1 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: Happy Saturday. 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 2: Our episodes this week were about Walter Harper, who died 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 2: in the SS Princess Sofia disaster. We have a previous 4 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 2: episode about that disaster, which is Today's Saturday Classic. This 5 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 2: episode talks about what an enormous tragedy this was for 6 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 2: the people of the area, beyond the deaths of Walter 7 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 2: Harper and his wife Francis. This episode originally came out 8 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 2: on October fifteenth, twenty eighteen. Welcome to Stuff You Missed 9 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 2: in History Class, a production of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome 10 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 2: to the podcast. I'm Tracy Vee Wilson. 11 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: And I'm Holly Frye. 12 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 2: We're coming up on the one hundredth anniversary of the 13 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 2: sinking of the SS Princess Sofia, which sank in the 14 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 2: Lynn Canal in southeastern Alaska on October twenty fifth of 15 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 2: nineteen eighteen. This was a massive tragedy for both Canada 16 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 2: and the United States. It had a huge impact on Alaska, 17 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 2: British Columbia, and Yukon, but it was also really overshadowed 18 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 2: by the end of World War One and the flu 19 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 2: pandemic that was going on by that point. So it 20 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 2: has been nicknamed the Unknown Titanic of the West Coast. 21 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:20,199 Speaker 1: In nineteen eighteen, the primary way to get to many 22 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: parts of Alaska and Yukon was by water. Ships carried passengers, cargo, 23 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: and mail to ports along the coast of Alaska and 24 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 1: British Columbia, and people traveled by river inland from there. 25 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 1: And to some extent, this continues to be true today. 26 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: Although there are more roads and airplanes going to and 27 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 1: from these places, boats still continue to be a major 28 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 1: way to travel. 29 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 2: One of the companies that was providing passenger and cargo 30 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 2: service along the coast of Alaska and British Columbia was 31 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 2: Canadian Pacific Railway Company, which is often abbreviated as CPR. 32 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 2: It still exists today as Canadian Pacific. CPR started a 33 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 2: steamship business, which was called can Pacific Steamship Company in 34 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 2: the late eighteen hundreds. Their first routes were trans Pacific 35 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 2: and they connected Vancouver, British Columbia with Asia. Soon the 36 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 2: company started offering transatlantic service from the East coast of 37 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 2: North America as well. In the early twentieth century, Canadian 38 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 2: Pacific Steamship Company started providing service up and down the 39 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 2: coast of the Pacific northwest. To that end, CPR purchased 40 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 2: Canadian Pacific Navigation Company in nineteen oh one. The newly 41 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 2: purchased company had been carrying passengers and cargo along the 42 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:39,399 Speaker 2: coast of British Columbia as well as through Alaska's Inside Passage. 43 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 2: So the Inside Passage is a collection of fjords, channels, 44 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 2: and straits that stretches more than a thousand miles that's 45 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 2: about sixteen hundred kilometers from Seattle, Washington, north through British 46 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 2: Columbia to Skagway, Alaska. The vessels that CPR operated along 47 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 2: these routes were nicknamed the Princess Fleet, and all the 48 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 2: ships had the word princess and their names. The Princess 49 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 2: Fleet grew really quickly during the first two decades of 50 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 2: the twentieth century, and the company was supporting the tourism 51 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 2: industry in addition to carrying the workers, families, cargo, and 52 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 2: mail that needed to get around that area. This growth 53 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 2: didn't really slow down during World War One, although some 54 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:21,239 Speaker 2: of CPR's ships were requisitioned for the war effort. People 55 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 2: still needed to get to and from all these places, 56 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:25,919 Speaker 2: and the best way to do it was still by water. 57 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 2: People from the US and Canada who had the means 58 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 2: to travel for fun were also choosing to do it 59 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 2: in North America rather than visiting increasingly war torn Europe. 60 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 2: During the war, the Princess Fleet also started carrying troops, 61 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 2: including people who had enlisted and were reporting for duty. 62 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 2: The SS Princess Sofia was, of course part of this fleet. 63 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 2: It was built by Beau McLaughlin and Company, was launched 64 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 2: on November eighth of nineteen eleven, and took its maiden 65 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 2: voyage on June seventh on the following year. The Princess 66 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 2: Sofia had been commissioned specifically for running these routes along 67 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 2: the inside Passage during the May to October season. In 68 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 2: the off season, the ship operated as a ferry between 69 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 2: Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. 