Francis H. Leggett
Steam Schooner · United States · Lost 1914 · The Columbia River Bar & Oregon Coast
A heavily loaded steam schooner broke apart in a sudden gale off Tillamook Rock, killing about 64 people in Oregon's deadliest shipwreck.
Become Captain of Record
The Vessel and Her Loss
Francis H. Leggett was built in 1903 as the flagship of timber baron A. B. Hammond's Pacific lumber fleet. On September 18, 1914, en route from Grays Harbor to San Francisco with lumber, railroad ties and passengers, she was caught in an unexpected gale off the Oregon coast. Her deck cargo shifted, seas swept her hatches away, and she foundered with the loss of nearly everyone aboard. The wreck remains the deadliest maritime disaster recorded in Oregon history.
Vessel
- 1903
- US official no. 121259, call sign KSHC
- Newport News Shipbuilding
- Newport News, Virginia
- Steel
- 241.5 ft
- 41.2 ft
- 1606
- Steam, triple expansion, single screw
- Hicks-Hauptman Transportation Co., operated by McCormick Steamship Company for A. B. Hammond's timber interests
Loss
- September 18, 1914
- Storm
- About 60 miles south of the Columbia River mouth, off Tillamook Rock, Oregon coast
- Pacific Ocean
- Grays Harbor, Washington → San Francisco, California
- Lumber and railroad ties
- 66
- 64
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- Not established
- Position not established
- Tillamook Rock, Oregon
Reported as roughly 60 miles south of the Columbia River entrance and 5 miles southwest of Tillamook Rock, but no verified resting position is published.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (68/100)
The exact number lost is reported inconsistently across sources (roughly 60 to 65), and no verified wreck position has been published.
Build details, tonnage, casualty figures, voyage details.
Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB)
Narrative of the storm, loss location, and casualty account.
Vessel specifications and casualty count.
