AH-WR-0081

SS Islander

Passenger Steamer · United Kingdom · Lost 1901 · The Inside Passage & Alaska

A Klondike-era passenger steamer that struck ice and sank in Gastineau Channel, later raised amid persistent legends of lost gold.

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Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Islander carried passengers, mail, and gold between Alaska and British Columbia during the Klondike gold rush. In the early hours of August 15, 1901, she struck ice near Douglas Island and sank quickly, with significant loss of life. The wreck became notorious for rumors of a fortune in gold aboard. Salvors raised the hull in 1934, but recovered far less treasure than legend promised.

Vessel

Built: 1888
Builder: Napier, Shanks and Bell
Yard: Glasgow, Scotland
Material: Steel
Length: 240 ft
Beam: 42 ft
Tonnage: 1519
Propulsion: Steam, twin screw
Owners: Canadian Pacific Navigation Company

Loss

Date: August 15, 1901
Cause: Collision
Location: Near Douglas Island, Gastineau Channel, Alaska
Water: Gastineau Channel
Voyage: Skagway, Alaska → Victoria, British Columbia
Cargo: Passengers returning from the Klondike gold rush, reportedly carrying gold
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Accounts of the period vary; roughly forty people are commonly cited as lost, but a reliable official count was not established.
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Salvaged in part in 1934 when the hull was raised and later scrapped; some wreckage remains dispersed.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 58.15° N 134.28° W
Accuracy: Approximate position
Nearest: Douglas Island, near Juneau, Alaska
Region: The Inside Passage & Alaska

The Islander sank in Stephens Passage after striking ice between Douglas and Admiralty Islands; her remains, along with the salvage barge Griffson, were later documented in Green Cove on the north end of the Glass Peninsula, Admiralty Island. Coordinate is for Green Cove, the documented resting place, not a precise dive-surveyed fix.