70 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: The Princess Safaiya was built to be a modest but 71 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: comfortable vessel, suited for both passengers and cargo in these 72 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: northern waters. It was two hundred and forty five feet 73 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: or seventy five meters long, with a maximum speed of 74 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 1: thirteen to fourteen knots. Its typical running speed was eleven 75 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: knots under normal conditions, the Princess Safaia carried between two 76 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,599 Speaker 1: hundred fifty and three hundred fifty passengers, but that number 77 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: could be increased all the way up to five hundred 78 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 1: in special circumstances and with special permission. 79 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 2: The ship's typical route had four stops in British Columbia 80 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 2: and four in Alaska from north to south. These were Victoria, Vancouver, 81 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 2: Alert Bay and Prince British Columbia, and wrangel Ketcan, Juno 82 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:59,280 Speaker 2: and Skagway, Alaska. The stops in Juneo and Skagway were 83 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 2: also really important to communities in Yukon since they were 84 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 2: connected to the Yukon interior by water. Even with an 85 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 2: experienced and capable crew, this route could be really treacherous. 86 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 2: The SS Princess Sofaia had a number of incidents before 87 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 2: sinking in nineteen eighteen, some of them serious. The ship 88 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 2: collided with something underwater in November of nineteen thirteen, which 89 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 2: broke its stern post, and it also ran aground twice, 90 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:28,839 Speaker 2: once in April of nineteen thirteen and again in January 91 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 2: nineteen fourteen, and there were also many more minor incidents 92 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 2: over the years. One particularly treacherous stretch of the route 93 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,040 Speaker 2: that the Princess Sofia was usually taking was the Lynn Canal. 94 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 2: In spite of what its name suggests, the Lynn Canal 95 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 2: isn't an artificial waterway. It's a fiord that's part of 96 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 2: the inside passage. Captain George Vancouver named it after his 97 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:53,480 Speaker 2: birthplace of King's Lynn. 98 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:57,039 Speaker 1: The Lynn Canal is very narrow. It ranges from about 99 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: three to thirteen miles or roughly five to twenty kilometers wide, 100 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 1: and it is also very windy. The shape of the 101 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: canal funnels the wind, so wind speeds of seventy to 102 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:13,240 Speaker 1: eighty knots are not uncommon. On top of that are willowwaws, 103 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: which are sudden, violent squalls and winds that blow in 104 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 1: off the surrounding glaciers. 105 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 2: Making the Lynn Canal even more dangerous than all that 106 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 2: wind and the squalls is the Vanderbilt Reef, which is 107 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,359 Speaker 2: a stretch of about seven miles or eleven kilometers of 108 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 2: rock that's right in the middle of the fjord. The 109 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 2: tides create a huge variation in how deep the water 110 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 2: is around the reef. Most of the time it is 111 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 2: just under the surface, but during very low tides it 112 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 2: can be as much as twelve feet or about three 113 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:47,119 Speaker 2: and a half meters above the surface. Obviously, this reef 114 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 2: has been there for thousands of years and people knew 115 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 2: that it existed, but in terms of being a hazard 116 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,479 Speaker 2: to commercial shipping, it was first noted in eighteen eighty 117 00:06:56,760 --> 00:07:00,480 Speaker 2: when J. M. Vanderbilt of the Northwest Trading Company charted 118 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,599 Speaker 2: it and named it after himself, and then spread the 119 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 2: word to other captains about it. In nineteen eighteen, the 120 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 2: Vanderbilt reef wasn't well marked at all. The nearest lighthouse 121 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 2: was the Sentinel Island Lighthouse, which is about four miles 122 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 2: or six and a half kilometers away. The reef itself 123 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 2: was marked with a buoy that was only visible by daylight. 124 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 2: CPR had asked the US government to install a light 125 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 2: on the reef in nineteen seventeen. Although Canadian vessels were 126 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 2: in and out of this area all the time, the 127 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 2: reef itself was part of Alaska territory and therefore it 128 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 2: was the responsibility of the United States and not Canada 129 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 2: to put a light there, but because of the war, 130 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 2: funding wasn't set aside to do it. 131 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: The ss Princess Sofia departed Skagway Alaska at the end 132 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 1: of the Lynn Canal on October twenty third, nineteen eighteen, 133 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 1: for the last run of the season, and this was 134 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: a big trip every year. The ship was sold out 135 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: and the company had prepared for a big crowd. 