Pilots Bride (sloop)

August 1, 1881 A sloop under Captain C. H. Lewis bound for Portland from Nestucca. She wrecked, for a total loss, on the Nestucca bar. Don Marshall, Ship disasters from Cascade Head to Nehalem River,Oregon Shipwrecks, 1985, p. 96-98.

Citation: Tacoma Public Library

Pilot's Bride (sloop)

The sloop Pilot's Bride, Capt. C. H. Lewis, from Nestucca for Portland, stranded on Nestucca bar, August 1, 1881, and became a total loss. E. W. Wright, Marine Business of 1881, Lewis and Drydens Marine History of the Pacific Northwest [Written in 1895], p. 290.

Citation: Tacoma Public Library

Western Bride

The ship WESTERN BRIDE was built under Special Survey by Lloyd's Register of Shipping, in Kingston, New Brunswick, in 1854, by William P. Flewelling. 1066/1121 tons; 176.4 x 31.7 x 22 feet (length x beam x depth of hold); owned by Fernie Brothers, and registered at Liverpool [Frederick William Wallace, comp., Record of Canadian shipping : a list of square-rigged vessels, mainly 500 tons and over, built in the eastern provinces of British North America from the year 1786 to 1920 (Toronto: Musson Book Co., c1929).; National Archives of Canada, RG 42 Volume 1349, ** Original References Vol.# 138 Reel # C-386 Page # 12, and ** Original References Reel # A-439 Survey # 51; Lloyd's Register of Shipping, 1856-1857]. The WESTERN BRIDE had a very short career. On 21 June 1855, A. [or J.] Sinclair, master, she sailed from Liverpool for Melbourne, where she arrived on 26 September 1855, with 8 passengers, 377 assisted immigrants, and salt; on 3 November 1855, she cleared for Callao, in ballast [Marten A. Syme, Shipping arrivals and departures : Victorian ports, vol. 2: 1846-1855, Roebuck Society Publication No. 39 (Melbourne: [Roebuck Society], 1987), p. 332]. On 5 February 1856, she sailed from the Chincha Islands, with a cargo of guano, bound for Queenstown; on 8 March 1856, she struck a sunken rock about two miles from Baranca Point, in the Straits of Magellan, and sank. The following is an account of the sinking, taken from the Times, 4 September 1856, p. 5f: "DREADFUL SHIPWRECK. - The following particulars of the loss of the ship Western Bride are from the pen of Mr. Arthur Newson, a passenger: "The Western Bride left the Chincha Islands, coast of Peru, laden with guano, on the 5th of February, 1856, bound for Queenstown, Ireland. On the 26th we had strong winds with heavy seas from the south-west, in latitude 40 degrees south, longitude 78 degrees west. The ship then became very leaky, so that the pumps were obliged to be worked every hour; and when under double-reefed topsails the crew were kept constantly at the pumps. On the 27th the foreyard was carried away; strong gales still prevailing with very high seas and ship very leaky, it was thought advisable to bear up for the Straits of Magellan as the nearest place of refuge, which we entered on the 2d of March with a fresh gale from the west-north-west; weather thick and rainy, with sleet at times. At sundown attempted to anchor, but found no bottom, both anchors dragging with 75 fathoms of chain, blowing a hurricane, and a strong current carrying us down to the narrowest part of the Straits, as we thought to destruction. We were obliged to let go one anchor and chain, the vessel having twice touched the rocks during the night. Daylight at last came to our relief, and we proceeded onward to Port Famine, where we remained two days repairing in the harbour. We continued our voyage until the 8th at 2 p.m., when the ship struck on a sunken rock about two miles from Barranca Point, the wind then blowing very hard and sea high. The ship continued to strike very heavily until 4 30 p.m., when the force of the wind and the sea had driven her over the bank, and she floated again. On sounding the pumps we found 7 feet water in the well. The pumps were immediately manned, but the water gained so fast there was not even time to run the ship ashore, in which case part of the vessel might have been saved and our baggage also, there being barely time to launch two boats, in which we saved our lives with great difficulty. At 7 p.m. the ship sunk in 24 fathoms as soon as we were clear of her. At 9 p.m. dark, wet, cold, thirsty and hungry, we reached Baxa Point, on the Fuegian side of the Straits, having only a few soaked biscuits, no water, and the weather bitterly cold. We feared to light a fire lest we should attract the attention of the natives, who are well known by South Sea voyagers as cannibals of the worst description. In this wretched locality we remained five days, when seeing nothing but starvation before us, the sea having abated, we took to our boats, and rowed across the Straits, and after several days suffering the greatest agony from protracted hunger and the most excruciating thirst we reached a small Chilian settlement in Patagonia. The governor, a Dane, received us very kindly and did everything in his power with his limited means to make us comfortable, and his attention to our wants will ever be remembered with gratitude. On the 15th of May the United States' war brig Bainbridge, cruising in the Straits in search of the crew of the lost ship Manchester, having seen part of the wreck, and understood from the Patagonian Indians we were at the settlement, arrived and agreed to take us up to Montevideo, River Plate, having learnt that the crew of the Manchester had all perished but two. Our best thanks are due to the Chilian Government for their assistance to British subjects, and especially to the governor for his kindness, and also to the United States' Government for the assistance rendered by their vessel to us and to the officers of the brig for their kindness." Mr. Newsom has just arrived in Norwich." [E-mail from Michael Palmer - 26 August 1998]

Citation: