Unknown or Uncharted Alaska Shipwrecks ( M )

M S P CO NO 1 (1931)     The 20 ton 36 foot scow M S P Co No 1 foundered in Alaska in about 1931.

Mapping and Location: Alaska Unknown

Comment: Vessel not reported lost until 1941.  WG

Additional Information: Tonnage 20 Gross and Net, Length 36, Breadth 17.7, Depth 3.9, Built 1913 at Seattle WA, Owner Midnight Sun Packing Company of Washington, Registered Seattle, ON 165212

Sources: 1. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1941) “Vessels Reported Lost” Pg 512, 2. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1939) Pg 383

MAFCO 8 (1951)     The 7 ton 28 foot wooden gas screw fishing vessel Mafco 8 foundered June 14, 1951 in the Gulf of Alaska at 50 56 N 139 55 W.

Mapping and Location: Alaska Unknown

Comment: These coordinates would put the loss out well west of Queen Charlotte Sound in the very southern Gulf of Alaska.  WG

Additional Information: Tonnage 7 Gross 5 Net, Length 28.5, Breadth 10.1, Depth 3.6, Built 1951 at Seattle WA, Horsepower 95, Owner Malaspina Fisheries Company, Registered Seattle, ON 261780

Sources: 1. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1952) Pg 332, 2. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1953-1954) “Vessels Reported Lost” Pg 745

 

MAFCO 9 (1951)     The 7 ton 28 foot wooden gas screw fishing vessel Mafco 9 foundered June 14, 1951 in the Gulf of Alaska at 50 56 N 139 55 W.

Mapping and Location: Alaska Unknown

Comment: These coordinates would put the loss out well west of Queen Charlotte Sound in the very southern Gulf of Alaska.  WG

Additional Information: Tonnage 7 Gross 5 Net, Length 28.5, Breadth 10.1, Depth 3.6, Built 1951 at Seattle WA, Horsepower 95, Owner Malaspina Fisheries Company, Registered Seattle, ON 261781

Sources: 1. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1952) Pg 332, 2. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1953-1954) “Vessels Reported Lost” Pg 745

 

MAGI (1987)     The 30 foot fishing vessel Magi sank July 2, 1987 at Naked Island.

Mapping and Location: Southern Alaska   Unknown

Comment: Multiple Naked Islands.  WG

Source: BOEM Alaska Shipwreck List (2011)

 

MARTHA A (1949)     The 128 ton 107 foot wooden oil screw fishing vessel Martha A stranded and was lost near Mary Island on April 26, 1949.

Mapping and Location:  Alaska Unknown

Comment: There are multiple Mary Islands; further research is warranted.  WG

Additional Information: Tonnage 128 Gross 79 Net, Length 107.7, Breadth 18.2, Depth 9.3, Built 1943 at Ipswich MA, Crew 8, Horsepower 2,400, Owner Harold S Anderson, Registered Seattle WA, ON 256088

Sources: 1. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1949) Pg 338, 2. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1950) “Vessels Reported Lost” Pg 926

 

MARTHA WILKES (1910)     The 67 ton 80 foot schooner Martha Wilkes stranded and was lost at Cape Bering, Siberia the evening of Saturday August 13, 1910.  The vessel departed Anadyr, Siberia August 11^th bound for Nome.  There were three crewmen aboard and 1,000 lbs. of furs and skins valued at $600.  The cause of the disaster is attributed to foggy weather, a strong SE wind and heavy seas.  Natives rescued the crew of the Martha Wilkes on August 14, 1910.  The vessel and her cargo were total losses with no insurance.  The Martha W Wilkes was valued at $5,000 at the time of the tragedy.

Mapping and Location: Siberia

Additional Information: Tonnage 67, Length 80, Breadth 17, Depth 6.5, Built 1898 Seattle, Master C B Owen of St Michael, Owner Owen & Johnson of St Michael

Source: U S Customs Wreck Report September 21, 1910 by C B Owen at Nome

MARY BROWN (1893)     The 43.6 ton  65 foot wooden schooner Mary Brown departed Sand Point October 3, 1893 bound for San Francisco and disappeared. She was carrying a cargo of miscellany and had a crew consisting of captain and owner Marzonia Brown, four seamen and two Eskimo crewmen (a man and a boy). There were eight passengers including captain Frank N Gafney of Lynde and Hough Company, James L. O’Brien and six of his men who had been engaged in conducting a store or station at Sand Point for the Lynde and Hough Company. They were all headed south for the winter. Many months after the Mary Brown went missing, Mrs. R. H. Hazelton, the sister of James O’Brien went north from San Francisco searching for tidings of her brother. With the help of Reverend Fred L. Stephenson, a missionary among the Alaskan Natives, the British authorities and two Native guides, Mrs. Hazelton was able to locate wreckage and the capsized hull of the Mary Brown near Banks Island, British Columbia. Captain O’Brien’s bloody clothing was found with the wreckage which indicated the possibility that foul play had been involved in the loss of the vessel. No bodies were ever found to help determine whether the vessel was lost to shipwreck, mutiny or attack by outsiders.

