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==History==
The ''J. A. Chanslor'' was a 4,936 gross ton<ref name="marinersmuseum">{{cite web|url=https://catalogs.marinersmuseum.org/object/VS16462|website=catalogs.marinersmuseum.org|title=The Mariners' Museum Online Catalog|accessdate=2019-12-23}}</ref> or 4,938 ton capacity<ref>United Press, “40 Drowned Tanker Wreck - Tanker J. A. Chanslor Hits Reef and Goes to Pieces Off Cape Blanco, Ore. - Captain And 12 Of Crew Are Rescued - Manned Lifeboat and Got to Shore - Boat on Way Portland to S. F.,” ''Riverside Daily Press'', Riverside, California, Saturday 20 December 1919, Volume XXXIV, Number 302, page 1.</ref> oil tanker built by [[Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company]] at [[Newport News]], Virginia, in 1910. It was 378 feet in length with a beam of 52 feet. It had a draft of 29.5 feet.
Owned by the [[Associated Oil Company]], her home port was [[San Francisco]], California.<ref name="marinersmuseum">{{cite web|url=https://catalogs.marinersmuseum.org/object/VS16462|website=catalogs.marinersmuseum.org|title=The Mariners' Museum Online Catalog|accessdate=2019-12-23}}</ref>
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Revision as of 08:17, 24 December 2019
The J. A. Chanslor was an oil tanker built in 1910 which was wrecked off of Cape Blanco, Oregon, on 18 December 1919, with only three survivors of the 38 crew.
History
The J. A. Chanslor was a 4,936 gross ton[1] or 4,938 ton capacity[2] oil tanker built by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company at Newport News, Virginia, in 1910. It was 378 feet in length with a beam of 52 feet. It had a draft of 29.5 feet.
Owned by the Associated Oil Company, her home port was San Francisco, California.[1]
Accident
Early on Thursday night, 18 December 1919, while en route from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco,[3] the ship struck rocks off of Cape Blanco, on the southern Oregon coast, in dense fog[4] and sank. On course at noon, a strong cross-current swept the steamer out of her plot, unknown to her crew, and in the poor visibility, the jagged rocks were not observed until it was too late, according to a statement made by her captain, recovering in hospital in Bandon. The ship struck at 6 p.m. and split with the stern and after half of the hull dropping away immediately. No one in the engine room had a chance to escape.[5] “The vessel broke in two and only the bridge is showing above the sea.”[6] Fifteen men of the 36 crew escaped the foundering vessel in a single lifeboat but only three made it ashore alive. No passengers were carried, this being contrary to company regulations.[7]
“The life boat made its way north during Thursday night and Friday reaching a point 30 miles north of Cape Blanco, and about four miles north of Bandon. Here an attempt was made to reach shore through the surf but the boat capsized.”[8]
“Captain A. A. Sawyer, Quartermaster Wm. Merkel, and Assistant Steward Earl Dooley, survive. The bodies of Mates W. H. Reese and E. A. Rose, Seaman Adolph Hohne and Boatswain L. S. Pfantsch were washed ashore, following the wreck. It is expected that at least some of the bodies of the other eight men who were in the lifeboat will be found later.”[9] The Seaman was also identified in the press as Adolph Haline, of San Francisco, and listed as quartermaster; Reese listed as first officer, and Edward A. Rose as third officer.[10] The first officer was also reported as W. H. Weeks. Among other crew that went into the life boat but whom did not survive were the second officer, F. Norton, and steward Frank Cashen.[11]
“That Francis Jackson, son of C. S. Jackson, publisher of the Portland Journal, is among the dead, was considered certain. Jackson relieved the second engineer for the one trip, just for the experience.”[12]
“The rescued men are recovering from the effects of their terrible experiences while at sea for 24 hours after the wreck.”[13]
A representative of the Associated Oil Company was expected at Marshfield, Oregon, on 22 December to make arrangements for sending the bodies to the San Francisco Company headquarters.[14] Captain Johnson, of the U. S. Coast Guard, inspected the wrecked vessel on Sunday 21 December, and hoped a diver could approach the site as conditions improved and became the most favorable since the ship struck the rocks.[15]
Efforts were made on 23–24 December to reach the sunken vessel to recover bodies. “Unless a diver can get to the aft section of the vessel, which is estimated to be 45 feet under water, there is practically no hope of recovering the 23 bodies which are believed to be in the wreckage.”[16]
The fore section of the ship eventually drifted ashore on the Oregon coast near the Sixes River.[17]
References
- ^ a b "The Mariners' Museum Online Catalog". catalogs.marinersmuseum.org. Retrieved 2019-12-23.
- ^ United Press, “40 Drowned Tanker Wreck - Tanker J. A. Chanslor Hits Reef and Goes to Pieces Off Cape Blanco, Ore. - Captain And 12 Of Crew Are Rescued - Manned Lifeboat and Got to Shore - Boat on Way Portland to S. F.,” Riverside Daily Press, Riverside, California, Saturday 20 December 1919, Volume XXXIV, Number 302, page 1.
