Steamboats of the Skeena River

The Skeena River is British Columbia’s fastest flowing waterway, often rising as much as 17 feet (5.2 m) in a day and fluctuating as much as sixty feet between high and low water. For the steamboat captains, that wide range made it one of the toughest navigable rivers in British Columbia. Nevertheless, at least sixteen paddlewheel steamboats plied the Skeena River from the coast to Hazelton from 1864 to 1912.

The first sternwheeler to arrive on the Skeena River was the Union, which was owned and operated by Captain Tom Coffin. On her first trip up from Victoria in 1864 she carried four passengers and 20 tons of freight. However, Coffin soon realized that he was not able to ascend the Skeena without more preparation, and the trip was declared a failure. In 1865, the Collin's Overland Telegraph Company chartered the Union, and Captain Coffin gave the Skeena another try. The Union fought her way upstream for 90 miles (140 km) and could not ascend any further. The telegraph company then decided to build their own sternwheeler, the Mumford, and she left Victoria under Captain Coffin in July 1866. This time Coffin travelled 110 miles (180 km) upstream, a feat he repeated three times, successfully delivering 150 miles (240 km) of material for the telegraph line and 12,000 rations for its workers. Passengers during these pioneer journeys did not enjoy a luxurious or relaxing trip. They were often kept busy with bucksaws and axes, helping chop wood for the ravenous boiler. The Mumford left the Skeena in October and berthed in New Westminster. That was the end of her adventures, as the Collins Telegraph Company went defunct when the transatlantic cable was successfully laid.

When the Omineca Gold Rush began in 1869, it became profitable to attempt navigation on the Skeena again. The Omineca diggings could be easily reached from Hazelton, where a trail ran for 115 miles (185 km), passing Fort Babine and Takla Lake. At first, canoes were used to ship the supplies from the coast. Captain William Moore was under contract with the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) to perform this service, and Robert Cunningham traded as an independent. This was gruelling and perilous work, as well as slow and expensive. The HBC decided in 1889 to build a sternwheeler, the Caledonia, and hired Captain George Odin to be her pilot. She was launched on February 28, 1891, at New Westminster and made her first trip to Hazelton that May, taking nine days to make the trip. The Caledonia was considered a success and began serving not only the Skeena River, but also the northern coastal regions. Captain John Bonser was hired on to be her captain, and in 1895 the Caledonia was overhauled and lengthened at his request, making her more manoeuvrable.

...
Wikipedia