Mapping and Location: Unknown

Comment: There are a number of differing accounts of who was aboard the Mary Brown. Some do not mention the six men of James O’Brien and others mention three miners that were being transported back to British Columbia. Most report the loss of nine men. WG

Additional Information: Tonnage 45.89 Gross 43.6 Net, Length 65, Breadth 20.1, Depth 6.7, Built 1892 at San Francisco, Owner and captain Marzonia Brown, ON 92399

Sources: 1. San Francisco Chronicle (April 28, 1894) “A Mystery of the Sea” Pg 11, 2. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1893) Pg 191, 3. San Francisco Chronicle (November 16, 1893) “Where is the Mary Brown?” Pg 12, 4. San Francisco Call (December 15, 1893) “Nine Lives Lost” Pg 7, 5. San Francisco Call Bulletin (March 14, 1894) “Fate of the Mary Brown Not Known” Pg 3

 

MARY GRAY (1906)     The schooner Mary Gray was lost in a storm in Dolphin Island Bay in 1906 along with the sloop Lila and schooner Olivia. The three vessels are mistakenly listed on Alaska shipwrecks lists since as early as 1914.  All three were in fact lost off the coast of Alabama in the hurricane that made landfall south of Mobile September 27, 1906.

Mapping and Location: Unknown – Error in Location

Sources: 1. The H W McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1966) Pg 128 & Pg 269, 2. Washington Historical Quarterly (1916) “Marine Disasters of the Alaska Route” Pgs 21-37, 3. Historic Shipwrecks and Magnetic Anomalies of the Northern Gulf of Mexico (1989) Pg H-17

MARY H THOMAS (1894)     The 94 ton trading schooner Mary H Thomas was lost in the Bering Sea in 1894.  She was valued at $8,500 at the time of the disaster.

Mapping and Location: Unknown

Sources: 1. Washington Historical Quarterly (1916) “Marine Disasters of the Alaska Route” Pg 32, 2. The Northern Mariner (April 2006) “19^th Century Commercial Shipping Losses” Pg 66

MARY SACHS (1917)     The 30 ton 60 foot twin screw schooner Mary Sachs became frozen in the ice at Collinson Point near the Alaska Canada Border while owned by the Stefansson  Arctic Expedition in late 1913.  She never returned south but spent the next several winters hauled up on the beach and used as a camp shelter.  She ended up wrecked and scavenged in 1917 on Banks Island near Cape Kellett. Remnants of the vessels engine and other large metal parts are still evident.  Several local landmarks bear the name of the Mary Sachs including Mary Sachs Harbour and Mary Sachs Creek.

Mapping and Location: Northwest Territories, Canada

Sources: 1. The H W McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1966) Pg 230, 2. The Story of the Canadian Arctic Expedition 1913-1918 by David Gray (2003) Canadian Museum of Civilization

MAXIE (1940)     The 13 ton 35 foot wooden gas screw fishing vessel Maxie foundered August 12, 1940 on the west side of Bronson Bay.  No one was aboard at the time of the casualty.

Mapping and Location: Unknown Alaska

Additional Information: Tonnage 13 Gross 8 Net, Length 35.8, Breadth 10.9, Depth 5.3, Built 1930 at Seattle WA, Owner Erling C Haakonson, Registered Ketchikan, ON 229910

Sources: 1. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1942) “Vessels Reported Lost” Pg 511, 2. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1941) Pg 215

MELDON (1967)     The 42 ton 53 foot wooden oil screw fishing vessel Meldon stranded and was lost June 23, 1967 on the south shore of Long Island.