- ^ Wire service, “36 Death Toll In Wreck Of Tanker - Steamer Chanslor Is Sent on Rock by Strong Cross Current - Survivors In Hospital - Men Cling to Life Boat Until They Can Endure Cold No Longer.” The Sacramento Union, Sacramento, California, Sunday 21 December 1919, 69th year, Volume 211, Number 51, page 1.
- ^ United Press, “40 Drowned Tanker Wreck - Tanker J. A. Chanslor Hits Reef and Goes to Pieces Off Cape Blanco, Ore. - Captain And 12 Of Crew Are Rescued - Manned Lifeboat and Got to Shore - Boat on Way Portland to S. F.,” Riverside Daily Press, Riverside, California, Saturday 20 December 1919, Volume XXXIV, Number 302, page 1.
- ^ Associated Press, “Captain Relates Graphic Story Of Shipwreck - Tank Steamer J. A. Chanslor Loses Course During Big Storm and Heavy Fog,” The San Bernardino Daily Sun, San Bernardino, California, Sunday 21 December 1919, Volume XLVI, Number 112, page 2.
- ^ United Press, “40 Drowned Tanker Wreck - Tanker J. A. Chanslor Hits Reef and Goes to Pieces Off Cape Blanco, Ore. - Captain And 12 Of Crew Are Rescued - Manned Lifeboat and Got to Shore - Boat on Way Portland to S. F.,” Riverside Daily Press, Riverside, California, Saturday 20 December 1919, Volume XXXIV, Number 302, page 1.
- ^ United Press, “40 Drowned Tanker Wreck - Tanker J. A. Chanslor Hits Reef and Goes to Pieces Off Cape Blanco, Ore. - Captain And 12 Of Crew Are Rescued - Manned Lifeboat and Got to Shore - Boat on Way Portland to S. F.,” Riverside Daily Press, Riverside, California, Saturday 20 December 1919, Volume XXXIV, Number 302, page 1.
- ^ United Press, “40 Drowned Tanker Wreck - Tanker J. A. Chanslor Hits Reef and Goes to Pieces Off Cape Blanco, Ore. - Captain And 12 Of Crew Are Rescued - Manned Lifeboat and Got to Shore - Boat on Way Portland to S. F.,” Riverside Daily Press, Riverside, California, Saturday 20 December 1919, Volume XXXIV, Number 302, page 1.
- ^ United Press, “Will Attempt To Get To Wrecked Tanker - Unless Diver Can Get to Aft Section of Vessel There is No Hope of Getting Out Bodies of Drowned Sailors - Four Bodies Washed Ashore,” Riverside Daily Press, Riverside, California, Tuesday Evening 23 December 1919, Volume XXXIV, Number 304, page 1.
- ^ Wire service, “36 Death Toll In Wreck Of Tanker - Steamer Chanslor Is Sent on Rock by Strong Cross Current - Survivors In Hospital - Men Cling to Life Boat Until They Can Endure Cold No Longer.” The Sacramento Union, Sacramento, California, Sunday 21 December 1919, 69th year, Volume 211, Number 51, page 1.
- ^ Associated Press, “Captain Relates Graphic Story Of Shipwreck - Tank Steamer J. A. Chanslor Loses Course During Big Storm and Heavy Fog,” The San Bernardino Daily Sun, San Bernardino, California, Sunday 21 December 1919, Volume XLVI, Number 112, page 2.
- ^ United Press, “40 Drowned Tanker Wreck - Tanker J. A. Chanslor Hits Reef and Goes to Pieces Off Cape Blanco, Ore. - Captain And 12 Of Crew Are Rescued - Manned Lifeboat and Got to Shore - Boat on Way Portland to S. F.,” Riverside Daily Press, Riverside, California, Saturday 20 December 1919, Volume XXXIV, Number 302, page 1.
- ^ United Press, “All Hope Is Abandoned Of Saving Missing Men,” Riverside Daily Press, Riverside, California, Monday 22 December 1919, Volume XXXIV, Number 303, page 2.
- ^ United Press, “All Hope Is Abandoned Of Saving Missing Men,” Riverside Daily Press, Riverside, California, Monday 22 December 1919, Volume XXXIV, Number 303, page 2.
- ^ United Press, “All Hope Is Abandoned Of Saving Missing Men,” Riverside Daily Press, Riverside, California, Monday 22 December 1919, Volume XXXIV, Number 303, page 2.
- ^ United Press, “Will Attempt To Get To Wrecked Tanker - Unless Diver Can Get to Aft Section of Vessel There is No Hope of Getting Out Bodies of Drowned Sailors - Four Bodies Washed Ashore,” Riverside Daily Press, Riverside, California, Tuesday Evening 23 December 1919, Volume XXXIV, Number 304, page 1.
- ^ https://books.google.com/books?id=d8gmDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA29&lpg=PA29&dq=tanker+j.+a.+chanslor&source=bl&ots=sWlp67xPbh&sig=ACfU3U2QKVAKacC_VIx5WxKH_b9A_GqNwA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiM76KKw83mAhUKVs0KHTlWAHAQ6AEwBnoECAEQAQ#v=onepage&q=tanker%20j.%20a.%20chanslor&f=false