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Sternwheeler Columbian disaster
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In what was characterized as the worst disaster in the Yukon River's history, the sternwheeler Columbian exploded and burned at Eagle Rock, Yukon, Canada, on 25 September, 1906, killing six men. The steamer was carrying a crew of twenty-five men and a full cargo, including cattle and three tons (2.722 t) of blasting powder destined for the Tantalus coal mine, thirty miles (48 km) downriver.[1][2][3]
![]() Site of the disaster on the Yukon River | |
Date | September 25, 1906 (1906-09-25) |
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Location | Yukon River, Eagle Rock, Yukon, Canada |
Participants | H. C. Baughman; A. Borrowman; Lionel Cadogan Cowper; Carl Christianson, aka "J. Smith"; A. D. Lewis; Frank J. Mavis; Edward Morgan; Phil Murray; C. D. Phillips; C. Smith; Joe Welsh; J. O. Williams; John Woods |
Deaths | 6 |
The Columbian was one hundred and forty-seven feet (45 m) long, thirty feet (9.1 m) wide, and capable of carrying one hundred and seventy-five passengers plus freight.[4] The engine room was thirty-five feet (11 m) long, housing two high-pressure engines. Built in 1898 by John Todd for the Canadian Development Company (CDC), it was the first CDC steamer to arrive at Dawson City that year, carrying two prefabricated steel steamers for the North-West Mounted Police. The Columbian was bought by the British Yukon Navigation Company along with sixteen other CDC steamers in 1901. In 1905, it had been converted to burn coal from the Tantalus Butte Coal Mine.[2]