Old Weather Forum

August done and uploaded. They noted a couple cases of distances between islands being significantly different to what the charts said they should be

That's how it was in the 1800s and early 1900s. In some places the coastline of Alaska north of Point Hope is out by nine miles. Same for the Canadian Arctic Islands, even in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Terra incognito...

September 6th was quite an exciting day.
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 3_0309.JPG

First, they came across a wrecked schooner in the Baby Islands, and stopped to take everyone on board (around 6 AM), then upon returning to Dutch Harbor, they had to help put out a fire! (around noon)

The more I see your avatar, the more I like it!

You made big time, Chris!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USRC_Manning_(1898)#Bering_Sea_Patrol wrote: On 6 September 1903, Manning delivered 38 passengers and eight crew members of the schooner Abbie M. Deering – which was wrecked on Baby Island in northwestern Akutan Pass on 4 September 1903 – safely to Unalaska. Later the same day, the crew was called upon by Captain Michael Healy of the USRC Thetis to assist in fighting a fire on the American ship St. Francis on the opposite side of the wharf from Thetis.

Abbie M. Deering: https://alaskashipwreck.com/shipwrecks- ... pwrecks-a/

American ship St. Francis: Possibly https://penobscotmarinemuseum.org/findi ... n-sight-2/


Thetis: http://oldweather.s3.amazonaws.com/ow3/ ... _110_1.jpg

September done and uploaded. Those events seem to have been the highlight of the month - she was in port for the rest of it!

On October 21st, another ship arrived in Dutch Harbor and reported that two ships were missing:
The Meteor, which was disabled, and the Eureka, which had recently left Nome to tow her.
So after consulting with the Bear's commanding officer, the Manning set off on an extensive search and rescue mission.
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 3_0354.JPG

The names Eureka and Meteor sound familiar - I wonder if I saw them before in other logbooks?

There seem to have been quite a few ships named Meteor: http://www.explorenorth.com/library/shi ... yukon.html


https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 88_152.jpg

October done and uploaded. As Randi's photo shows, the Eureka and Meteor did make it to Dutch Harbor - the Manning spent some time looking for them, but returned to Dutch Harbor on her own.

Also came across a case of passengers on a steamer complaining they did not get enough water, and the ship was filthy and did not have enough lifeboats (This was before the Titanic, which made authorities get serious about minimum lifeboat requirements).
The Manning's officers investigated and found some of these claims were correct, so they made the steamer's captain promise to clean his vessel and get more lifeboats.
I hope he kept his word.
https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/med ... 3_0363.JPG

November done, and with it, the entire year!
I will do 1905 next.

Well done!

Dutch Harbor
Saturday, September 5, 1903.

8:10 PM received information that a vessel was ashore on Baby I^ds & in need of assistance.
8:50 underway, leaving liberty party ashore, & stood out of harbor.

Sunday, September 6, 1904.

12:15 AM burned Coston Signal, no response.
12:30 turned & headed NE. Stopped & drifted off I^ds.
04:00 Vessel stopped & drifting - awaiting daylight.
05:10 continued search.
05:30 sighted wrecked schooner and shelter tents on shore. Stood to South^d of I^ds.
05:50 stopped & sent officer to investigate.
06:30 boat returned with passengers & baggage. Officer reported vessel high on reef. Used whaleboat and sailing launch and took on board 35 males & 1 female & baggage. Mate, one female passenger & child left to protect vessel.
...
09:10 full speed ahead, stood through Akutan Pass.
11:30 hailed by launch from "Thetis"& requested to go alongside ship "St. Francis", which was on fire.
11:50 Made fast to St Frances; coupled up fire hose & let four streams of water into her hold.
12:45 fire reported out. Stopped pumps.
14:30 fire again discovered.
15:10 fire reported out; stopped pump & held hose & pump in readiness for immediate use. Passengers & crew of Schooner "Abbie M. Deering" left the vessel.

Dutch Harbor

Saturday, October 26, 1903.
Manning comes into Dutch Harbor where the steamers Eureka and Meteor are anchored.

October 31^st
Ship's carpenter at work assisting to make jury rudder for disabled Str. "Meteor". (Joan's Str W^m. Bayless proceeds to sea.)

November 1^st
Rendered medical aid to man from Str "Meteor". Carpenter assisting to rig jury rudder for "Meteor".

November 2^nd
Carpenter making jury rudder for "Meteor".

November 3^rd
Carpenter assisting to rig jury rudder on Str "Meteor".
10:00 By order of Commanding Officer placed T. Sarada, Stg. Cook & Y Sakai, cook, in double irons together - back to back - for continual fighting.
12:30 released them.

November 4^th
Carpenter assisting to rig jury rudder on Str "Meteor".

November 5^th
Carpenter making jury rudder for "Meteor". Str "Eureka" made fast to "Meteor".

November 6^th
Carpenter finished jury rudder for "Meteor"! Loaned one anchor shackle to "Meteor" for towing hawser. Treated one man from "Eureka".

November 7^th
00:00 Standing by to go to sea in company with Strs "Eureka" & "Meteor".
09:30 "Eureka & "Meteor" attempted to get underway. "Meteor" got jury rudder foul of her wheel: both vessels warped alongside wharf to clear "Meteor's" wheel.
11:00 "Meteor's" wheel clear; both steamers cast off & stood out of harbor.
11:35 cast off & stood out of harbor after "Meteor". Fired 2 - 6 pdr D. S. saluting charges.
13:00 cut out one boiler. Steaming for Akutan Pass.
15:00 hawser between "Eureka" & "Meteor" parted in heavy tide rips off Akutan Pass. Steamed down to "Meteor" & after maneuvering 1/2 hours got 9" line to him & at 15:45 steamed ahead for Dutch Harbor (At request of master of "Meteor")
18:05 hawser parted. Str "Eureka" ran to "Meteor" & got line aboard. Spoke vessels and learned that they were all right, & that "Eureka" would tow "Meteor" to Dutch Harbor.
18:20 ahead full speed & at 19:30 made fast to Dutch Harbor wharf.
20:40 "Eureka" & "Meteor" anchored in harbor. Loaned "Meteor" 8 lbs 3/16" galvanized seizing wire & 1 - 1" & 1 - 3/4" auger.

November 7^th

Made following signals to Str. "Meteor" VDZ - FIM - KSI.
09:45: Strs "Meteor" & "Eureka" fast to wharf.
11:45 cast off from wharf & stood out of harbor. (Heading for Port Townsend.)

The 1903 voyage has been completed, many thanks to Chris! I wish the logkeeper did as complete a job logging events and other data as Chris was transcribing it!!!

You can see a plot of the voyage here, and you can get more details by downloading the KML file and viewing it in Google Earth.