The history of whaling in Alaskan waters is too often a list of disasters. In 1894, the name of the James Allen, which struck a reef and sank while crossing from the North Pacific Ocean to the Bering Sea by way of one of the passes between the Aleutian Islands was added to that list. The story of the Allen’s wreck, the hardships endured by its surviving crew, their descent into cannibalism, and information about its master, Arthur J. Huntley, is one of the most detailed accounts and well-documented accounts we have of any wreck of a single whaling vessel in those treacherous waters.
Author Biography
Gary C. Stein, Retired
Retired historian. Worked in Alaska for 15 years. Interested in Pacific Northwest (particularly Alaskan) maritime history.
