1896 – March 8, Seattle schooner Lincoln departs for Kodiak, lost, storm, no. Pacific–25-43

— 43 Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwreck A – Z.” L.
–37 passengers
— 5 crew
— 43 Good, Captain Warren and Michael Burwell. Alaska Shipwrecks 1750-2015. 2018, p.288.
–37 passengers
— 5 crew
— 41 Sacramento Daily Record-Union, CA. “Schooner Lincoln.” 9-26-1896, p. 8.
–35 passengers “including eight or ten children, nearly all residents of Seattle.”
— 6 crew; “the Captain and crew of five…”
— 37 Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1800-1899.”
–>30 Blanchard estimate based on Seattle Post report of departure with 25 men passengers, and
other accounts that the crew consisted of five men.
–~30 Fort Wayne Evening Post, IN. “Thirty Persons Lost at Sea.” 5-29-1896, p. 5.
— 25 Sacramento Daily Record-Union, CA. “Schooner Lincoln.” 9-26-1896, p. 8.
— 25 San Francisco Call. “Alaska Schooner Lincoln Believed to Be Ice-Bound.” 5-15-1896, 3.
–21 passengers
— 4 crew

Narrative Information

Alaskashipwreck.com: “Lincoln (1896). The two masted schooner Lincoln departed Seattle March 7, 1896 cleared for Kodiak with a party of miners bound for Cook Inlet and was never seen again. A severe storm was reported in the Gulf of Alaska the first week of April by the vessels Bertha and William J Bryant which almost succumbed to the hurricane force weather. It is presumed that the Lincoln was overcome by the same storm. There were as many as 37 passengers aboard bound for the gold fields of Alaska as well as 5 crewmembers. Names of passengers lost (23 adults and 14 children):

1. William Staples of Seattle (left behind wife and five children)
2. J.H. Goddard of Seattle
3. Mrs. J.H. Goddard
4. J.H. Goddard child 1
5. J.H. Goddard child 2
6. C.C. Ward of River Park
7. Mrs. C.C. Ward
8. C.C. Ward child
9. Edson England of Seattle (single)
10. Adolph Anderson of Seattle
11. Mrs. Adolph Anderson
12. Adolph Anderson child
13. Charles Lind of Seattle
14. Mrs. Charles Lind
15. Charles Lind child 1
16. Charles Lind child 2
17. John Lindquist of Seattle
18. Mrs. John Lindquist
19. John Lindquist child 1
20. John Lindquist child 2
21. Vincent Gallion of Newcastle (single)
22. O.B. Johnson of Seattle (single)
23. E.C. Boyles of Seattle (single)
24. A. Halverson of Seattle (single)
25. Frank Mitchell of Seattle (single)
26. M. Cunningham of Sunnydale (single)
27. E.R. Dunham of Sunnydale (single)
28. C.R. Harder of Seattle (single)
29. Mr. Uddman of Seattle (single)
30. Mr. Kuenzler of Seattle (single)
31. Mrs. Ole Bee of Seattle (wife of cook)
32. Ole Bee child 1
33. Ole Bee child 2
34. Ole Bee child 3
35. Ole Bee child 4
36. Ole Bee child 5
37. Ole Bee child 6
“Names of the crewmembers lost:
1. Captain Helmer Newgard (single and 2/3 owner)
2. Mate John Newgard (single)
3. Mathias Olsen (single and 1/3 owner)
4. John Olsen (single)
5. Cook Ole Bee
“Mapping and Location: South Central Alaska Unknown.

“Comment: It is possible that the number of passengers aboard the Lincoln was misreported. Many of the wives and children may have been “left behind” and not aboard when the Lincoln was lost. WG.

“Additional Information: Length 54.3, Breadth 16.9, Depth 7.2, Built Seattle 1894, ON 141327

“Sources: 1. The H W McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1966) Pg7, 2. Shipwrecks of the Alaskan Shelf and Shore (1992), 3. Seattle Post (May 22, 1897) “Albert Halverson, A Passenger On The Lost Lincoln” Front Page, 4. Sacramento Record Union (May 16, 1896), “MISSING SCHOONER LINCOLN” Front Page, 5. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1895) Pg 122.” (Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwreck A – Z.” L.

Newspapers

March 9: “’To the Alaska gold fields’ is the cry, and with this in view nearly every man in the city who has no ties to keep him here is making arrangements to made a trop to that far northern country and prospect for the precious metal. In no place is this fever more apparent than on the waterfront, and yesterday afternoon [Marth 8] when the time arrived to let go the line of the trim little schooner Lincoln and start her on her on her way to Cook inlet, all along Railroad avenue and on the wharf opposite Schwabacher’s dock, from where the schooner sailed, were crowds of people, some drawn thither to bid goodspeed to friends who took passage and some from idle curiosity or victims of the fever [gold fever]. During the forenoon and up the time of starting everything was life aboard the vessel, as twenty-five men outfitted with supplies for a season in the snow and ice, gather together a great many traps. However, the crew soon had places for everything and by 1 o’clock all was shipshape and in readiness for the casting off of the line.

“The Lincoln, after landing her passengers and supplies at their destination, will trade along the coast for a short time and then cruise about in Alaskan waters for fish. All the men in the boat were full of confidence because of the auspicious circumstances attending the departure, and the excellent manner in which they were provisioned and outfitted. When the vessel swung out into the bay and caught the wind a hearty shout was given from those on shore, and an answering shout was returned with equal vigor from the voyagers….” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA. “For the Gold Fields…Schooner Lincoln Sets Sail.” 3-9-1896, p. 8.)

May 4: “Seattle, Wash., May 4….The schooner Lincoln, which left Seattle on March 7, for Cook’s Inlet, had not been sighted up to April 25. Grave fears are felt that she has been lost…” (The Evening Times, Washington, DC. “Thousands Hunt Gold.” 5-4-1896, p. 1.)

July 25: “Seattle, July 25. – An alleged message from one of the men on board the ill-fated schooner Lincoln was found today on the beach just around the point from West Seattle. The message was written on a small piece of paper, and had been put in a dark colored round quart bottle. It was signed by Charles Swanson, no date, and stated that the Lincoln was doomed, and that ‘We have taken to the boats five miles off Campbell Island.’ The message closed by saying that as they left the ship she was sinking fast.

“The bottle was corked, not sealed, and the finder, Peter Dahl, a reputable young man, said that the cork looked ‘old.’ There was a little water in the bottle.

“There is no official list of the twenty-five people who sailed on the Lincoln from Seattle on March 8, 1896. The ‘Post-Intelligencer’ had its reporters collect all names possible of those who were on board. The name ‘Charles Swanson’ does not appear.” (Sacramento Daily Record-Union, CA. “Schooner Lincoln.” 9-26-1896, p. 8.)

Nov 20: “Evergreen [WA], November 20. – On March 8, 1896, one of our townsmen, Marshall Cunningham, sailed on the schooner Lincoln from Seattle, bound for Cooks Inlet. The schooner was never seen nor heard from afterward. The following note found in a floating bottle a few months ago is the only explanation ever offered as to the fate of vessel and crew:

The fate of the schooner Lincoln is sealed. We took to the boats five miles off Campbell island. As we leave the ship is fast sinking. Charles Swanson, Schooner Lincoln.

“The belief at Seattle is that the schooner foundered in a storm on one of the numerous rocky islands the first night that she was out. No one of the passengers has ever been heard from, and it is almost certain that all were lost, either from drowning or from exposure. Among the published list of names of persons on board appeared the name M. Cunningham, Sunnydale, that being the place where Mr. Cunningham was working and where he received mail. Mrs. Cunningham went to Seattle this summer to search for her husband, but the above note was not picked up until two months after her search was ended.” (San Jose Mercury-News, CA. “Evergreen Notes.” 11-21-1897, p. 2.)

Sources

Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1800-1899.” Accessed 11-13-2021 at: https://alaskashipwreck.com/alaska-shipwrecks-1729-2012/alaska-shipwrecks-1800-1899/

Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks A – Z.” Accessed 11-13
-2021 at: https://alaskashipwreck.com/shipwrecks-a-z/alaska-shipwrecks-l/

Fort Wayne Evening Post, IN. “Thirty Persons Lost at Sea.” 5-29-1896, p. 5. Accessed 11-13-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/fort-wayne-evening-post-may-29-1896-p-5/

Good, Captain Warren and Michael Burwell. Alaska Shipwrecks 1750-2015. Published by Warren Good, 2018. Accessed 11-12-2021 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=ArpqDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=true

Sacramento Daily Record-Union, CA. “Schooner Lincoln.” 9-26-1896, p. 8. Accessed 11-13-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/sacramento-record-union-sep-26-1896-p-8/

San Francisco Call. “The Alaska Schooner Lincoln Believed to Be Ice-Bound.” 5-15-1896, 3. Accessed 11-13-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/san-francisco-call-may-16-1896-p-3/

San Jose Mercury-News, CA. “Evergreen Notes.” 11-21-1897, p. 2. Accessed 11-13-2021 at: https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SJMN18971121.2.29&e=——-en–20–1–txt-txIN——–1

Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA. “For the Gold Fields…Schooner Lincoln Sets Sail.” 3-9-1896, p. 8. Accessed 11-13-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/seattle-post-intelligencer-mar-09-1896-p-8/

The Evening Times, Washington, DC. “Thousands Hunt Gold.” 5-4-1896, p. 1. Accessed 11-13-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/the-evening-times-may-04-1896-p-1/