E L DWYER (1913) Alexander Allan, owner of the 54 ton gas screw E L Dwyer reported that she was destroyed in a 72 mile an hour SE gale at 6 a.m. Monday October 6, 1913 on the beach at Teller. The wreck reports states that:
“Vessel has been laying on beach at Teller, Alaska, since August 14, 1912 when vessel was then reported as a partial wreck and there has been no one on board since that time to look after said vessel.”
No one was aboard at the time of the casualty. The E L Dwyer was valued at $4,500 and had no insurance.
Mapping and Location: West central Alaska 65 16 N 166 22 W Chart 16006
Comment: Some reports have this wreck out on Port Clarence. WG
Additional Information: Tonnage 54 Gross 36 Net, Built Astoria Oregon 1892, Registered at Port Townsend Washington, ON 136267, Master Andrew Thompson of Nome, Owner Alexander Allan of Seattle
Sources: 1. U S Customs Wreck Report filed at Nome October 15, 1913, 2. The H W McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1966) Pgs 196&230
EACREET (1899) The 31 ton schooner Eacreet was driven ashore and left high and dry November 6, 1899 on the east side of Saint Lawrence Island. The schooner left Nome November 3, 1899 with J H Johnson at the helm and five others including owner P Lair of Snohomish, Charles Elliott, mate R A Nichol, cook J Smith and seaman James Murphy. They were bound for San Francisco. The wreck happened after three days of violent weather. The following comes from the account from H W McCurdy:
“All 6 men escaped to shore, but as the schooner became hopelessly iced in and their supplies were soon exhausted, they died one by one of exposure and starvation, only Murphy surviving to tell the story of the Eacreet’s loss. He was rescued by natives and picked up five months later by the bark Alaska.”
Mapping and Location: West central Alaska 63 30 N 170 30 W Chart 16006
Comment: This wreck is the R Eacrett (See). WG
Source: The H W McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1966) Pg 52
EAGLE (1932) The small two masted schooner Eagle was lost in 1932 off of Cape Nord.
Mapping and Location: West central Alaska 63 12 N 162 50 W Chart 16006
Comment: Point Romanof was called Cap Nord and is where I charted this. Also the same name vessel in 1922 at Cape North warrants further research. WG
Source: The H W McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1966) Pg 419
ECLIPSE (1900) The 120 foot wood schooner Eclipse stranded on a reef and was lost June 4, 1900. The following are excerpts from the wreck report filed by Jos. S Greene president of Owner LaConner Trading and Transportation Co of Seattle:
“Light wind, about 4 p.m. daylight.” “Collided with ice and filled with water.” “Vessel stranded caused by ice and wind. Also waterlogged.” “Lat 61 40 north Long 166 30 W Near Cape..Romanzof. Vessel ashore on reef or shoal.” “The Am. Schr. Eclipse is now a total loss and is abandoned as stated above.”
The Eclipse was valued at $8,000 and had 200 tons or $4,000 worth of lumber and general merchandise aboard bound for Nome from Seattle. The crew of eight survived the wreck but the Eclipse and her cargo were lost. The vessel was not insured but the cargo had a $2,500 policy.
Mapping and Location: West central Alaska 61 40 N 166 30 W Chart 16006
Additional Information: Length 120, Breadth 29.3, Depth 9.3, Built 1852 New York, Tonnage 221 Net, Registered Seattle, ON 7991, Master Carl Koos of Seattle, Last Port Seattle April 29, 1900, Destination Cape Nome
Source: U S Customs Wreck Report filed July 25, 1900 by Greene
EDITH THOMAS (1900) The tug Edith Thomas was lost on the Nome beach in a violent storm that struck the lower Norton Sound area the second week of September 1900. The U S Revenue Service Records have the tugs Edith Thomas and Islam both lost two days into the storm on the 14th of September.
Mapping and Location: West central Alaska 64 30 N 165 25 W Chart 16006
Source: Alaska File of the U S Revenue Cutter Service 1867-1914
EL SUENO (1903) The 23 ton steamer El Sueno foundered off of Nome December 31, 1903 and became a total loss.
