B1
THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2021
CONTACT US
FOLLOW US
Nikki Davidson
ndavidson@dailyastorian.com
facebook.com/
DailyAstorian
The SS Rosecrans was nicknamed the ‘Jinx Ship’ for its bad luck before it wrecked near Cape Disappointment. The disaster took the lives of 34 men.
The search for lost seamen
Local historian examines the mystery of a 1913 shipwreck
By MALLORY GRUBEN
For The Astorian
I
n the early 20th century, Capt. Lucian Field John-
son’s reputation preceded him.
A U.S. Navy veteran with several years experi-
ence on the deck of an oil tanker, Johnson earned the
title of captain at the young age of 29. The region knew
him as an ambitious and popular skipper.
But his shining reputation wouldn’t outlast him. Up
until recently, his full name — along with the names
of 34 other fallen sailors — had been lost to history
decades after a fatal shipwreck near Cape Disappoint-
ment. They went down with the SS Rosecrans in 1913,
when it foundered on Peacock Spit.
The victim s’ identities were recovered by
local historian and Clatsop County Genealog-
ical Society genealogist Mel Bash ore.
ity was low, and the helmsman failed to see the lightship
that would have guided them safely into the Columbia
River.
Instead, the Rosecrans continued north until it
reached the North Head Lighthouse near Ilwaco. The
crew mistook the lighthouse for the lightship, turning
the vessel into land.
“The next thing the crew knew … they were crashed
up against Peacock Spit,” Bashore said. “It was just
chaos. And the captain said — and this was the big mis-
take — he said drop our anchors.”
Those anchors kept the ship too far from the shore,
and rescue boats were unable to reach it to save the crew
members. In the meantime, the ship was “getting beat to
death against Peacock Spit,” Bashore said. About three
hours into the wreck, the Rosecrans broke in
two.
A tragedy without answers
A man on a mission
Some crew members jumped overboard,
Bash ore dug into the story of the Rosecrans
though most drowned in the process. In total,
shipwreck as part of a lecture he delivered for
34 men died in the shipwreck, but only six bod-
the g enealogical s ociety earlier this year. He
ies were ever recovered.
Mel Bashore
is a long time historian who retired to
“We have cemeteries here on land,
Hammond after a 38-year career in
but there are so many that have died
the history department of The Church
and are out in the deep still. Their
WATCH MEL
of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ay Saints .
bodies have never been recovered,”
BASHORE’S
“A lot of times, the names in the
Bashore said. “For me, this was kind
newspapers are F. Smith or J. John-
of a search for lost seamen.”
PRESENTATION
son. … There are a lot of J. John-
The 16 men he was able to fully
‘Shipwrecks at the mouth of
sons and a lot of F. Smiths, so who
identify included messman Angus
the Columbia’
are these (people)?” Bashore asked.
MacDonald, electrician John Mil-
clatsopcountygensoc.com
“That’s where the tricky part comes
ton Elletson, third assistant engi-
in, to unearth who these people were,
neer Norman Fife and chief engi-
Click on the ‘meetings/
to fully identify them.”
neer Richard M. Grundell. Bashore’s
calendar’ tab
Bashore chose to focus his lec-
research uncovered details about the
ture on the Rosecrans because it had
men’s lives prior to their time on the
a “nice tidy list” of all the last names
Rosecrans.
and fi rst initials of the men who were on the ship during
What’s next?
its fi nal venture, making it easier to begin fully identi-
Since wrapping up his research on the Rosecrans,
fying them.
Bashore has turned his attention to other areas of study.
The ‘Jinx Ship’
He joked that he is “footloose and fancy free” with his
For most of its commission as an oil tanker, the Rose-
research, drawn to investigate anything that piques his
crans performed well. It could carry as many as 18,000
interest.
barrels of crude oil in a single trip, and it frequented a
“I’m not one who focuses on a certain thing,” he said.
route from San Francisco to Portland.
“I am all over the map. I guess I’m kind of a R enaissance
But the ship’s fortunes changed in 1912, when it
person. … The world is just so rich and interesting.”
foundered on the rocks near Santa Barbara. Not long
He is writing up his research of a snake oil “elixir”
after the Rosecrans was repaired, an oil fi re gutted the
he found advertised in several Maryland newspapers, as
interior of the ship.
well as fi nishing articles for three regional publications
Though owners would repair the ship once more, it
about more local topics.
quickly gained the name “Jinx Ship,” because of it s poor
Though he does not specialize in shipwreck history,
luck.
Bashore said learning about the Rosecrans and its crew
Still, the popular Capt. Johnson managed to round up
gave him an opportunity to discover more about his new
37 men to run the ship in 1913.
home on the Oregon C oast.
The fi rst trip from San Francisco to Portland was suc-
“This was kind of like dabbing my big toe into what
cessful. The second was fraught with bad weather.
has gone on here before. … It helps me feel a part of
According to Bashore, the Rosecrans sailed through
where I now live, by looking at what has happened here
60 mph winds and breakers as high as a house . Visibil-
before I got here.”
SS Rosecrans Capt. Lucian Field Johnson was known
as an ambitious and popular skipper.
‘WE HAVE CEMETERIES
HERE ON LAND, BUT
THERE ARE SO MANY
THAT HAVE DIED AND
ARE OUT IN THE DEEP
STILL. THEIR BODIES
HAVE NEVER BEEN
RECOVERED. FOR ME,
THIS WAS KIND OF A
SEARCH FOR LOST
SEAMEN.’
Mel Bashore | local historian
and Clatsop County Genealogical
Society genealogist