You can dive down to Alaska’s “Titanic” today – the ghostly wreck of SS Aleutian

The SS Aleutian’s Seven-Minute Disaster at Kodiak Island

The SS Aleutian hit a rock and sank in just seven minutes on a calm May morning in 1929. Alaska Steamship’s grand 360-foot flagship struck an uncharted pinnacle while cruising at 14 knots near Kodiak Island.

Quick-thinking crew helped 153 people escape, though one woman clung to the stern rail in her nightdress before being pulled from the sea.

Sadly, crewman Manuel Dorras went back for his “lucky” horseshoe and never returned. Local boats rushed survivors to safety, first to Larsen Bay cannery, then onward to Seward.

Today, the Aleutian rests upright at 220 feet in Uyak Bay, where divers can explore her ghostly masts that reach to just 110 feet below the surface.

From Cuban Cruises to Alaskan Waters

The SS Aleutian began as the SS Havana in 1899, built for the Ward Line to connect New York with Cuba and Gulf ports. She carried troops from Cuba to Savannah during the Spanish-American War.

The Panama Railroad bought her in 1905 and renamed her SS Panama.

For years, she took construction workers and gear to the Panama Canal project, helping build one of America’s biggest engineering projects.

Alaska’s Floating Palace Gets a Makeover

Alaska Steamship Company bought the ship in February 1927 from Panama service and named her SS Aleutian, after the volcanic island chain across Alaska’s southern coast.

The company fully updated her in Seattle, switching her from coal to oil-fired engines.

The Aleutian became the fleet’s pride, a floating palace with fancy passenger rooms that made her the company’s best ship for Alaskan travel.

Captain Nord Sets Course for Kodiak

The Aleutian left Seattle in late May 1929 with Captain John G. Nord at the helm.

He knew Alaskan waters well. The ship stopped at several coastal towns before reaching Seward on May 24, 1929.

Her 39 passengers included Alaska Steamship’s Seward agent, cannery workers going to summer jobs, and Miss Miller from the mining town of Latouche. The crew counted 114 people, making 153 souls total.

A Detour Seals the Ship’s Fate

The steamer left Seward on May 25 headed for Kodiak Island. She dropped off passengers for Uganik and took workers and supplies to Larsen Bay cannery.

Captain Nord then heard the sailing schooner Esther needed freight at the head of Uyak Bay. This unplanned 15-mile trip into less-traveled waters seemed simple but would doom the mighty ship.

Fourteen Knots Straight Into Disaster

At 5:30 a. m. on May 26, 1929, the Aleutian smashed into an unknown underwater rock near Amook Island. The ship moved at 14 knots in clear weather with perfect sight when she hit.

Her bottom plates ripped open as she slid across the hidden reef into deeper water. The hull shook hard as seawater rushed in, and everyone aboard quickly knew they faced serious trouble.

Seven Minutes to Abandon Ship

The Aleutian started sinking front-first almost right away, her back end rising out of the water as the forward parts flooded. Crew members jumped into action, waking passengers and off-duty sailors.

They lowered lifeboats from the tilting deck as the ship leaned badly to one side. The whole vessel sank just seven minutes after hitting the rock, giving everyone barely enough time to escape.

Nightgown and Courage in Frigid Waters

About twelve people jumped or fell from the tilting deck into the cold Alaskan waters. Miss Miller from Latouche hung from the back rail wearing only a coat over her nightgown before dropping into the sea.

Alert crew members pulled her and others from the water into waiting lifeboats.

One lifeboat almost went down when its rope tangled, but a quick crew member cut it free with a knife.

The Lucky Horseshoe That Wasn’t

With all 153 passengers and crew safely in lifeboats, crewman Manuel Dorras made a deadly choice. Witnesses watched as he climbed back onto the fast-sinking ship.

He told others he needed to get his lucky horseshoe from his cabin. Dorras vanished with the ship and became the only person who died.

His death seemed extra sad since it came from trying to save something meant to bring good luck.

Cannery Workers Broadcast SOS

A local bear guide spotted the survivors and took the women crew members and four passengers to Larsen Bay cannery in his motorboat. The cannery sent out a wireless distress call at 9 a.m. , telling nearby boats about the crash.

The cannery boat Raven rushed to help and towed the other lifeboats to safety. The rest of the survivors had started rowing the 10 miles toward Larsen Bay when help came.

Survey Ship Becomes Rescue Vessel

The Coast and Geodetic Survey ship Surveyor sat anchored in nearby Zachar Bay when the cannery’s message reached her radio room. The captain quickly ordered the ship to help with the rescue.

The Surveyor picked up all 153 survivors from Larsen Bay cannery and took everyone safely to Seward. The passengers and crew lost all their things but felt lucky to be alive.

Underwater Grave Becomes Historic Site

The million-dollar ship and cargo went down completely, including valuable copper ore from the Kennecott Mine. A Marine Board of Inquiry later investigated the sinking based on crew testimony.

The dangerous underwater pinnacle now appears on charts as “Aleutian Rock” with a lighted navigation buoy warning other vessels.

Steve Lloyd found the wreck in 2002, and the government added it to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, preserving the memory of this dramatic Alaskan maritime disaster.

Visiting USS Aleutian, Alaska

The SS Aleutian wreck rests 220 feet deep off Amook Island in Uyak Bay, Kodiak Island. You’ll need technical diving experience since the superstructure starts at 165 feet.

Charter boats from Kodiak take you there when weather allows.

The wreck has black rockfish, giant lingcod, and white anemones swimming around china and light fixtures from 1929. Dive operators offer tours to this site discovered in 2002 using sonar technology.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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