Copyrighted © 1997 by Nancy Wright. Contributed for use inUSGenWeb Archives by Nancy Wright . USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogy information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT bereproduced in any format for profit or presentation by otherorganizations."Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposesother than as stated above, must contact the submitter or thelisted USGenWeb archivist. Uploaded 18 August 1997. Article pertaining to the ship "Alaska" which sank. The passengers were miners from Alameda Co., California THE LOST "ALASKA" An Account by One of the Survivors of the Departure of the Schooner and the Work at the Mine There can no longer be any doubt that the ill fated schooner, Alaska, went down with all on board, on the trip from Goloven bay, Alaska, to San Francisco. When the schooner left in October last, some of the men were left behind at the mine, and they were brought down by the Alaska Company's steamer St. Paul, which arrived on Saturday last. One of the survivors is Mr. F. B. Price, who resides on Sycamore street, in this city, and he stated last evening, that when the schooner left Goloven bay on October 21st last, she had on board: Captain Gallagher, master of the schooner ___ Hoffner, first mate. ___ Marston, a young man, resident in Alameda county, second mate. Arthur Eden, seaman James Muer, seaman Samuel I. Marston, one of the owners of the mine, a resident of Newark, in this county, ex-Public Administrator, and a prominent citizen and an old resident of the county. R. B. Harl, Superintendent of the mine, a resident of Centreville, Alameda county. John Lowrie, an employyee at the mine, a residnet of Centreville, Alameda Co. Charles Thompson, Charles Babb, James Thompson, Gus. Eastman, Andrew Davidson and Wm. Campbell, employees at the mine, and two seamen, whose names are unknown. At the mine were left, Edward Allen, David Mackey, Harry Richards, F. B. Price, Robert Lowrie, William Walton, and John Nicholson. Lost The cargo was 75 tons of ore. The registered tonnage of the vessel was 131 tons. The very day after the schooner left intensely cold weather set in, and the bay and the ocean were covered with ice. Had the vessel remained 24 hours longer it could not have left the bay that season. No word has ever been heard of the schooner since that time, except a brief report that the whaler Gazelle saw the Alaska on the 24th of October, while a fearful gale was blowing. The signal officer at St. Michaels, Mr. Clark, reports that the wind was blowing at a velocity of 60 miles an hour on the date the men on the saw the schooner. No word from the schooner ever has been received since. The gale probably was fatal to the vessel and to all on board. The mine is owned by W. W. Whitman, of the grocery firm of Torrey, Whitman and Gardiner of this city, Mr. Green of West Berkely, the estate of Colonel A. F. William, Robert Lowrie and San. I. Marston. The last named is one of those lost on the schooner. The men left behind put in the Winter working at the mine, and in June last the Corwin touched at Golovin Bay with letters for the miners. By these they learned that the schooner had not arrived. A Perilous Voyage Then they decided that some of the them should return, and accordingly F. B. Price, Robert Lowrie, William Walton, and John Nicholson prepared to leave the mine. They embarked in a baydere, or skin boat, for St. Michaels, a distance of seventy miles in a straight line, but a distance of 240 miles following the coast line around Norton Sound, as the men in the little boat were compelled to do. The perilous trip occupied two weeks. When the wind was favorable sail was used, and when the wind was unfavorable or during a calm, oats were used. Four oars had been left in a whaleboat of the Leo and oarlocks were reeved on the baydere. Paddles, such as are used by the natives, also were used. After having been in the water for a couple of days, the skins of which the boat was made became slack, and the waves striking against the sides made them move inward and outward. The trip, however, was made in safety, and at St. Michaels the men took passage on the Alaska Commercial Company's steamer St. Paul. David Mackey and Harry Richards were left at the mine. During the Winter The cold was intense, the thermometer standing sometimes at 27 and 38 below zero. In spite of this intense cold the men worked at the mine, except when the wind blew. During a windstorm the snow was blown with such intense force that it cur the skin, and the men could not go outside the house. The force of the blast was so great at times that a man could not stand against it. The dwelling of the men was in a valley about forty miles long by fifteen miles wide. It was a log house divided into compartments. One was occupied by the men and the other by the mules. During the winter time two great wood fires were kept burning all the time. About 150 cords of wood were burned last winter. The wood was easily obtained from trees growing in the valley. The mine was situated about a mile form the house, on the top of a hill. A Shaft about 75 feet deep was sunk and two drifts were made. During the summer months the ground to the depth of about two feet could be moved with a pick. At the depth named frozen ground was struck and no tools could have any influence upon it. Powder was used in loosening the ground and rock. The owners of the mine are still determined to make further efforts to develop what they believe to be a very valuable property, and another vessel will be sent to Golovin bay to bring our a cargo of the ore already mined, and leave men to dig more.