The Final Voyage of the John Rosenfeld
The noble Maine-built ship is declared a total loss after running aground on a reef near Lummi Island.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The sailing ship John Rosenfeld has been declared a total loss after running aground on a reef off Lummi Island on February 18, 1886. Despite efforts to lighten the vessel by casting 150 tons of coal cargo overboard and attempts by the crew to refloat her at high tide, the ship remained wedged between two rocks and eventually broke in two. Built in Bath, Maine, and valued at $85,000, the vessel represented a significant financial loss for Captain Baker and the ship's owners. The crew has since been tasked with dismantling the rigging and furniture of the ship, which will be stored at Union Wharf in Port Townsend. Captain Cameron of the rescue tug stated that the grounding occurred while he was off-duty, leaving the vessel in charge of his mate.
“The ship is broken in two across the reef, her main mast gone by the board and the fore and mizzen ready to follow.”
Shipwrecks were a common peril of the Pacific Northwest maritime economy in the late 19th century, often resulting in devastating financial loss for individual owners. The reliance on coal transport by sail highlights the era's transition toward industrial shipping.
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