Mount Royal (sternwheeler)
HBC sternwheeler Mount Royal
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| History | |
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 Canada
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| Name: | Mount Royal |
| Builder: | Alexander Watson |
| Laid down: | 1901 in Victoria, British Columbia |
| Launched: | first attempt April 9, 1902 successfully launched several days later |
| In service: | 1902-1907 |
| Fate: | wrecked in Kitselas Canyon, six lives lost |
| Notes: | Captain SB Johnson |
| General characteristics | |
| Length: | 138 ft (42.1 m) |
| Beam: | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
| Draft: | 18 inches empty 36 inches loaded |
| Speed: | 12 knots |
Mount Royal was a sternwheeler that worked on the Skeena River and Stikine Rivers in British Columbia, Canada, from 1902 until 1907. She was named after Lord Strathcona who was also known as Donald Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal.
Mount Royal was owned by the Hudson's Bay Company which also owned Caledonia and Strathcona. These sternwheelers were used to serve the communities along the river before and during the construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. During her six seasons of service, Mount Royal was piloted by Captain SB Johnson.
Mount Royal was built to run against Hazelton a privately owned sternwheeler that worked as a passenger and freight steamer for Robert Cunningham.
Mount Royal was built by Alexander Watson in Victoria at Albion Iron Works (VMD). Watson designed her specifically for navigating the treacherous Skeena River. Using fine Douglas fir and Eastern oak, he built one of the fastest, lightest and most luxurious sternwheelers that ever ran on the Skeena. Even with a full load of passengers and cargo, she only sat in 36 inches in the water.
On Mount Royal's launch date of April 9, 1902, she got hung up during the launch, and after two hours was freed, only to get caught up again, this time swinging into the bank. It would be several more days before she was successfully launched into the bay. A bad launch was considered to be an ill omen and, in this case, was one that would be fulfilled.
When Mount Royal arrived at the Skeena, rivalry flared between her and the Robert Cunningham’s Hazelton almost immediately, with each captain trying to beat the other's times from Port Essington to Hazelton and back. The standing order from both companies was "beat the other boat." Inevitably, this led to a side-by-side race, an old but dangerous tradition among sternwheelers. In the spring of 1904, both boats wanted to be the first one of the season to arrive in Hazelton. Captain Bonser started out in Hazelton first, and while he was wooding-up 105 miles upstream, he saw Mount Royal with Johnson at the helm coming up from behind. Wooding-up was immediately ceased and Hazelton pulled into the stream as Mount Royal approached and they raced bow to bow. Slowly Mount Royal gained on Hazelton. Captain Bonser was having none of it and he rammed Mount Royal several times. Johnson lost control and the current carried her back downstream, bow first. Bonser wagged Hazelton's stern at Mount Royal, tooted the whistle and continued triumphantly upstream. Furious, Johnson left the pilothouse unattended to retrieve a rifle and shot at the departing Hazelton. Afterwards, Johnson laid charges on Bonser claiming he deliberately rammed Mount Royal. Bonser claimed in his defense that it was an accident. The Federal Department of Marine investigated and decided that both captains were at fault, Bonser for ramming Mount Royal, and Johnson for leaving the helm. The men were reprimanded and the case was closed.
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Wikipedia