1895 — Apr 14, BC Can. sealing schnr. Walter A Earle capsizes, storm, off Cape St. Elias, AK–32

–32 Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1800-1899.”
–32 Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwreck A – Z.” “C.”
–32 Wright (Editor). Lewis & Dryden’s Marine History of the Pacific Northwest. 1895, 451-452.

Narrative Information

Alaskashipwreck.com: “1895…Walter A Earl…SC [south-central area]…71 Ton…Canadian Schooner…32 [lives lost].” (Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1800-1899.”)

Alaskashipwreck.com: “Walter A Earle (1895). The 71 ton Canadian sealing schooner Walter A Earle was lost with all hands off of Cape Saint Elias during the Great Easter Gale of 1895 that occurred on April 14th. The vessel was out of Victoria, British Columbia and hunting seals off of Icy Bay. The Earle attempted to weather the storm along with the schooners Favorite and Libby, but lost her rudder and capsized. 32 men perished in the disaster, including captain Louis Magnuson, mate Henry Buhrm, seamen William J Douglas, W H Wyman, and Adolf E Shute, cook B Berner, and 26 Native Americans, twelve of whom were Songhees from Victoria, five from Sooke, six from Beecher Bay, two from Metchosin and one from Cowichan. The rudderless overturned hull of the Walter A Earle drifted into Afognak Bay several weeks later. Many of the deceased crewmen were found within the hull and buried at Kodiak. The sealing schooner C G White was lost in the same storm along with 11 crewmen. The survivors of that disaster, off of the south end of Kodiak, were brought to Woody Island near Kodiak and cared for.

“Mapping and Location: South Central Alaska 58 02 30 N 152 45 W Chart 16580.

“Comment: I have charted this wreck at Afognak Bay, as that was the final resting place of the hull. Evidence of the disaster may be found anywhere from Pamplona Spur outside of Icy Bay, where the vessel overturned, to Afognak Bay where her drift ended. WG

“Sources: 1. Lewis and Dryden’s Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1895) Pg 451, 2. Shipwrecks of the Alaskan Shelf and Shore (1992).” (Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks A – Z.” (W)

Wright: “The well know Victoria schooner Sylvia Handy, for the past few years sailing under the name of Walter A. Earle, was swept out of existence, with all on board, April 14, 1895. With the schooners Favorite, Captain McLean, and the Libbie, Captain Hackett, she had been following the seals up the coast, and on the thirteenth all three of the vessels were about thirty miles off the Pappalonas, a small submerged reef to the south of Cape St. Elias. The weather was fine in the morning, but shortly after noon the barometer dropped quickly, all of the boats were signaled to return to the schooners, and at nightfall the gale was on in all its fury. Hope was almost abandoned on the Libbie and Favorite, but by careful management they rode out the storm. When morning dawned but two vessels were in sight, and shortly afterward Captain McLean picked up the mainsail of the Earle. The schooner was found bottom upward a few hours later. When the weather moderated, Captain McLean sent a boat to the overturned hull and discovered that the masts were still in place, but the rudder was missing. This was undoubtedly the direct cause of the disaster, and those who were not swept from the decks before she capsized had little show for their lives. The lost vessel was manned by Louis Magneson, captain; Henry Buhrm, mate; William J. Douglas, W. H. Wyman and Adolf E. Shute, seamen; B. Berner, cook; and twenty-six Indians, twelve of whom were Songhees from Victoria, five from Sooke, six from Beecher Bay, two from Metchosin, and one from Cowichan.” (Wright, E. W. (Editor). Lewis & Dryden’s Marine History of the Pacific Northwest. 1895, pp. 451-452.)

Sources

Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1800-1899.” Accessed 11-12-2021 at: https://alaskashipwreck.com/alaska-shipwrecks-1729-2012/alaska-shipwrecks-1800-1899/

Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks A – Z.” Accessed 11-12
-2021 at: https://alaskashipwreck.com/shipwrecks-a-z/alaska-shipwrecks-w/

Wright, E. W. (Editor). Lewis & Dryden’s Marine History of the Pacific Northwest. Portland, OR: The Lewis & Dryden Printing Company, 1895. Accessed 11-12-2021 at: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Lewis_Dryden_s_Marine_History_of_the_Pac/seRDAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Lewis+and+Dryden%E2%80%99s+Marine+History+of+the+Pacific+Northwest&printsec=frontcover