Mapping and Location: West central Alaska 64 39 N 165 25 W Chart 16006
Sources: 1. The H W McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1966) Pg 94, 2. Shipwrecks of the Alaskan Shelf and Shore (1992)
ELECTRA (1863) The 348 ton whaling ship Electra was lost July 14, 1863 on Nunivak Island. She had departed New London August 5, 1862 for a whaling voyage in the arctic. The 52 year old vessel was carrying her catch of whale oil and bone when lost.
Mapping and Location: West central Alaska 60 N 166 W Chart 16006
Comment: Some reports have this vessel lost at Ugamak Island and others Unimak. WG
Sources: 1. Shipwrecks of the Alaskan Shelf and Shore (1992), 2. The BOEMRE Alaska Shipwreck table (2011)
ELIZA (1890) The 109 foot wooden bark Eliza stranded at Saint Lawrence Island Saturday October 11, 1890 at 11 p.m. The following are excerpts from the wreck report filed in San Francisco by owner E H Hanson:
“Terrific gale wind NW at night 11 p.m., foggy and dark. Stranded in strong gale during fog. Nothing could be done whatever as no assistance was available.” “steamer Belvedere picked up and saved lives of officers and crew eight days later.” “Total wreck…no insurance.”
The Eliza had 50 tons of whale bone and oil worth $15,000 aboard, and the vessel was listed as worth the same amount, neither insured. The Eliza had a compliment of 35 officers and crew and all survived.
Mapping and Location: West central Alaska 63 30 N 170 30 W Chart 16006
Additional Information: Length 109, Breadth 27.2, Depth 16.2, Built 1856 Rochester Mass, Tonnage 296.51 Gross 281.71 Net, Registered San Francisco, ON 7536, Master Edmund Kelley of New York, Owner E H Hanson of San Francisco, Last Port San Francisco December 21, 1889
Source: U S Customs Wreck Report filed San Francisco October 10, 1892
EMILY F WHITMAN (1912) The schooner Emily F Whitman was lost at Nushagak in 1912.
Mapping and Location: West central Alaska 58 57 N 158 29 W Chart 16006
Source: The H W McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1966) Pg 211
EMMONAK (1974) The fish processing barge Emmonak broke away from her moorings and sank July 29, 1974 approximately 25 miles off of the coast near Savoonga.
Mapping and Location: West central Alaska 63 42 N 170 29 W Chart 16006
Source: BOEM Alaska Shipwreck List (2011)
EXCELIA (1929) The 9 ton wooden gas screw Excelia stranded on a sand bar and was lost at 7 a.m. Monday October 7, 1929. The Excelia departed Golovin October 3, 1929 with two crewmen on a mail and passenger run to and from Haycock. She had two passengers aboard bound for Elim and a cargo of 5 tons of merchandise and U S Mail valued at $2,300. The following is an accounting taken from the casualty report filed by owner and master of the Excelia, Simon Sagonick of Shaktelik:
“Seven miles south of mouth of Koyuk…gentle breeze, at night; starlight.” “Struck mud bar.” “Tide came very slow, not enough to float her, steady stream of thin Ice cutting her side, so had to leave for shore first chance.” “At the time it happened could not get assistance to unload her. No one wanted to take the chance. For that night when struck the sand bar it was freezing fast, and when I saw there was no chance of trying to save the boat and the cargo, I was forced to take to life boat and break the thin ice to get to the shore which took four hours to make the two miles, and doing that the life boat was nearly out. The fresh water ice was only one half inch thick. The next day no one dared to go out with me to get the boat, on account of the strong north wind coming up and freezing the same time, with the exception of one man, so it took us 23 hrs. to get the mail.”
Mapping and Location: West central Alaska 64 50 N 161 15 W Chart 16200
Additional Information: Tonnage 9 Gross 6 Net, Age 10 years, Registered Nome, ON 222885, Vessel Value $1,600, Vessel Insurance none, Cargo Insurance none
Source: U S Coast Guard Report of Casualty filed at Nome November 15, 1929 by Sagonick