SS Princess
Encyclopedia
SS Princess was a steamboat
that operated on Lake Winnipeg
in Canada
from 1881 until 1906. The vessel was built in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
by the Jarvis & Burridge shipyard, and it was regarded as the pride of Lake Winnipeg and as the finest lake steamer west from the Great Lakes
and east from the Rocky Mountains
. The vessel has a total of 40 spacious passenger cabins, and outwardly it resembled many of the Mississippi River
paddle steamer
s. The vessel had a top speed of approximately 25 knots.
In 1885 together with the Colvile
the Princess moved the thousand men that had participated the North West Rebellion from Grand Rapids, Manitoba
to Winnipeg.
Soon after 1885 the vessel faced downgrading. The passenger cabins were removed and she was downgraded to a cargo vessel. The paddlewheels and the original steam engine
were replaced with a new steam engine and a four-blade propeller
. During the work the hull was also lengthened to 49 metres (161 feet). Only six cabins, a kitchen
and a small dining room
were left. After the work the vessel was primarily used to carry bulky goods and railroad tie
s, and often she was towing a barge
.
Her career ended in an autumn storm in 1906. On August 24 the Princess left from the Spider Islands
and headed towards Little George Island carrying 1,600 boxes of fish
. The weather was fine until at about 6:00pm a strong northeastern wind rose. After the Princess had rounded the Little George Island Captain Hawes turned her for the Berens Island. As the winds turned into a storm
the crew urged the captain to seek shelter from George Island
.
Finally, as the storm grew stronger Captain Hawes ordered to turn the vessel around and signalled the engine room
Full speed ahead. This double order proved to be her fate. As the vessel turned, and had turned about half-way around the hull was torn asunder by the fury of eight-metre waves, trapping three of crew below. The passengers and crew quickly moved in to two small lifeboat
s, but Captain Hawes, 17-year-old cabin servant Flora McDonald of Selkirk and 19-year-old cook Johanna Palsdottir never made the last boat. Also lost were 19-year old sailor Johann Jonsson, Loftur Gudmundsson of Gimli, and Charles Greyeyes, native Canadian.
Both lifeboats survived the storm. The first one landed on Berens Island, and the other one made it the shore near the village of Berens River
, where the survivors were picked up the next day by SS City of Selkirk.
Six people were lost in the accident, and only two bodies were ever found. One of the bodies was Captain Hawes, wearing nothing but the straps of the life preserver. Everything else was torn away.
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
that operated on Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg is a large, lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, with its southern tip about north of the city of Winnipeg...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
from 1881 until 1906. The vessel was built in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
by the Jarvis & Burridge shipyard, and it was regarded as the pride of Lake Winnipeg and as the finest lake steamer west from the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
and east from the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. The vessel has a total of 40 spacious passenger cabins, and outwardly it resembled many of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
paddle steamer
Paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
s. The vessel had a top speed of approximately 25 knots.
In 1885 together with the Colvile
SS Colvile
The SS Colvile was a Lake Winnipeg steamboat built for the Hudson's Bay Company in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Parts of the vessel called Chief Commissioner were used for the Colvile. The Colvile was one of the largest vessels constructed for the HBC. The company hired Captain J...
the Princess moved the thousand men that had participated the North West Rebellion from Grand Rapids, Manitoba
Grand Rapids, Manitoba
Grand Rapids is a town in Manitoba, Canada located on the northwestern shore of Lake Winnipeg where the Saskatchewan River enters the lake. As the name implies, the river had a significant drop at this point . In modern days, a large hydro electric generating plant has been built...
to Winnipeg.
Soon after 1885 the vessel faced downgrading. The passenger cabins were removed and she was downgraded to a cargo vessel. The paddlewheels and the original steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
were replaced with a new steam engine and a four-blade propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
. During the work the hull was also lengthened to 49 metres (161 feet). Only six cabins, a kitchen
Kitchen
A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
and a small dining room
Dining room
A dining room is a room for consuming food. In modern times it is usually adjacent to the kitchen for convenience in serving, although in medieval times it was often on an entirely different floor level...
were left. After the work the vessel was primarily used to carry bulky goods and railroad tie
Railroad tie
A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...
s, and often she was towing a barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
.
Her career ended in an autumn storm in 1906. On August 24 the Princess left from the Spider Islands
Spider Islands
The Spider Islands are a small archipelago in the north basin of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. The archipelago is situated near the eastern shoreline of the lake, north of the mouth of the Belanger River....
and headed towards Little George Island carrying 1,600 boxes of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
. The weather was fine until at about 6:00pm a strong northeastern wind rose. After the Princess had rounded the Little George Island Captain Hawes turned her for the Berens Island. As the winds turned into a storm
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
the crew urged the captain to seek shelter from George Island
George Island (Lake Winnipeg)
George Island is a small island located within the north basin of Lake Winnipeg in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It lies approximately north from Winnipeg, and approximately halfway between the community of Grand Rapids on the west shore and the community of Poplar River on the east shore of...
.
Finally, as the storm grew stronger Captain Hawes ordered to turn the vessel around and signalled the engine room
Engine room
On a ship, the engine room, or ER, commonly refers to the machinery spaces of a vessel. To increase the safety and damage survivability of a vessel, the machinery necessary for operations may be segregated into various spaces, the engine room is one of these spaces, and is generally the largest...
Full speed ahead. This double order proved to be her fate. As the vessel turned, and had turned about half-way around the hull was torn asunder by the fury of eight-metre waves, trapping three of crew below. The passengers and crew quickly moved in to two small lifeboat
Lifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
s, but Captain Hawes, 17-year-old cabin servant Flora McDonald of Selkirk and 19-year-old cook Johanna Palsdottir never made the last boat. Also lost were 19-year old sailor Johann Jonsson, Loftur Gudmundsson of Gimli, and Charles Greyeyes, native Canadian.
Both lifeboats survived the storm. The first one landed on Berens Island, and the other one made it the shore near the village of Berens River
Berens River
The Berens River is a river in the Provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, Canada. It flows west from an unnamed lake in Kenora District, Ontario and discharges its waters into Lake Winnipeg near the village and First Nation of Berens River, Manitoba...
, where the survivors were picked up the next day by SS City of Selkirk.
Six people were lost in the accident, and only two bodies were ever found. One of the bodies was Captain Hawes, wearing nothing but the straps of the life preserver. Everything else was torn away.