136 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 2: But even in spite of the advanced preparations, boarding and 137 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 2: loading that evening had been particularly chaotic. There were people 138 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 2: who had made their way to the region during the 139 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 2: Klondike gold Rush. Skagway itself had been founded during the 140 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 2: gold Rush. By this point, the gold rush was over, 141 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 2: and this departing crowd included people who had decided finally 142 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 2: to leave Alaska and the North entirely. It also included 143 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 2: sezonal miners whose jobs were ending for the winter, but 144 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 2: who planned to come back again in the spring. Miners 145 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 2: weren't the only seasonal employees leaving Skagway that day. The 146 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:36,320 Speaker 2: Yukon River connected Skagway, Alaska, to Dawson, Yukon, and the 147 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 2: steamship operators who traveled that route were shutting down for 148 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 2: the season. Two other passengers included government officials, business travelers, 149 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 2: and families, and there were also new recruits aboard reporting 150 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 2: for duty in World War One. Because this was the 151 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 2: last run of the season. The mood at the dock 152 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:57,560 Speaker 2: was really festive. It was basically a big Sea in 153 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 2: the Spring party, with the people who were staying getting 154 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,079 Speaker 2: ready to hunker down for the winter. A lot of 155 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 2: people were also bidding what they thought was a temporary 156 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 2: farewell to friends and family who were planning to come 157 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 2: back once all the waterways thought in the following spring. 158 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 2: Probably because of all the busyness and chaos, the SS 159 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 2: Princess Safaia left Skagway, Alaska at about ten pm on 160 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:22,319 Speaker 2: the twenty third. That was about three hours behind schedule. 161 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 2: Captain Leonard Locke was at the helm, and most of 162 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 2: the Princess Safaia's crew had plenty of experience on this route, 163 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:32,559 Speaker 2: and Locke was no exception. He had been working in 164 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 2: the waterways in this part of the Northwest for twenty 165 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:39,679 Speaker 2: five years. But not long after departing, the weather really 166 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 2: started to turn sour. We will get to that after 167 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:55,599 Speaker 2: a quick sponsor break. About an hour after leaving Skaguay, Alaska, 168 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:59,440 Speaker 2: the SS Princess Sofaia rounded Battery Point and met a 169 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 2: terrible storm. Winds were blowing at about fifty knots and 170 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:08,199 Speaker 2: a heavy snow and fog had rolled in. Under normal procedures, 171 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 2: Locke would have slowed his speed from the typical running 172 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 2: speed of about eleven knots down to seven knots, but instead, 173 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,360 Speaker 2: possibly because they were running so late, he kept the 174 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 2: ship running at eleven knots. 175 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:24,439 Speaker 1: Many of the technologies used for navigation and avoiding collisions 176 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: today did not exist yet, or they were in their infancy. 177 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: The first passive sonar system for detecting submerged objects was 178 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 1: developed in nineteen sixteen, and the first active sonar system 179 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:39,439 Speaker 1: was created in nineteen eighteen, so this technology was still 180 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,560 Speaker 1: brand new and was being used to detect submarines and 181 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 1: military vessels, but it really wasn't in use in civilian 182 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 1: vessels at all yet. Practical radar systems were still a 183 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: couple of decades away. By daylight ships navigated the Lynn 184 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 1: Canal by taking compass readings while siting known points on 185 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:00,720 Speaker 1: the land and the dark and in back weather, what 186 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:03,559 Speaker 1: they would do is sound the ship's horn and then 187 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: count the time until they heard the echo off the 188 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:09,680 Speaker 1: surrounding cliffs and glaciers. That's one of those things that 189 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:12,079 Speaker 1: when people describe it, I know people used this all 190 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 1: the time very safely. To me, this is terrifying well. 191 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 2: And I mean that was an imprecise way of doing it, 192 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 2: even under good circumstances. Yes, And of course as the 193 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 2: storm got worse, it probably became harder and harder to 194 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:32,840 Speaker 2: hear those echoes, and soon the Princess Safaya was blown 195 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 2: off course. Rather than to one side of the canal 196 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:38,560 Speaker 2: where they were supposed to be, they were right in 197 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 2: the middle. The Princess Safaia struck the Vanderbilt reef at 198 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 2: about two am on October twenty fourth, traveling at their 199 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 2: usual speed of eleven knots. The ship came to a 200 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 2: total halt almost instantly, with sleeping passengers being thrown from 201 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 2: their berths and crew being thrown from their stations. At first, 202 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:02,959 Speaker 2: the situation seemed to be extremely inconvenient, but not all 203 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 2: that perilous. The ship was firmly jammed on the rocks, 204 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 