City of Whaler’s Bay, WA
Partial incident record recovered from a Parks and Harbor Services archive transfer.
Record summary
Digitized scan
Transcription, leaves 1–3.
Jan. 8. Watchman Aldous reports bell heard from the bay at 12:40 a.m., repeating at intervals of about a minute. No vessel scheduled. Ice on the shore ends approximately forty feet out; open water beyond. Bell continued until 3 a.m. or later. Aldous did not note when it stopped, stating that he “did not think it right to wait on it.”
Jan. 8, continued. Morning inspection of berths 1 through 12 found all vessels secure. Wharfage office reports thirteen berths under charge for the season. Harbormaster directed that the discrepancy be carried forward rather than corrected, consistent with prior seasons.
Jan. 9. At first light the launch was taken out to the anchorage. Soundings taken at the position indicated by Aldous returned a consistent obstruction at 41 feet where the chart shows 66. Divers engaged from the Seattle yard arrived at noon.
Jan. 9, continued. Divers located the object at 41 feet. It was found to be in good order. Recovery commenced at 6:30 p.m. under lamps.
[Leaves 4–5 not retained with this volume. The retention card reads: “Continued — see Harbor Office annual file.” The Harbor Office was dissolved in 1931. Its annual files were not transferred to the City Clerk’s Office.]
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Digitized records are provided as a public service by the City Clerk’s Office. Transcriptions are provided for convenience and do not replace the original record.
Last updated: January 11, 2026