AH-WR-0083

Clara Nevada

Steamer · United States · Lost 1898 · The Inside Passage & Alaska

A former U.S. revenue cutter turned Klondike-era steamer, destroyed near Eldred Rock with all aboard lost under circumstances never fully explained.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Clara Nevada began her career as the U.S. Revenue Cutter Hassler, a Pacific Coast survey and patrol vessel, before being sold and renamed for Klondike gold rush passenger service. On February 5, 1898, she was wrecked near Eldred Rock in Lynn Canal, apparently followed by an explosion, and everyone aboard died. The exact cause and sequence of her loss were never conclusively determined. A 2007 NOAA-supported expedition surveyed wreckage believed to be her remains near Eldred Rock.

Vessel

Built: 1872
Builder: Not established
Yard: Camden, New Jersey
Material: Iron
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam, single screw
Owners: Pacific and Alaska Transportation Company

Loss

Date: February 5, 1898
Cause: Grounding
Location: Near Eldred Rock, Lynn Canal, Alaska
Water: Lynn Canal
Voyage: Skagway, Alaska → Seattle, Washington (via Juneau)
Cargo: Reported cargo included blasting powder and gold from Klondike miners, though this was never confirmed
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: All aboard were lost, but a confirmed number of persons aboard was never firmly established in surviving records.
Master: C. H. Lewis

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Surveyed remains identified near Eldred Rock during a 2007 NOAA-supported expedition.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: 2007
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 58.976° N 135.225° W
Accuracy: Surveyed position
Nearest: Eldred Rock, Lynn Canal, Alaska
Region: The Inside Passage & Alaska

NOAA/Alaska Office of History and Archaeology archaeological surveys (2006-2007) documented the wreck of the Clara Nevada (ex-Hassler) in shallow water immediately next to the Eldred Rock Lighthouse in Lynn Canal.