2: but didn't seem to be badly damaged. Once everyone recovered 205 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:13,680 Speaker 2: from the shock and the physical effects of being thrown around, 206 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,439 Speaker 2: most of the passengers really remained calm. People who had 207 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 2: minor injuries were patched up, and some damage within the 208 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 2: ship was repaired. At first, Captain Locke thought they might 209 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 2: be floated off of the rocks the next high tide 210 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 2: and just to continue on their way. That is actually 211 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:32,600 Speaker 2: what had happened when the Princess Sofia had run aground 212 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 2: in April of nineteen thirteen, which had also happened on 213 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 2: the Vanderbilt Reef. Passenger Arris McQueen wrote a letter during 214 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:43,200 Speaker 2: these relatively calm hours which said quote, she is a 215 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 2: double bottom boat and her inner hall is not penetrated, 216 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 2: so here we stick. She pounds some on a rising tide, 217 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 2: and it is slow writing. But our only inconvenience is 218 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:57,439 Speaker 2: so far lack of water. The main steam pipe got 219 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 2: twisted off, and we were without lights last night and 220 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 2: have run out of soft sugar. But the pipe is fixed, 221 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 2: so we are getting heat and lights now, and we 222 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 2: still have lump sugar and water for drinking. If you 223 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:13,080 Speaker 2: have the energy to note that they're out of soft sugar. 224 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 1: Right, things seem fine. 225 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 2: They don't seem that bad at that point. So, of course, 226 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:21,719 Speaker 2: after hitting the Vanderbilt Reef, the ship's wireless operator had 227 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:25,240 Speaker 2: sent out a distress call. There weren't any other vessels 228 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:27,959 Speaker 2: in the area that were large enough to accommodate all 229 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 2: the Princess Safia's passengers and crew, though, so four fishing 230 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:34,959 Speaker 2: vessels were sent to try to assist. These were the Estebeth, 231 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:39,439 Speaker 2: the Amy, the ea Hegg, and the Peterson. Soon a 232 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:43,079 Speaker 2: fishing schooner called the King and Wing came to assist, 233 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:46,319 Speaker 2: as well as the Cedar, which was a lighthouse tender 234 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 2: from the US Lighthouse Service. As these vessels started to 235 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 2: arrive on the morning of the twenty fourth, though, the 236 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:55,679 Speaker 2: weather got worse. The other vessels couldn't get close to 237 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 2: the Princess Safaia without endangering themselves, and it became clear 238 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 2: a crosswind was grinding the ship onto the rocks, and 239 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 2: that was making a visible hole in the outer hull. 240 00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 2: Captain Locke thought it would be more dangerous to try 241 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 2: to put people into lifeboats than it would be to 242 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 2: just stay put and wait for the weather to turn, 243 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 2: and the barometer was rising, so he was hopeful that 244 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 2: better weather was on the way. High tide also came 245 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 2: and went without shifting the boat off the rocks. The 246 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 2: wind was blowing the water so hard that the tide 247 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,120 Speaker 2: appeared to be several feet lower than it really was. 248 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:34,640 Speaker 2: They weren't hoping to be lifted off the rocks anymore 249 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 2: now that it was clear that the hull was damaged, 250 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:40,040 Speaker 2: but with all that having happened, it didn't seem like 251 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 2: they would be, so with all that in mind, it 252 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 2: seemed safer to just wait. 253 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: The captain's decision may have also been influenced by the 254 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: nineteen oh four wreck of the Ssclllum, which foundered just 255 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: outside of Victoria Harbor, and on that ship, the captain 256 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 1: ordered all of the women and children to be evacuated 257 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:02,600 Speaker 1: into lifeboats along with some of the men, and every 258 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 1: lifeboat either capsized or was wrecked. Everyone who had been 259 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 1: evacuated died. Captain Locke also would have been familiar with 260 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:14,000 Speaker 1: the nineteen ten stranding of the Princess May on nearby 261 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: Sentinel Island, from which all the passengers and crew were 262 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: evacuated safely. It turned out that barometer reading was deceptive, though. 263 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 1: The barometer started falling rapidly at about three pm on 264 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:29,400 Speaker 1: the twenty fourth, and the weather suddenly got a whole 265 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: lot worse. A Royal Canadian Mounted Police report that was 266 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: written after the disaster called it quote the worst storm 267 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: in progress ever known in the Lynn Canal. During all 268 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 1: of this, the Princess Sofia was communicating with all these 269 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 1: other vessels by radio, megaphone and radiogram, which is a 270 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 1: telegram that's sent by radio rather than over wires. Radiograms 271 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: were sent back and forth to CPR headquarters as well. 272 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:58,960 Speaker 1: Captain Locke sent a radiogram to the Cedar at four 273 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 1: forty five pm on the twenty fourth, quote, impossible to 274 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:06,320 Speaker 1: get passengers off tonight as sea is running too strong. 