On October 23rd, 1918 the Princess Sophia powered up her engines in preparation to leave port from Skagway Alaska. Captain Leonard Locke seemed anxious, probably because his departure had been delayed for 3 hours, an eternity for a passenger ship. An early Alaskan blizzard had delayed the ship, but when the storm eased around 10:00pm Locke seized the opportunity to depart for Juneau. The Princess Sophia steamed down Lynn Cannal carrying 269 passengers and 73 crew aboard. Captain Locke pushed the engine to full speed in order to make up for lost time. As the ship steamed down the canal the weather situation deteriorated rapidly. As the waves slammed the ship it unknowingly pushed Princess Sophia slightly off course. 
Four hours into the trip passengers and crew were knocked to the ground as the ship came to a screeching stop. As Captain Locke pulled himself to his feet it became obvious what had happened. Princess Sophia was grounded on a large reef. A quick evaluation of the damage appeared promising. The ship was not taking on any water. Locke attributed this to the ships double hull. Even if the reef had ripped the bottom of the ship it had not penetrated the second layer. Princess Sophia could stay afloat indefinitely even if the first hull flooded. Locke radioed for help and a large fleet made sail to take on Sophia’s passengers. On board the ship passengers were calm and mostly discussed how inconvenient this delay was. Passengers began readying their luggage as rescue ships arrived, but the weather had again deteriorated. A blinding snow and harsh winds had sat in during the night hours. When rescuers tried to get close to Sophia the steady wind and waves tried to smash them into the reef. Attempt after attempt failed to reach the Sophia. Captain Locke decided the ship was still sea worthy, and stuck hard on the razor sharp reef. Locke thought that launching the passengers in the Sophia’s life boats was the equivalent to suicide. Believing his ship to be in good shape overall Locke sent the rescue ships back to port with the understanding they would return the next day when the weather improved. Princess Sophia was on her own until better weather came in. To the dismay of Captain Locke and his passengers the weather only grew worse. Waves smashed the ship tossing passengers and equipment all over the ship. Most passengers sought refuge from the weather inside their cabins. Suddenly an unusually large wave picked Princess Sophia off thee reef and slammed it back down ripping the secondary hull, and tearing out the bottom of the ship. Rescue ships were hours away now. This time damage reports were much more ominous. The ship had pivoted on the reef, and was now taking on water. Captain Locke realized the weight of the water would eventually drag the Princess Sophia off the reef, and then to the bottom of the ocean. On October 25th at 4:50 pm a call for help was immediately sent out from the ships radio. “Ship foundering on reef. Come at once”. As water poured into the ship the weight drug Princess Sophia off the reef and into the deep drop off. At 5:20pm another radio message was received by rescue ships. “For Gods sakes hurry, the water is in my room”. Shortly after the ship pulled free of the reef. Icy cold water hit the boilers causing and explosion, killing many, and ripping a hole in the ship. Minutes later the ship was gone. The sea was filled with passengers and crew looking in vein for safety. When rescue ships arrived they were unable to find any sign of the Princess Sophia, or even the reef. Bad weather forced the ships back to port. The next day the ships located the foremast of the Princess Sophia standing a few feet above the water, a eerie marker of where the ship ended up. Subsequent searches for survivors was fruitless. The only living thing located was an Irish Setter that was believed to belong to a wealthy couple aboard the ship. Bodies washed up on the Alaskan coast for months. The worst maritime accident in Alaskan history was largely overshadowed by news of the end to World War I. Today the wreck of the Princess Sophia still rest within eyesight of the reef that the sent it to the bottom. Steel shards litter the reef, remnants of the ships hull. Divers have sense confirmed the damage to the bottom of the Princess Sophia, but even more unsettling was the discovery of human remains in over 100 of the ships cabins, a grim indication that many passengers had already accepted their part in this forgotten tragedy. 
insight2history 