Astoria, Oregon

Francis H. Leggett Updates

Amendment One

Unraveling the Mystery of the Francis H. Leggett

Lost Rudder

Readers have asked how a lost rudder could sink the ship, and I should have clarified this more. The term “Losing the Rudder” is a nautical term for losing control or losing steerage, it can also mean the rudder itself has been lost. A ship’s rudder is mounted on a shaft also known as stock with the bottom end sitting a bushing known as the pintel, in older style application such as the Francis H Leggett this bearing would be welded to the skeg. The top of the shaft would extend through another bushing mounted in the hull with a packing gland to keep water out and finally is attached to the rudder quadrant which is type of arm that can be mechanically moved to provide steerage. If the rudder stock breaks below the quadrant, it can become a multiple ton steel barn door swinging with each roll of the ship and like I mentioned during the story when ships lose propulsion or steerage they turn broadside to the wind and then start to wallow. If the crew are unable to secure the rudder, it will beat the stern of the ship apart and I am sure that is what happened to the Francis H. Leggett.

Final Sinking

When I plotted the final position of sinking, I used, or I should say I tried to use NOAA’s new E-Chart system, a reader said I should check my positions again on a paper chart and said he too had difficulty with the E-Chart. Since paper charts are no longer sold, I had to look for a used one. I finally found a Chart 3124 Yaquina River to Cape Disappointment in India on E-Bay and had it sent Fed-X. What I found are of my distances and bearings are off which I apologize for but still show the sinking position as below Cape Lookout and above Cascade Head. That’s when I referred to the hang log of known obstructions in the area given to me by Captain Bohanan of the Arctic Fury. They are coming directly from his video plotter and are given in Latitude and Longitude. So, until I have sonar data to review, I am standing by these readings.

Note: The paper chart on the right is a different scale than the video plotter.

There are still variables such as when was the position of 30nm NWN and 60nm south of the Columbia given out. Was it when captain Maro realized he had a serious situation on his hands and ordered the deck load jettisoned around noon? Or was it two to three hours later as she was sinking? Another thing to consider is how far did the survivors drift amongst the large area of lumber products the ship had been carrying in the time between the sinking and rescue almost nine hours later. Could that explain the confusion in the first article which lists the sinking site at both 50 and 60 miles south of the Columbia. Could a large patch of floating lumber with two survivors drift that far in 10 hours in southerly, I say yes.

There is also a group of local marine historians who feel the Francis H. Leggett was lost just below the Columbia River. I have read or reviewed all of the books listed below and quoted their conclusions, as far as I can tell I have put the most time into researching the tragedy and stand by my work. If they would like to present their own information, I would enjoy reading it.

Francis H. Leggett

Various sinking positions by author, book and page number.

p.129

“The ship is believed to have gone down in an area just south of the Columbia. A body, that of a woman, washed ashore on Manzanita Beach.”

(Note: Wreckage and recovered bodies were recorded from Nehalem to Grays Harbor, Washington.)

(Note: I would strongly recommend everyone read his introduction starting on page 1.)

p. 181-182

“About 4 p.m. on Friday, September 19, the Associated Oil Company tanker Frank H. Buck heard the Japanese cruiser radio the Marconi station near Astoria with the news the Francis H. Leggett had sunk off of Cape Meares, Oregon”

No reference to the sinking of the Francis H. Leggett found.

Chapter 9 Francis H Leggett’s Final Storm

Vague location south of the Columbia River.

p. 104 picture of the sunken Four-masted schooner-J.H Lunsmann…

(Note: No mention of Francis H. Leggett being involved in the collision.)

p. 221-222

Francis H. Leggett, passenger-cargo steamer, American, foundered in a gale 60 miles southwest of the Columbia River September 18, 1914, with the loss of 65 lives, only two survivors. The vessel laden with railroad ties was en route to San Francisco from Grays Harbor.

Chapter Six - The Mystery of the Francis Leggett

p.102-121

Too much information to list.. Sinking positions are given as between 60-75 miles south of the Columbia River.

H.W McCurdy, Marine History of the Pacific Northwest

I was unable to locate any references to the Francis H. Leggett in the indexes.

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