275 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: Will probably be able to get them off early morning 276 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 1: strong tide. Captain Ledbetter aboard the Cedar replied, quote, if 277 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 1: Sofia in no danger slipping off and passengers safe until daylight, 278 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: would like to drop anchor under Sentinel island, be in 279 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:25,640 Speaker 1: touch by wireless if you think necessary, will remain under 280 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: way all night. 281 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 2: By this point, the passengers, who had been waiting for 282 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 2: more than twelve hours were becoming increasingly apprehensive. Passenger John R. Maskel, 283 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 2: known as Jack, wrote a letter to his fiance Dorothy Burgess, 284 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 2: which ended quote, we are expecting the lights to go 285 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,480 Speaker 2: out at any minute. Also, the fires the boat might 286 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 2: go to pieces for the force of the waves are terrible, 287 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 2: making awful noises on the side of the boat, which 288 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 2: has quite a list to port. No one is allowed 289 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 2: to sleep, But believe me, dear Dory, it might have 290 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 2: been much worse. Just here there is a big steamer coming. 291 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 2: We struck the reef in a terrible snowstorm. There is 292 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 2: a big buoy near marking the danger, but the captain 293 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:08,400 Speaker 2: was to port instead to starboard the buoy. I made 294 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 2: my will this morning, leaving everything to you, my own 295 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:13,359 Speaker 2: true love, and I want you to give one hundred 296 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 2: pounds to my dear mother, one hundred pounds to my 297 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 2: dear dad, one hundred pounds to dear Wee Jack, and 298 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 2: the balance of my estate about three hundred pounds to you, Dori. 299 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:25,919 Speaker 2: Dear the Eagle Lodge will take care of my remains 300 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 2: in danger at sea. Princess Safaiah twenty fourth October nineteen eighteen. 301 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:34,159 Speaker 1: In the face of the treacherous weather, the rescue ships 302 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: left to seek shelter, and the Princess Safaia spent the 303 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 1: night on the rocks. 304 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 2: On the morning of October twenty fifth, the rescue ships 305 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:45,640 Speaker 2: returned to try again. The captain of the Cedar proposed 306 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:48,200 Speaker 2: making a breeches buoy, which she might also say as 307 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 2: a breeches buoy. To do this, the cedar would drop 308 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 2: an anchor and run a line over to the Princess Sofaia. 309 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:57,119 Speaker 2: People would then use it like a zip line, sliding 310 00:17:57,119 --> 00:17:59,639 Speaker 2: from the Princess Sofaia over to the cedar one at 311 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:02,880 Speaker 2: a time. The name of this comes from the practice 312 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:05,919 Speaker 2: of slinging a pair of canvas bridges over the line 313 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:06,639 Speaker 2: to hang on to you. 314 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:10,440 Speaker 1: We can do historical zipline tours this way. I think 315 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:14,240 Speaker 1: we have a business venture in our future. But the 316 00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:17,159 Speaker 1: water was still so rough that the cedar's anchor simply 317 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,320 Speaker 1: would not hold. At eleven am on the twenty fifth, 318 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:24,399 Speaker 1: Leadbetter scent to a radiogram quote, I can't make anchors hold, 319 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 1: could not rowboat to you at present. Believe your passengers 320 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 1: are perfectly safe until wind moderates. We'll stand by until 321 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: safe to make transfer with safety. 322 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 2: As the violent storm continued, the rescue ships were once 323 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:42,160 Speaker 2: again driven away to take shelter, but kept in touch 324 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:45,879 Speaker 2: with the Princess Afaia. What had been a tedious but 325 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:50,640 Speaker 2: relatively safe weight became terrifying. After all the rescue vessels 326 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:54,399 Speaker 2: were gone, the wind was howling and pounding the ship 327 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 2: into the rocks. The power went out about three o'clock 328 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:00,439 Speaker 2: in the afternoon, which meant most of the past were 329 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 2: in total darkness with a screaming, violent storm going on 330 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 2: around them. E. M. Miller of the King and Wing 331 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 2: later sent the summary of what happened by radiogram quote. 332 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 2: Talked with Sofia several times between two and three pm. 333 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:19,439 Speaker 2: Their dynamo went out and lost power about three PM. 334 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:23,119 Speaker 2: Called the Sofia several times between four thirty and four 335 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 2: forty five pm, no answer. Five forty five talking to 336 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:31,879 Speaker 2: ss Atlas, gave him seven messages for Juno. Four forty 337 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:36,879 Speaker 2: five pm. Sofia, sending SOS, said taking water and foundering. 