Individuals that have died in the service of our Nation while associated with NOAA and its ancestor organizations during the years 1846 through 1936.

Coast Survey Brig PETER G. WASHINGTON. Hurricane of September 8, 1846. Lt. Commanding George M. Bache and 10 others killed in this storm. WASHINGTON was conducting Gulf Stream studies. Harper's New Monthly Mag. Vol-Vlll. p.512

September 8, 1846 - Lost and drowned off the Coast Survey Brig WASHINGTON in a hurricane off the North Carolina coast: George M. Bache, Lieutenant Commanding, James Dorsey, quartermaster Benjamin Dolloff, quartermaster John Fishbourne, quartermaster Henry Schroeder, sailmaker's mate Francis Butler, seaman Lewis Maynard, seaman Thomas Stamford, seaman William Wright, seaman Peter Hanson, ordinary seaman Edward Grennin, ordinary seaman. May 21, 1849 - Lost by drowning after a boat capsized in Mobile Bay: Silas Holmes, Passed Assistant Surgeon   December 13, 1849 - Lost by disease on the Texas Coast: Robert H. Fauntleroy, Assistant U. S. Coast Survey October 17, 1851 - Lost by drowning while conducting surveys on the Columbia River: Joseph Ruth, Sub-assistant U. S. Coast Survey 1852 - Lost by disease J. B. Gluck, Assistant U. S. Coast Survey   1852 - Lost by boiler explosion on Steamboat REINDEER while transiting between assignments: Woods Baker, Sub-assistant United States Coast Survey 1852 - Lost by disease: Benjamin F. West, Sub-Assistant U. S. Coast Survey Daniel L. Bryan, M.D., Passed Assistant Surgeon U.S. Navy, Coast Survey Schooner MORRIS, died heroically while voluntarily attending sick during Gulf Coast epidemic at Pensacola Washington H. Nones, Second Assistant Engineer U. S. Coast Survey Steamer R. J. WALKER, died during Gulf Coast epidemic George E. Shock, Third Assistant Engineer U. S. Coast Survey Steamer R. J. WALKER, died during Gulf Coast epidemic   June 1, 1854 - Lost by disease on Florida coast: Unnamed crewman on U. S. Coast Survey Steamer CORWIN  August 24, 1854 - Lost by boiler explosion on the U. S. Coast Survey Steamer HETZEL in lower Chesapeake Bay: Samuel C. Latimer, Third Assistant Engineer William Bulger, first-class fireman Bernard Moran, seaman William Gardner, first-class fireman John T. Knight, second-class fireman Michael Scanlan, ordinary seaman   1856 - Lost by accident on U. S. Coast Survey Brig FAUNTLEROY in San Francisco Bay: Unnamed seaman   August 20, 1856 - Lost by drowning in the Kennebec River: Mr. Humphries, Aid December 14, 1856 - Lost by disease at Key West, Florida: S. J. Hough, aid of topographic party headed by C. T. Iardella June 23, 1858 - Died as result of accident near Norfolk, Virginia, with accompanying complications: J. J. S. Hassler, Assistant U. S. Coast Survey   May 25, 1860 - Died as result of disease in San Francisco: E. H. Fauntleroy, Aid U. S. Coast Survey in the party of George Davidson   June 21, 1860 - Loss by collision at sea and subsequent sinking of the U. S. Coast Survey Steamer ROBERT J. WALKER off Absecom Inlet, New Jersey:   Henry H. Reed Captain of the Forecastle Timothy Conner Quarter Gunner Jeremiah Coffey Cooper Joseph M. Brown Quartermaster Michael M. Lee Ship's Cook Marquis Bonevento Officers' Steward James Patterson Officers' Cook Michael Allman Seaman John Driscoll Seaman Robert Wilson Seaman Cornelius Crowe Ordinary Seaman Charles Miller Ordinary Seaman George M. Johnston Landsman Samuel Sizer First Class Fireman Peter Conway First Class Fireman Daniel Smith First Class Fireman John Farron Second Class Fireman James Farron Second Class Fireman Joseph Bates Second Class Fireman George Price Second Class Fireman   June 29, 1860 - Lost overboard and presumed drowned from Coast Survey Steamer BIBB on way to Cape Breton Island, Canada: John McCalmut, seaman   May 20, 1867 - Lost by drowning after boat capsized on Tillamook Bar, Oregon coast: Julius Kincheloe, Sub-assistant U. S. Coast Survey Charles West Elias N. Steelcup Beveriah Steelcup Samuel Lanagan Henry Ballou May 28, 1867 - Lost by drowning after small boat from Surveying Schooner M. L. STEVENS swamped in San Luis Channel and then drifted into the breakers at the edge of the channel. Seaman James Goffin Seaman John Rigin February 26, 1871 - Lost by drowning after small vessel capsized in squall while returning to Surveying Schooner SILLIMAN while returning to ship from Sunday church services. Aid Arthur F. Pearl Aid George W. Bissell Unnamed seaman Unnamed seaman Unnamed seaman Unnamed seaman August 17, 1894 - Lost by drowning after boat capsized coming through surf on Washington coast. Party off of C&GS Ship MCARTHUR: Lieutenant Crosby John Freyer, Quartermaster 3rd Class William Nehm, Seaman