Eldred Rock

Eldred Rock (also known as Nechraje[1]) is an island in the boroughs of Juneau and Haines, Alaska, United States. Located in Lynn Canal, it is 2.7 miles (4.3 km) southeast of Kataguni Island and 55 miles (89 km) northwest of the city of Juneau. This island is the site of the Eldred Rock Light, a lighthouse built in 1905 and manned until the United States Coast Guard automated its operation in 1973.

Eldred Rock
Eldred Rock and the lighthouse
Eldred Rock
Geography
LocationJuneau City and Borough, Alaska
Haines Borough, Alaska
Coordinates58°58′18″N 135°13′15″W
ArchipelagoAlexander Archipelago
Adjacent bodies of waterLynn Canal
Highest elevation0 ft (0 m)
Administration
United States
StateAlaska
BoroughJuneau City and Borough
BoroughHaines Borough

The name was collected by the United States Geological Survey between 1976 and 1981, and entered into the Geographic Names Information System on March 31, 1981.[2]

The Eldred Rock Coast Guard Heliport is also located on the island.[3]

Wrecks and incidents

Eldred Rock has been the location of multiple maritime incidents. One of the earliest involved the Hassler, the Coast Guard's first iron-hulled steamship. After being decommissioned, the vessel was sold to the McGuire Brothers for $15,700 and renamed the Clara Nevada. She sailed from Seattle, Washington, on January 26, 1898, with a crew of 40 men bound for Skagway, Alaska and 165 passengers heading for the Klondike gold fields. Late on February 5, 1898, the Clara Nevada left Skagway with between 25 and 40 passengers aboard. During the night she struck an uncharted rock several hundred yards north of Eldred Rock and sank immediately. There were no survivors.[4]

A tour boat struck the island on June 24, 2002, but later made its way safely to Haines.[5]

References
  1. Orth, Donald J. Dictionary of Alaska Place Names. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, December 31, 1967.
  2. USGS GNIS Feature Detail Report: Eldred Rock
  3. USGS GNIS Feature Detail Report: Eldred Rock Coast Guard Heliport
  4. "2007 Hassler Expedition - Hassler/Clara Nevada's last days". sanctuaries.noaa.gov. 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  5. Gagne-Hawes, Genevieve (25 June 2002). "Tour boat strikes rock near Haines". Juneau Empire. Morris Communications. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
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