338 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 2: For God's sake, come and save us. Replied saying coming 339 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:44,639 Speaker 2: full speed, but cannot see account thick snow and taking 340 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 2: heavy seas. Told ss Atlas better come and tried to 341 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:51,640 Speaker 2: get Juno, and then kept on with Sofia until five 342 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 2: twenty when his battery was so weak it was almost 343 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:59,120 Speaker 2: impossible to understand him. Told him to quit talking except 344 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 2: for what was absolute necessary. He replied, all right, but 345 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 2: for God's sake, hurry water coming in room. No more 346 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:10,160 Speaker 2: was heard from him. The ss Atlas, which had left 347 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 2: Juno at about four pm to try to help. Also 348 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:16,480 Speaker 2: sent a telegram to the Cedar at five thirty pm 349 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 2: on the twenty fifth, describing their progress to try to 350 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:24,200 Speaker 2: join the rescue as quote, feeling our way in blinding snowstorm. 351 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,200 Speaker 2: It was just too dangerous for any of these other 352 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:30,359 Speaker 2: ships to stay with the Princess Sophia. That's why they 353 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:32,680 Speaker 2: had all once again gone away to seek shelter. 354 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:37,240 Speaker 1: The weather finally cleared overnight, and at nine fifteen on 355 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:41,120 Speaker 1: the morning of October twenty sixth, a lighthouse superintendent from 356 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 1: Sentinel Island sent a radiogram saying he had arrived at 357 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:48,040 Speaker 1: the scene at eight thirty and only the Princess Sofia's 358 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:51,080 Speaker 1: foremast was visible above the surface of the water. 359 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 2: We're going to take another quick moment for a brief 360 00:20:53,960 --> 00:21:06,399 Speaker 2: sponsor break, sometimes between five point thirty and six thirty pm. 361 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:09,680 Speaker 2: On October twenty fifth, nineteen eighteen, after all the rescue 362 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 2: ships had gone to try to take shelter, the high 363 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:16,160 Speaker 2: wind and the tide had combined to twist the SS 364 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 2: Princess Sofia completely around on top of Vanderbilt Reef, causing 365 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 2: it to point north instead of south. And the process 366 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 2: it tore the bottom completely out of the ship. The 367 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:30,240 Speaker 2: ship slid into the water, tanks ruptured and covered the 368 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 2: water's surface in a thick layer of oil. An order 369 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,600 Speaker 2: was apparently given to abandoned ship and some life boats 370 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:40,200 Speaker 2: were deployed, but none of them were deployed successfully. 371 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,600 Speaker 1: Only one person seems to have gotten away from the 372 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:48,879 Speaker 1: actual sinking, Frank Gaussie, the ship's second officer. He was 373 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:51,359 Speaker 1: found on shore, but he had died of exposure. 374 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:56,439 Speaker 2: The rex only confirmed survivor was a dog an English setter, 375 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 2: who was found covered in oil about twenty miles or 376 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:02,639 Speaker 2: Third Tarty, two kilometers to the south, two days later. 377 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 1: The exact death toll for this wreck is unclear. There 378 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 1: were probably between two hundred eighty and two hundred ninety 379 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:13,760 Speaker 1: passengers on board and fifty five to sixty five crew. 380 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: A list of known passengers includes three hundred and sixty people, 381 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:21,560 Speaker 1: but there were definitely stowaways on board, as well as 382 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: people who boarded in skagway planing to work for their 383 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:29,440 Speaker 1: passage but who weren't written down. Babies in arms also 384 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 1: weren't necessarily on the passenger list. The victims included more 385 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:38,920 Speaker 1: than one hundred residents of Dawson, Yukon, which only had 386 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:43,480 Speaker 1: a population of about eight hundred at that time. Approximately 387 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 1: eight percent of the white population of Yukon died. Similar 388 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 1: numbers for the indigenous population of Canada and Alaska aren't 389 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:55,200 Speaker 1: really known. But Walter Harper, who was an Athabaskan guide 390 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 1: and the first person to summit Dnali, was killed along 391 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 1: with his wife Francis. Some writers have made the argument 392 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:05,240 Speaker 1: that this was economically catastrophic for Yukon. It led to 393 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:08,119 Speaker 1: a serious decline for the territory and for all of 394 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 1: the Canadian North, but really there was a lot of 395 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:13,960 Speaker 1: other stuff going on at the same time as well, 396 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,720 Speaker 1: including the flu pandemic and changes to the mining industry. 397 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:21,160 Speaker 1: So this was definitely a tragedy that had a real impact, 398 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 1: but it was not the only factor. 399 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 2: John F. Pugh, who was District Collector of US Customs 400 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:30,639 Speaker 2: for Alaska, was also on board, along with Walter J. O'Brien, 401 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:33,960 Speaker 2: who was a CPR company agent from Dawson. He was 402 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 2: on the ship with his wife and five children and 403 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:38,760 Speaker 2: was found with his arms around one of his sons. 404 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:43,399 Speaker 1: The passengers also included eighty five members of riverboat crews 405 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:47,480 Speaker 1: that operated out of Skagway, which destroyed the riverboat Company's 406 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:49,400 Speaker 1: workforce for that route completely. 