AH-WR-0663

SS Nevada

Steam Cargo Ship · United States · Lost 1932 · The Aleutians & the Bering Sea

A Portland-owned freighter bound for Japan that broke apart on an Aleutian island in 1932, killing 34 of her 37 crew.

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Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Built in 1919-1920 as the wartime cargo ship West Niger, this steel freighter was renamed Nevada under States Steamship Company ownership. On September 27, 1932, en route from Longview, Washington, to Yokohama with lumber and general cargo, she ran aground on Amatignak Island in the Aleutians amid poor visibility and strong currents. The ship broke into three pieces; high seas hampered rescue of crew who had reached shore, and 34 of her 37 men died.

Vessel

Built: 1919
Registry: US official number 219522
Builder: Southwestern Shipbuilding Company
Yard: San Pedro, California
Material: Steel
Length: 410.5 ft
Beam: 54.3 ft
Tonnage: 5645
Propulsion: Steam, triple expansion, single screw
Owners: States Steamship Company

Loss

Date: September 27, 1932
Cause: Grounding
Location: Amatignak Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Water: Bering Sea approaches / Aleutian Islands
Voyage: Longview, Washington → Yokohama, Japan
Cargo: 6,648 tons of lumber, flour, and general merchandise
Aboard: 37
Lives lost: 34
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Broke into three parts and sank.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 51.267° N 179.100° W
Accuracy: Surveyed position
Nearest: Amatignak Island, Alaska
Region: The Aleutians & the Bering Sea

Alaska Shipwrecks database (citing the 1932 USCG Report of Casualty and 1938 U.S. Coast Pilot) gives the stranding position as 51°16'N 179°06'W at Amatignak Island; matches Wikipedia's cited coordinates for the wreck.