman, K. “The Loss of Nellie May.” 1-3-2014 blog post. Accessed 6-27-2022 at: https://foxandbee.wordpress.com/2014/01/03/the-loss-of-nellie-may/

Gibbs, James A. Shipwrecks off Juan de Fuca. Portland, OR: Binfords & Mort, 1968.