407 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:53,119 Speaker 2: So after it was discovered that the ship had sunk, 408 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 2: what had been a rescue effort immediately turned to recovery. 409 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:00,480 Speaker 2: More than one hundred bodies were recovered in the first hour. 410 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:03,959 Speaker 2: Many of the people had drowned or died of exposure, 411 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:07,639 Speaker 2: but another major cause of death was asphyxiation, either because 412 00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 2: people got caught up in the oil slick and couldn't breathe, 413 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 2: or because of the build up of gases inside the 414 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:17,639 Speaker 2: vessel as its operating systems blew. The oil slick also 415 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 2: caused wildlife deaths, including the deaths of flocks of ducks. 416 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 2: The SS Princess Sofia itself was quickly determined not to 417 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 2: be salvageable, or at least not salvageable until spring, but 418 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:34,040 Speaker 2: the effort to recover bodies went on for weeks. A 419 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 2: total of one hundred and eighty bodies were eventually recovered, 420 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:41,399 Speaker 2: some of them many miles away from the wreck itself. Initially, 421 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 2: the bodies were housed in an empty warehouse in Juno 422 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:47,359 Speaker 2: that was used as a temporary mortuary, with members of 423 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:51,640 Speaker 2: the community cleaning the oil from the bodies. Divers were 424 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:54,199 Speaker 2: also sent to recover a safe full of gold that 425 00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:56,800 Speaker 2: had been on board, and they returned with a body 426 00:24:56,840 --> 00:25:00,240 Speaker 2: as well. The bodies of Canadian residents were so to 427 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:03,680 Speaker 2: Vancouver aboard the Princess Alice, which was nicknamed the Ship 428 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 2: of Sorrow because of this sad duty. But the Princess 429 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:11,200 Speaker 2: Alice arrived in Vancouver on November eleventh, nineteen eighteen, which 430 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:14,280 Speaker 2: was Armistice Day, so the mood in Vancouver when the 431 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:16,520 Speaker 2: ship actually got there was exuberant because of the end 432 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 2: of the war. The mayor had the flags flown at 433 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:21,320 Speaker 2: half staff for an hour. On the twelfth. 434 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: Thomas Riggs, Junior Territorial Governor of Alaska, issued a statement 435 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:28,960 Speaker 1: after learning the news of the wreck, quote wreck of 436 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:31,880 Speaker 1: the Princess Sofia has cast a great shadow over all 437 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:36,400 Speaker 1: of Northland. Alaska grieves with the Yukon. He also sent 438 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:39,720 Speaker 1: a message to the US Secretary of the Interior calling 439 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 1: it the quote most ghastly incident in the history of 440 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:46,080 Speaker 1: the territory. Of course, this is a massive tragedy and 441 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:48,639 Speaker 1: there were immediate calls for an inquest, but there were 442 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:51,479 Speaker 1: also a lot of questions and complications because of the 443 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:55,720 Speaker 1: international nature of the disaster. It had happened in Alaska, 444 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:59,639 Speaker 1: and virtually everyone involved in the rescue attempt was American, 445 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 1: but it was a Canadian ship, and many of the 446 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:05,800 Speaker 1: people who died aboard were Canadian, most of them from Yukon. 447 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,640 Speaker 1: There was also the question of how and what exactly 448 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:13,359 Speaker 1: to investigate, because everyone who could have been questioned about 449 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:17,399 Speaker 1: what happened aboard the Princess Sophia was dead. The first 450 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:21,960 Speaker 1: official inquiry was held January sixth, nineteen nineteen, at Bastion 451 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:27,120 Speaker 1: Square Courthouse in Victoria, British Columbia. Witnesses from the rescue 452 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:31,439 Speaker 1: vessels offered testimony about how treacherous Lynn Canal was, but 453 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:34,119 Speaker 1: some also raised doubts about whether Locke had made the 454 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:35,360 Speaker 1: right decisions. 455 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:39,400 Speaker 2: A big point of contention was the Sofia's traveling at 456 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:43,199 Speaker 2: eleven knots rather than at seven. The other was the 457 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 2: decision not to evacuate Captain Cornelia Stidham aboard the Peterson 458 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:51,119 Speaker 2: and Captain Miller of the King and Wing both said 459 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 2: that the evacuation would have been possible during a very 460 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 2: brief window of time before the wind really picked up. 461 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:01,480 Speaker 2: Captain James Davis of the Estabethan Edward MacDougall of the 462 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:05,800 Speaker 2: Amy backed them up in this opinion. These judgments, though, 463 00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 2: were made with the benefit of hindsight and knowing how 464 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:11,640 Speaker 2: the weather progressed after that call was made to stay put, 465 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:14,960 Speaker 2: and everyone agreed that even if some people had been 466 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:19,040 Speaker 2: rescued in this window of relatively less treacherous weather, many 467 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 2: others would still have died. There were also other captains 468 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:26,440 Speaker 2: who had the opposite opinion. According to one inspector from 469 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 2: the Royal Canadian Mounted Police quote, I have interviewed several 470 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,160 Speaker 2: deep sea captains and they are all of the same 471 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:36,159 Speaker 2: opinion that given similar conditions and circumstances, they would have 472 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 2: acted exactly as did Captain Locke. It is considered that 473 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:43,480 Speaker 2: he acted as any level headed seafaring man would have done, 474 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:46,080 Speaker 2: and while his error of judgment caused the loss of 475 00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:50,159 Speaker 2: so many lives, it is considered simply an act of providence. 