Northern Alaska Shipwrecks ( X-Y-Z )

YOUNG PHOENIX (1888)     The 355 ton 107 foot wooden whaling bark Young Phoenix was crushed by ice on a lee shore in a gale and lost near Point Barrow August 3, 1888.  Lost along with the Young Phoenix were the New Bedford barks Mary & Susan and Fleetwing as well as the San Francisco schooners Jane Grey and Ino.  The Young Phoenix had departed Honolulu March 9, 1888 with 38 crewmen aboard.  Her cargo at the time of the disaster was listed as $13,000 worth of whaling supplies.  The Young Phoenix had a value of $8,000 and was a complete loss, as was her cargo.  The vessel was insured for $17,000.  No lives were lost.

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

                Comment : A detailed accounting of the rescue of the whalers from the 5 lost ships can be found in the Report of the Cruise of the U S Revenue Cutter Bear and the Overland Expedition for the Relief of the Whalers in the Arctic Ocean from November 27, 1897 to September 13, 1898 published by the Washington Government Printing Office in 1899.  WG

                Additional Informaton : Tonnage 355, Length 107.3, Breadth 28.5, Depth 18.7, Built 1882 at Rochester MA, Registered New Bedford MA, ON 27562, Master M V B Willard of San Francisco, Owner J H Bartlett & Sons of New Bedford

                Sources : 1. U S Customs Wreck Report December 13, 1888 at New Bedford by J H Bartlett & Sons, Agent, 2. Lewis and Dryden’s Marine History of the Pacific Northwest (1895) Pg 361