VICTORIA (1871) The 149.38 ton whaling brig Victoria was abandoned in the ice around Point Belcher and lost September 14, 1871. The vessel sailed out of San Francisco and had a value at the time of the disaster of $30,000.
Mapping and Location: Northern Alaska 70 47 40 N 159 39 02 W Chart 16005
Additional Information: Tonnage 149.38, Registered San Francisco, ON 25786, SL JFWS
Sources: 1. Harper’s Weekly (December 2, 1871) “Destruction of the Arctic Whaling Fleet”, 2. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1868) Pg 242
VICTORIA (1900) The schooner Victoria went to pieces off the rocks on Cape Prince of Wales in the series of storms around September 12, 1900. The crew was rescued by the schooner Alice days after the disaster.
Mapping and Location: Northern Alaska 65 36 N 168 05 W Chart 16005
Sources: 1. San Francisco Call (October 24, 1900) “Picks Up Two Shipwrecked Crews…” Pg 2, 2. Honolulu Republican (November 3, 1900)
VICTORIA II (1871) The whaling bark Victoria II was abandoned in the ice off Point Belcher and lost September 14, 1871. The Victoria II sailed out of Honolulu, Sandwich Islands and had an estimated value at the time of the disaster of $25,000.
Mapping and Location: Northern Alaska 70 47 40 N 159 39 02 W Chart 16005
Sources: 1. Alaska File of the Revenue Cutter Service 1867-1914, 2. Harper’s Weekly (December 2, 1871) “Destruction of the Arctic Whaling Fleet” “Lost Vessels List”
W A FARNSWORTH (1877) The 432 ton bark W A Farnsworth was lost off Point Barrow September 15, 1877. The following is from an 1877 Boston Herald interview of Charles Hamill, a mate from the W A Farnsworth, describing the loss:
“…From Point Barrow, the W A Farnsworth steered southwest along by the land, with ice scattering and light. At midnight, September 15th, about 50 miles east of Cape Lisburn, she ran into a piece of ice while wearing, stove her bow, and sank in 20 minutes. All hands took to the boats, and got clear of the vessel just before she rolled over and went down, all but the tips of her yards, which were left just out of the water. At daylight the crew got on the bark Thomas Pope. And three hours afterward spoke the Dawn, of San Francisco, which took on board Captain Keenan, Mr. Hamill and one boat’s crew from the W A Farnsworth, and arrived at San Francisco September 26th….”
Mapping and Location: Northern Alaska 68 53 N 166 13 W Chart 16005
Sources: 1. Alaska File of the U S Revenue Cutter Service 1867-1914 “Arctic Losses 1868-1888”, 2. Boston Herald (November 17, 1877) “Tidings from the Fleet in the Northern Oceans”