476 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:54,280 Speaker 1: The inquiry was closed on March tenth, nineteen nineteen, and 477 00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:57,880 Speaker 1: taken to Parliament on April twenty third. In the end, 478 00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:01,960 Speaker 1: no blame was placed on Locke or on CPR. The 479 00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:05,080 Speaker 1: US vessels that came to assist were compensated for their 480 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:08,679 Speaker 1: time and efforts, and a small payment was given to families. 481 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:12,960 Speaker 2: American relatives of the victims filed a class action suit 482 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:16,280 Speaker 2: in the United States, and that dragged on for fourteen years. 483 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 2: At first, a US district court judge found that CPR 484 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:25,120 Speaker 2: was negligent and CPR was fined two point five million 485 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:27,960 Speaker 2: dollars to be paid to the families of the passengers 486 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 2: and crew, plus a million dollars of court costs, But 487 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:34,399 Speaker 2: the judge reversed this decision a couple of weeks later, 488 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:37,920 Speaker 2: saying that this tragedy fell under the Limited Liabilities Act 489 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:42,160 Speaker 2: of eighteen fifty one, so all CPR was responsible for 490 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 2: was the cost of fares and baggage. The Limited Liabilities 491 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 2: Act of eighteen fifty one was crafted to mimic limited 492 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:52,680 Speaker 2: liability laws that were already in effect in other countries. 493 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:57,480 Speaker 2: There wasn't any such thing as comprehensive insurance for shipping companies, 494 00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:00,640 Speaker 2: and because American companies had no LANs limits to their 495 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 2: liability in the event of a disaster, they faced much 496 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:08,240 Speaker 2: higher potential costs. So a law was drafted to try 497 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 2: to make shipping companies operating out of the United States 498 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:15,560 Speaker 2: more competitive with similar businesses operating out of other countries. 499 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:19,560 Speaker 2: This law limited a company's liability to the value of 500 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 2: the ship and the cargo after a disaster, so if 501 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 2: the ship was a total loss, that value might actually 502 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:29,840 Speaker 2: meet zero. This law, by the way, is still in effect. 503 00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:32,360 Speaker 2: It was used in an attempt to get the damages 504 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 2: of the twenty ten Deep Water Horizon disaster capped at 505 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 2: twenty seven million dollars. 506 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 1: The Princess Sofia case was appealed all the way to 507 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 1: the Ninth Circuit Court, and the Supreme Court declined to 508 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 1: hear it. In the end, CPR settled for six hundred 509 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 1: forty three dollars and fifty cents, which was less than 510 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:53,600 Speaker 1: two dollars for each victim. Meanwhile, the company did get 511 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: a payment of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars from 512 00:29:55,800 --> 00:30:00,320 Speaker 1: its insurer. The Lynn Canal is still overwhelmingly how people 513 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:03,959 Speaker 1: get to and from Skagway, Alaska, although there is a 514 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 1: year round highway connection and small plane service today. But 515 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:10,800 Speaker 1: the canal is also much safer today than it was 516 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:13,480 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighteen, and it is a popular route for 517 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 1: Alaska cruises. The buoy that had been visible only by 518 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:20,760 Speaker 1: day was replaced with a light, and of course navigation 519 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 1: and sonar technologies are far more advanced than they were 520 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 1: one hundred years ago. 521 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:29,560 Speaker 2: Ultimately, the SS Princess Safaia was a total loss and 522 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 2: the wreck is still there in the Lynn Canal today. 523 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:35,560 Speaker 2: It's a popular dive site, with some divers saying that 524 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:39,600 Speaker 2: it's haunted. Keepers at the nearby Sentinel Lighthouse have also 525 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:49,440 Speaker 2: attributed ghostly noises to the Princess Safaia's passengers. Thanks so 526 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 2: much for joining us on this Saturday. If you'd like 527 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:55,440 Speaker 2: to send us a note, our email addresses History Podcast 528 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:59,240 Speaker 2: at iHeartRadio dot com and you can subscribe to the 529 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 2: show on the ie heart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 530 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:04,160 Speaker 2: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.