Wreck of the Star of Bengal

[Akimbo]

Interesting article:

Wreck of the Star of Bengal
A salmon packer met its fate off the coast of Wrangell, Alaska, in 1908, leaving behind a mystery and more than 100 souls trapped onboard

Before Harland & Wolff Industries launched the Titanic in 1912, it built a three-masted, square-rigged, iron-hulled sailing vessel that would meet its own tragic end in a faraway sea. When the Star of Bengal launched from the Belfast, Ireland, yard in 1874, it was 263 feet long on the waterline but more than 300 feet overall and 40 feet wide. It was outfitted with a gaff-rig sail on the aft mast when the Alaska Packers Association bought the vessel in 1905, likely to aid in maneuverability.

Wreck of the Star of Bengal

www.nationalfisherman.com

 

[Celt]

“The anchor is huge and is sitting on the bottom with no signs of dragging, as the flukes never dug into the gravel sand bottom. Four hours passed between when the anchor first went down and when the ship broke up.”
From that information I would actually say the anchor did drag. Unless she struck before setting the anchor.

 

[Akimbo]

I'd be reluctant to draw any conclusions on anchor performance after all this time. For all we know, the bottom was different over 100 years ago. The anchor may have been below the bottom and uncovered several times.

Conditions off Wrangell Island, Alaska aren't a wild as the Aleutians but the storms and runoff can still make the bottom pretty variable.

 

[Celt]

Not to mention the controversy with the various reports. A great job done by the divers to locate her and remember those lost.

 

[clownfishsydney]

Its sister ship Star of Russia, is located in Port Vila Harbour in Vanuatu. It is a great dive, almost fully intact. See my web site page Star of Russia

 

[Akimbo]

Its sister ship Star of Russia, is located in Port Vila Harbour in Vanuatu.

Your post made me realize that both vessels and the Star of India museum ship in San Diego are related. They were all part of the Alaska Packers' Association's fleet.

 

[clownfishsydney]

The Star of Greece is wrecked off Port Willunga, South Australia. Sank in 1888 and is diveable.