Alexander Smith, Seaman Jens Gudmundsen, Seaman November 11,1902 - Lost by disease in the Philippines: William E. Gordon, Aid in the U. S. Coast Survey   1904 - Died of unspecified causes while surveying U. S. Canada boundary west of Rocky Mountains. John Nelson July 12, 1905 - Lost by drowning off the coast of Alaska as the result of capsizing of ship's whaleboat P. H. Coning, Chief writer of Coast and Geodetic Survey Steamer GEDNEY   1906 - Lost by drowning as result of whaleboat overturning in surf at the mouth of the Suribao River, near Borongan on east coast of Samar Unnamed Filipino seaman May 30, 1908 - Lost overboard and drowned off Coast and Geodetic Survey Steamer GEDNEY Quartermaster Gunderson 1908 - Lost as result of fall from cliff conducting survey operations off of Coast and Geodetic Survey Steamer EXPLORER Unnamed seaman April 20, 1909 - Lost by drowning while attempting to reach small boat anchored off Sigayan Point, Illana Bay, south coast of Mindanao, Philippines. Off of Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship MARINDUQUE P. E. Angell, mate   1909 - Lost as result of accident at Tucson Geophysical Observatory Mr. Keeling, observer   October 16, 1909 - Lost as result of disease at Catbalogan, Samar, Philippines. Thorstein Fretheim, observer   1910 - Lost by drowning as result of upsetting of a small boat under sail in Cordova Bay, Alaska. Part of crew of Coast and Geodetic Survey Steamer TAKU. H. Fitch, seaman   1912 - Lost as result of fall from tree while conducting triangulation operations on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. Henry Truedell, Aid U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey   1913 - Lost by probable murder by Tagbanuas tribesmen on Culion Island, Calamianes Islands, Palawan Province, Philippine Islands. Part of crew off of Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship ROMBLON. Unnamed seaman November 1915 - Lost by drowning from the Steamer BACHE while the vessel was anchored off Charleston, South Carolina. Alfred Johnson, Mess Attendant Leroy Scott, Mess Attendant   November 1916 - Lost by probable drowning off of Coast and Geodetic Survey Steamer YUKON at Kings Cove, Alaska Peninsula. F. A. Paul, watchman November 19, 1918 - Lost by drowning off of Coast and Geodetic Survey Steamer HYDROGRAPHER. Anselmo De Silva   October 4, 1927 - Heroically lost by drowning while attempting to save the lives of two shipmates. Posthumously received Department of Commerce Gold Life-saving Medal. Off of Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship SURVEYOR, at Resurrection Bay, Seward, Alaska. W. H. Bowen, seaman October 4, 1927 - Lost by drowning off Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship SURVEYOR at Resurrection Bay, Seward, Alaska. Roy V. Beverly George Slavin October 11, 1928 - Lost by drowning after falling overboard off of Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship PIONEER during survey of Heceta Bank, Oregon coast. Earl Forsberg, seaman October 17, 1928 - Lost by drowning as the result of foundering of a skiff in a sudden squall. Men were part of signal-building crew off the Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship FATHOMER working on the west coast of Palawan, Philippine Islands. Crispin Alandruque, seaman Gonsalo Senitara, seaman Domingo Rangasajo, seaman December 9, 1933 - Lost as result of vehicle accident between a Coast and Geodetic Survey truck and a Virginia State Highway truck near Harrisonburg, Virginia. This was the first traffic fatality involving a Coast and Geodetic Survey employee while on duty. T. J. Hayden, geodetic field party member April 21, 1935 - Lost as result of vehicle accident while engaged in flight checking Reno aeronautical chart near Reno, Nevada. Henry C. Olsen, aeronautical chart division   January 1936 - Lost as result of shipboard accident on the Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship SURVEYOR. John Martin, cook September 26, 1936 - Lost by drowning as result boat overturning on the north shore of Unalaska Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Shore party off of Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship SURVEYOR. Lt. (j.g.) Marshall R. Reese, U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Max McLees, quartermaster October 1936 - Lost as result of falling from cliff on Unimak Island conducting survey operations off of Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship SURVEYOR. Robert F. Stryker, seaman

Publication of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NOAA Central Library.
Last Updated: June 8, 2006 9:27 AM

Privacy Policy | Disclaimer