Daily Event for October 24


October 24, 1918 the Canadian Pacific steamer Princess Sophia grounded on Vanderbilt Reef in the Lynn Canal
near Sentinel Island, Alaska. The snow storm which contributed to her grounding also kept rescue ships away
however the ship was stuck fast and it was thought she would stay on the ledge until the seas calmed down.
The Princess May had grounded near the same place in 1910 and was successfully refloated without any loss
of life, this would not be the case for the Princess Sophia.

On board the ship were three hundred and forty-three people including thirty-three women and seventeen
children. The Princess Sophia sat atop the reef until sometime on the night of Oct. 26-27 when the captain
sent a disturbing cry for help saying that they were taking on water and sinking. The only deep water was to
the stern of the ship and that evening she slid off into the canal taking everyone with her. In the morning the top
of her masts was the only thing visible. The single survivor was a dog which was believed to have been on the
ship. The wreck was left to the ravages of the sea and parts of the ship are still scattered around the area.

© 2007 Michael W. Pocock
MaritimeQuest.com


Princess Sophia aground on Vanderbilt Reef.

 

The wreck of the Princess Sophia.