SS Mount Royal

Hudson Bay Company, SS Mount Royal, Stern Paddle Wheel Steamer

At 3 pm on Saturday, July 6, 1907,
Sunk on route from Hazelton to Port Essington, at Kitselas Canyon, 93 miles from Hazelton.

6 of her crew drowned or were killed by the exploding boiler.

Ship was insured at a value of $30,000
The ship was built in Victoria 5 years earlier, launched in April 1902
after a couple unsuccessful tries, starting Apr 9.
by Alexander “Alex” Watson Jr. at Albion Iron Works.
130 ft long, 28 ft beam. She travelled at 12 knots.
She had 100 Staterooms, and 200 cabins. \

It struck the rocks of what later became Ring Bolt Island, eventually going sideways in the current, and breaking apart.
While it was pinned on Ring Bolt Island the Captain ordered all passengers to shore, which saved their lives.
He kept 10 of the crew on board, hoping he could gain control. 5 minutes later it was all over.

Native population canoed over to the island, to save all the survivors and bring them to the shore.

The mystery remains, where is the Purser's safe?
They were known to haul gold dust, etc to the coast.
It was only supposedly holding $700 in cash
Many attempts have been made to find it.
But last remarks I have read now state there wasn't much in it.

Big Canyon, Kitselas
Ring Bolt Island in the middle of this picture, where most of the survivors were stranded on
Credit: Library and Archives Canada / PA

Aug 13, 1907 the hull was still upside down at the foot of the canyon, with only her keel showing.
I know her engines were salvaged and used in her replacement sternwheeler, the SS Port Simpson.
The Owners were told later to dynamite the remains, as it was declared a navigation hazard.

SS Mount Royal, was named after Lord Strathcona, who was also known as Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal.
He was the Principal Shareholder of the Hudson Bay Company

Lots of books have been written about this accident, but haven't seen too much written about the men involved, so that is what these pages are all about
Dedicated to those that lived, and especially dedicated to those that died.

There was a Total Crew of 22 on Board

SS Mount Royal Deceased Crew Members

SS Mount Royal Surviving Crew Members

Note -not my site
http://www.riverboatdays.ca/exhibit4.php

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Royal_(sternwheeler)

©