Northern Alaska Shipwrecks ( L )

LADY KINDERSLEY (1904)     The Canadian power schooner Lady Kindersley was caught in the ice and crushed off of Point Barrow August 31, 1924.  The vessel was worth $420,000 with cargo.  The crew was rescued by the schooner Boxer.  The Lady Kindersley carried a cargo of machinery and stores for northern outposts.

Mapping and Location: Northern Alaska    71 N 157 W   Chart 16003

Sources: 1. Shipwrecks of the Alaskan Shelf and Shore (1992), 2. The H W McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1966) Pg 357

LAURA MADSEN (1905)     The 345 ton 140 foot wooden schooner Laura Madsen was trapped in the ice at crushed at anchor at Point Barrow Saturday October 14, 1905.  The vessel departed Wainright Inlet in August of 1905 with Captain Philip H Cook and his Wife along with eight other crewmen.  The Laura Madsen is listed as having a cargo of whalebone, ivory, furs etc worth $1,000.  She had “arrived at Point Barrow August 29, discharged freight as per manifest, was prevented by early ice from getting away, and after six weeks in ice was crushed, becoming wreck.”  Her value at the time was $12,500 of which only $3,000 was insured.  The cargo was fully insured.

Mapping and Location: Northern Alaska   71 23 29 N 156 28 30 W   Chart 16003

Additional Information: Tonnage 345 Gross 328 Net, Length 140, Breadth 38, Depth 10, Built 1882 Gardiner OR, Registered San Francisco, ON 140590, Owner Lyman D Foster M.O. of San Francisco

Source: U S Customs Wreck Report filed by Lyman D Foster January 31, 1906

LETTIE (1924)     The 33 ton gas screw Lettie stranded and was lost near Wainwright Inlet at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday September 9, 1924.  The Lettie departed Herschel Island in the Yukon Territory August 25, 1924 with three crewmen bound for Point Barrow.  Her cargo at the time of the disaster was valued at $5,800 and consisted of three tons of furs and general merchandise.  The following are statements from the casualty report her master, James R Crawford:

“Strong northerly breeze, with some swell on the bar; daylight.”  “Stranding…One-half mile N.E. of the mouth of Wainwright Inlet, Alaska, and one-half mile off shore.”  “Got out of the channel and went aground and unable to get vessel off.”  “The master had never entered the channel and he secured Mr. Allen in to pilot the vessel in as he has resided there for many years and has acted as pilot for vessels entering this channel on various occasions.”  “Got out an anchor and tried to pull vessel off, but could not move her.”

Captain Crawford was assisted by A J Allen and five Eskimos in the attempt to free the vessel.  The Lettie, valued at $5,000 became a total loss.  The report states that only $400 worth of the cargo was lost.

Mapping and Location: Northern Alaska   70 36 N 160 W   Chart 16003

Additional Information: Tonnage 33 Gross 31 Net, Built 1888 at Kodiak, Registered Unalaska, ON 141132, Master James R Crawford of San Francisco, Owner H Liebes and Co of San Francisco, Vessel Insurance $5,000, Cargo Insurance none

Source: U S C G Report of Casualty filed at Nome October 4, 1924 by Crawford

LOUISE J KENNY (1898)     The 97 foot trading schooner Louise J Kenny drug anchor and stranded on the beach near Point Hope on August 19, 1898.  The nine aboard made it to safety, but the Louise J Kenny became a total loss.  The vessel had departed Seattle April 4, 1898 and stopped at Unalaska, departing there June 22nd.  She was carrying 120 tons of lumber, machinery and general merchandise valued at $7,000.  The following are the events of August 19, 1898 as described by L Larsen, master of the Louise J Kenny:

“South side of Point Hope in Arctic Ocean, Alaska.”  “Gale; southwest wind.  Impossible to get under way on account of hight wind and proximity to breakers.  Dragged anchor and drifted on beach.  Force of wind 8.  5 a.m. daylight.”  “Tried to make sail evening of 18th in so doing lost one anchor, snapping the chain suddenly.  Vessel going towards beach and before other anchor took hold vessel was in .. fathoms of water.  Wind veering to SSW so we had no chance to clear beach on either tack.  Held on until 4 a.m. when began to drag.  People on beach took line and helped crew to land.”  “When wind subsided vessel was high and dry on the beach, but full of water.  Impossible to get her off or save anything.  Had to abandon everything.”

The Louise J Kenny was valued at $10,000 and along with her cargo listed as total losses.  Insurance on the vessel was $5,000 and her cargo $4,000.

Mapping and Location: Northern Alaska 68 21 N 166 47 W   Chart 16003

Comment: Some cargo salvaged.  WG

Additional Information: Tonnage 155 Net, Length 96.8, Breadth 25.4, Depth 11.2, Built 1889 Essex MA, Registered Seattle, ON 140984, Owner Seattle Hardware

Sources: 1. U S Customs Wreck Report August 25, 1898 by Larsen, 2. The H W McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1966) Pg 41

LYDIA MAYFLOWER (1900)     The schooner Lydia Mayflower was wrecked and went to pieces on the rocks off of Cape Prince of Wales September of 1900 along with the schooner Victoria.  Both shipwrecked vessels crews were picked up by the schooner Alice.  There was no loss of life.

Mapping and Location: Northern Alaska   68 21 N 166 47 W   16005

Sources: 1. The H W McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1966) Pg 63, 2. The San Francisco Call (October 24, 1900) “Picks Up Two Shipwrecked Crews on the Bleak Shores of the Arctic”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *