fascinatinghorror

The Sinking of the Princess Sophia

Added 2023-04-18 10:15:01 +0000 UTC

Here’s a little more detail on some parts of this truly fascinating story…

The lone survivor

In the video I mention that the only living thing to survive this disaster was a dog, who was found exhausted and soaked with oil at a nearby harbour not long after the sinking. Most accounts record the breed of this dog as an Irish Setter or English Setter.

It’s difficult to find a definitive answer as to the breed of the dog. This article indicates that it might have been neither – recently-unearthed letters indicate that the lucky animal could have been a Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

And this would make sense, as Chesapeake Bay Retrievers have thick coats that can shed oil, and webbed paws that allow them to swim more easily than other dogs. Perhaps this is why this particular dog was able to survive the sinking.

Lights on Vanderbilt Reef

Despite the hazard it posed to ships on the Inside Passage, at the time of the accident Vanderbilt Reef was completely unlit and unmarked. This was despite the fact that Canadian Pacific Railway (the owners of the Princess Sophia) had petitioned for a beacon to be installed there in 1917.

Their request was turned down. At the time World War One was ongoing, and it was putting a strain on resources across the board. It was felt that installing a light on the reef would just be too expensive.

Unfortunately, not installing a light there turned out to be even more expensive. This is just one of many accidents which, in smaller or larger ways, were brought about by World War One – even if the war wasn’t their direct cause.