Mapping and Location: Alaska Unknown

Comment: There are at least a dozen Long Islands; more research is warranted.  WG

Additional Information: Tonnage 42 Gross 17 Net, Length 53, Breadth 15.1, Depth 7, Built 1940 at Tacoma WA, Horsepower 170, SL WA8055, Registered Astoria OR, ON 239575

Sources: 1. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1965) Pg 450, 2. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1968) “Vessels Reported Lost” Pg 1171

 

MERCURY (1879)     The 311 ton wooden whaling bark Mercury was frozen in the ice and abandoned near Herald Island, Siberia October 24, 1879.  The vessel sailed out of San Francisco with a crew of 37 and the Captain’s Wife.  The following are excerpts from the Wreck Report filed at New Bedford, Mass in 1880:

“Arctic Ocean.  Frozen in ice in mid-ocean and abandoned.”  “No sea; fair weather, no wind.”  “Bk Helen Mar rescued entire crew.  Disaster unavoidable; caught in the pommage ice and frozen in; captain, officers and crew all landed at San Francisco.”

The Mercury was listed with a value of “$16,000 & bal. of outfits”.  Her cargo of oil and whalebone were listed with a value of $40,000.  Both the Mercury and her cargo were total losses.

Mapping and Location: Siberia

Additional Information: Tonnage 311, Age 57 Years, Registered New Bedford MA, ON 17558, Master Stephen Hickmott, Vessel Insurance $14,000, Cargo Insurance none, Agents Wm. Phillips & Son, New Bedford

Source: U S Customs Wreck Report filed at New Bedford by Agents Wm. Phillips & Son

MICHAEL J (1955)     The 9 ton 28 foot gas water jet fishing vessel Michael J was destroyed by a storm August 6, 1955 off of the southwestern coast of Alaska.

Mapping and Location: Alaska Unknown

Additional Information: Tonnage 9 Gross 7 Net, Length 28.7, Breadth 10.2, Depth 3.9, Built 1953 at Friday Harbor WA, Horsepower 130, Owner John C Jackson, Registered Bellingham WA, ON 269947

Sources: 1. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1965) Pg 454, 2. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1968) “Vessels Reported Lost” Pg 1171

 

MIDAS (1898)     The British bark Midas was lost with all hands in 1898 in the North Pacific.  She departed Nagasaki, Japan some time near February 14, 1898 bound for the west coast of the United States and was never seen again.  The bark Willscott and the Puritan were caught in a terrific storm following the same route from the Orient at the same time.  The Willscott was dismasted and put into port in distress at San Francisco.  The normal time at sea from the Orient to West coast ports was 24 to 36 days.  The San Francisco Call reported her still missing on April 19, 1898, 65 days after the Midas left Nagasaki.

Mapping and Location: Unknown

Sources: 1. The San Francisco Call (April 19, 1898) “Where is the Bark Midas?” Pg 20, 2. Shipwrecks of the Alaskan Shelf and Shore (1992)

MIDGET (1950)     The 12 ton 33 foot wooden gas screw purse seiner Midget disappeared in the Gulf of Alaska May 10, 1950 on a trip from Cordova to Seattle with three persons aboard.  A Japanese mine found washed ashore in the area lead to speculation that the vessel may have struck a mine and been lost.  Lost with the Midget were owner John Erickson and brothers Ralph and Albert Peterson.

Mapping and Location: Alaska Unknown

Additional Information: Tonnage 12 Gross 8 Net, Length 33.3, Breadth 11.4, Depth 4.8, Built 1945 at Port Madison WA, Crew 1, Horsepower 130, Owner John Erickson, Registered Seattle WA, ON 247587

Sources: 1. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1951) Pg 363, 2. Merchant Vessels of the U S (1952) “Vessels Reported Lost” Pg 957, 3. BOEM Alaska Shipwreck List (2011)

 

MILDRED ROBINSON (1931)     The gas boat Mildred Robinson was lost at Madeline Point in 1931.

Mapping and Location: Alaska Unknown

Source:  The H W McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1966) Pg 413

MISS POZZOLANA (1970)     The oil screw Miss Pozzolana stranded and was lost August 18, 1970 at Dry Harbor.

Mapping and Location: Alaska Unknown

Source: BOEM Alaska Shipwreck List (2011)

 

MOUNT WOLLASTON (1879)     The 325 ton wooden bark Mount Wollaston was lost at Herald Island off the Siberian Coast October 10, 1879 with all hands.  She hailed out of New Bedford, Massachusetts and was valued at $32,000 at the time of the disaster.  This vessel had been caught in the ice and abandoned during the whaling season of 1876 but was salvaged in 1877 and put back into the whaling trade.  Her cargo when lost was reported to be 300 barrels of whale oil and 4,500 lbs. of whale bone valued at $18,000.

Mapping and Location: Siberia

Sources: 1. Alaska File of the Revenue Cutter Service 1867-1914 Microcopy 641 (1966), 2. APA Records Microfilm (1982), 3. The Northern Mariner (2006) “19^th Century Commercial Shipping Losses” Pg 64