SS Mariposa
Passenger And Cargo Steamship · United States · Lost 1917 · The Inside Passage & Alaska
A veteran Pacific liner that struck a rock in Sumner Strait in 1917 and sank without loss of life, days after rescuing another ship's crew.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
Built in 1883 for the San Francisco-Honolulu run, Mariposa later served the Alaska Steamship Company on the Inside Passage. On November 18, 1917, days after rescuing survivors of the wrecked Mahattan, she struck a rock at Strait Island in Sumner Strait and settled to the bottom in shallow water. Calm conditions allowed all 269 passengers and 93 crew to be evacuated safely to Wrangell. The hull could not be raised, though her engine and some cargo were later salvaged.
Vessel
- 1883
- William Cramp & Sons
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Iron
- Not established
- Not established
- 3000
- Steam, single screw
- Alaska Steamship Company (from 1912); previously Oceanic Steamship Company
Loss
- November 18, 1917
- Grounding
- Strait Island, near Point Baker, Sumner Strait, Southeast Alaska
- Sumner Strait
- Seattle, Washington
- General freight valued near $1 million
- 362
- 0
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Settled to the bottom in shallow water; could not be raised, though machinery and some cargo were salvaged.
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- 56.35° N 133.62° W
- Approximate position
- Point Baker, Alaska
Mariposa struck a rock and sank in shallow water at Strait Island near Point Baker in Sumner Strait; coordinate is for Point Baker, the documented named landmark, since a precise surveyed wreck fix was not found.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (78/100)
The precise wreck position and present condition of the remains are not established in the sources reviewed.
SS Mariposa (1883), Wikipedia summarizing period news reports
Build history, loss date, cause, casualties, salvage.
Wikipedia - SS Mariposa (1883)
wreck position
