The Tragic Wreck of the Steamer Tacoma
Captain George D. Korts faces an official inquiry into the catastrophic loss of the vessel, revealing a series of navigational errors and failed rescue attempts.
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An official inquiry began in San Francisco regarding the loss of the steamer Tacoma. Captain George D. Korts testified that the vessel departed Port Townsend with fifty-two people on board. Korts admitted he did not know the vessel's exact latitude and longitude on the day prior to the wreck and struggled to verify his compass deviations. He reported that when the ship hit land, the weather was thick and the sea high. Korts left the vessel in a boat to go ashore, citing a lack of trustworthy officers, and failed to successfully organize a rescue line before the vessel broke up. First officer L.L. Simmons corroborated that no night order book was maintained, with orders often left on a slate. Tragically, the deckhouse was later swept away with several men clinging to it, and none were saved.
“The ship showed signs of breaking up about an hour after. It was impossible to get to the ship to rescue the men; saw four seamen in the fore rigging and five on the port side of the house.”
Maritime disasters were a common fear for Pacific Northwest commuters in the 1880s. The 'Tacoma' wreck serves as a stark reminder of the environmental perils that shaped early commerce and settlement in the Puget Sound region.
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