Museum Memories

In May of 1912, the barge called Haydn Brown was entering Prince William Sound with eight on board and being towed by the tug, Pioneer. They encountered a tremendous gale off Cape St. Elias, so to protect the tug, the crew aboard the Pioneer cut loose the barge. After two days of pursuit, the barge piled up on the rocks of Cape Hinchinbrook and only one crewman survived. The lighthouse tender Armeria also went on the rocks while attempting to rescue the barge and all 36 crew were lost then. The Steamship admiral Sampson eventually rescued the lone survivor of the Haydn Brown.

The wreck of the Armeria has been explored by divers.

This photo is from the Cordova Historical Society collection held in the Cordova Museum.

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