SS Kamloops: Wreck Event

Sketch of the SS KAMLOOPS resting on lake bottom.

NPS

Wreck Event

The last trip of the 1927 season would be Kamloops' final trip. The doomed vessel cleared Port Colborne, Ontario on the Welland Canal upbound on December 1 at 9:30 AM (Detroit Free Press, Dec. 2, 1927). The ship passed Detroit at 11:30. Apparently Kamloops passed through the Soo on December 4 in the company of Quedoc, a 345-foot bulk freighter (Owen Sound Daily Sun Times, Dec. 13, 1927). From Sault Ste. Marie, Capt. Brian wrote his wife in Toronto, saying that the weather was very bad and that he was going out to anchor his ship (Ibid., Dec. 14, 1927). Mrs. Brian expected her husband home for the winter season six days later on Saturday, December 10.

The giant freeze-up of vessels the year before was still fresh in memory as the 1927 navigation season drew to a close. A rumor had circulated from Buffalo that Lake ships, fearing another blockade, would end their season on November 30, but executives of Canada Steamship Lines denied the rumor. A company official was quoted in the Fort William Daily Times Journal on November 29:

Detroit Free Press Dec. 15, 16, 1927

"We will run our ships as long as the weather holds good, and as long as there is grain to carry. The experience we had last year does not deter us because we realize that a thing like that may not happen again for another 50 years." The executive's declaration would prove ironic on two counts: Company vessels would be lost in 1927, and others would end their season icebound in the very same channel as the year before.

The day following the executive's statement, a 36 mile-an-hour northeast wind began, causing the upbound vessels to shelter overnight on November 30 at Whitefish Point and the Welcome Islands. The temperature was 8°F. at Duluth, 10 F. at Port Arthur, and storm warnings were raised at the Soo. The temperature continued to drop as a massive cold front advanced from the northwest (Sault Daily Star, Dec. 1, 1927). This cold front would be closely followed by a worse storm.

The storm increased as the second front arrived, sweeping Lake Superior with high winds on December 5. Upbound vessels, including Kamloops, had been delayed and anchored at Whitefish Bay. The downbound grain fleet had weathered the storm at Fort William. Valcartier, the first ship to reach the Soo, arrived heavily laden with a thick coating of ice, and reported temperatures of 40 degrees below during the storm (Sault Daily Star, Dec. 6, 1927).

Storm signals were raised once again on December 7, as a northeast wind began blowing at 20 to 30 miles per hour. The temperature dropped to 10 degrees below at Port Arthur. The storm became a major blizzard. The weather remained at sub-zero levels with lows of 10-38 degrees F. below zero reported. The situation on the Lakes grew worse as the storm raged the 7th and 8th. Damage reports began filtering in on the 9th. In all, five vessels were eventually declared a total loss by the underwriters- Kamloops was among the missing.

By December 12, grave concern was mounting regarding the fate of Kamloops, which was now overdue at Ft. Willliam. A search for Kamloops began in earnest December 12. Islet Prince, commanded by A.E. Fader, began searching the north shore (Ft. William Daily Times Journal, Dec. 12, 1927). The government tug Murray Stewart left from the Soo to join the search (Sarnia Canadian Observer, Dec 13, 1927).

Speculation on the whereabouts of Kamloops centered on Isle Royale. Captain R. Simpson of Quedoc arrived at the Soo and discovered Kamloops still on the unreported list. He gave the following account:

Owen Sound Daily Sun Times Dec. 13, 1927

The QUEDOC passed upbound December 4. Beside her was the KAMLOOPS upbound loaded with package freight, with 21 [sic] men aboard, and captained by William Brian. The Quedoc was leading and the KAMLOOPS was one-quarter of a mile astern. At ten o'clock Tuesday night [Dec 6], the lookout on the steamer QUEDOC suddenly saw a dark mass ahead, and gave the alarm immediately. The QUEDOC turned sharply to avoid running head on into the rocks at the same time blowing the danger signal to the KAMLOOPS. A north gale was blowing, there was a heavy sea, and it was rough going. The visibility was poor, on account of frost fog, and it is not known if the KAMLOOPS saw the rock or heard the signal. The KAMLOOPS has not been seen or heard of since. She had no wireless aboard.

As more time passed without a trace of wreckage, and hope was reluctantly abandoned, the general feeling grew that Kamloops would remain a Lakes mystery (Sault Daily Star, Dec. 14, 1927). The Coast Guard ceased its search of the Keweenaw in the face of heavy seas and ice, and suggested concentrating efforts on the shores of Isle Royale and Manitou Islands (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette, Dec. 16, 1927). The Islet Prince, which had seen no wreckage, was called back to port by CSL officials.

