September 20, 2023: 115 Years Since Wreck of Star of Bengal

The Star of Bengal wrecked 115 years ago today, as it carried men and canned salmon from Wrangell, Alaska out to sea, crashing and sinking against Coronation Island amidst a powerful storm. Some of the fiercest storms in southeast Alaska seem to happen in the fall (like the night of John Muir’s fire on Mount Dewey). The change of season sometimes comes violently and without warning.

While writing Rise and Fall of the Star of Bengal, I often reflected on my experiences of those storms, especially the ones I experienced while commercial fishing with my dad around Prince of Wales Island. The sea has a way of making you feel small and insignificant. I tell people I spent a year researching the Star of Bengal, but that my time on the water was even more valuable.

There are still mysteries to solve about the Star of Bengal, and stories yet to be told. The lives of the Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino men aboard the ship remain in the dark, yet to be revealed. There’s always the possibility of new records, testimony, and recordings emerging!