Isle Royale and Manitou Island represented the last shred of hope for the searchers. Captain Henry Gehl of the tug Champlain believed every bay of Isle Royale should be inspected. "I would like to give the Isle the once-over to be certain. It might be that some member or members of the crew got ashore and are wandering about the island. It must be made certain that no one is on the island before the search for the missing steamer is given up as hopeless" he said (Port Arthur News Chronicle, Dec. 16, 1927).

Capt. Gehl was not alone in his belief that survivors might be on Isle Royale. Another tug captain, Sam Wright, said that practically every tug captain, mate and engineer was ready to start a close search of the shore of Isle Royale, and the waters and islands between Port Arthur and the big island, to ascertain the fate of the freighter Kamloops. Wright believed that the missing ship would be found ice-locked on the inner side of Isle Royale between Washington Harbor and Gull Rocks, a stretch of 15 miles of sheer rock where there is no shelter for ships, or else in one of the numerous bays and island-sheltered nooks that extend from Gull Rocks to the outer point of the island (Port Arthur News Chronicle, Dec. 17, 1927). The prospect of finding survivors still alive on Isle Royale was considered remote (Daily Mining Journal, Marquette Dec. 16, 1927).

By the beginning of the new year, there was little mention of the loss of Kamloops. In January the Ontario Workman's Compensation Board judged the crew lost and were waiting for receipt of the official report so compensation to the widows and children could begin (Owen Sound Daily Sun Times, Jan. 12, 1928; Detroit Free Press, Jan. 17, 1928). It was known that there were two women aboard Kamloops during its final voyage. Jennet Grafton and Alice Bettridge were the first and assistant stewardesses. This was to have been the last season on the Lakes for Grafton; it was the second season for 22 year-old Bettridge (Owen Sound Daily Sun Times, Jan. 12, 1928).

On May 26, the electrifying news that the fishermen of Isle Royale had found bodies believed to belong to the crew of Kamloops reached the newspapers (Calumet News, May 26, 1928; Detroit Free Press, May 27, 1928). The cutter Crawford, which postponed entering the drydock in Duluth at Marine Iron and Shipbuilding for repairs, went to investigate. Two bodies had been reported found by David Lind:

Duluth News Tribune May 28, 1928

The bodies, both wearing life preservers with "KAMLOOPS" stenciled on them, were reported located near Twelve 0' Clock Point on Amygdaloid Island (sic) on the north shore of Isle Royale. They were found along with wreckage of the lost steamer. Fragments of superstructure, including the top of the wheelhouse, a spar with a flag on which was printed KAMLOOPS, and a lifeboat were found in the area between Green Isle and Hawk Island. Captain. Christianson stated that the wreckage includes all of the boat's hatches, half a lifeboat and five or six pairs of oars. The beach is covered with medicine, candy, tooth paste, and foodstuff carried by the steamer. The reason the steamer was not found until Saturday was because ice on the little bays is just beginning to melt. Indications are that the steamer KAMLOOPS can not be very far from Isle Royale.

On June 4, six more bodies of Kamloops' crew were found, again by fishermen. News of the discovery was relayed to the port cities from Isle Royale by the captain of Winyah. The bodies were decomposed, but one appeared to be that of a woman (The Calumet News, June 5, 1928).

At first, the woman, reportedly found attired in nightclothes, was believed to be stewardess Netty Grafton of Southampton (Owen Sound Daily Sun Times, June 6, 1928). The woman was later identified as Alice Bettridge, the assistant stewardess, an identification based on the fact that the body had a set of natural teeth; it was known that Netty Grafton had false teeth (Port Arthur News Chronicle, June 7, 1928). The report that Bettridge was found in her nightclothes was denied. Brock Batten stated, "She was fully dressed and wore a sweater and a coat (Ft. William Daily Times Journal, June 7, 1928). This evidence supports the belief held at the time by many that the bodies found were the occupants of a lifeboat that made it to shore. All had been found with lifebelts.

A ninth body was found inland some distance from shore, believed to be the remains of Honore (Henry) Genest, first mate. The body had no lifebelt, although one was found in the vicinity. It was surmised that the first mate was able to make it to shore and remove his lifebelt before succumbing to the elements (Ft. William Daily Times Journal, June 14, 1928).

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