Comments on: The Sinking of the Princess Sophia

By: Jeanne E Ostnes

Jeanne E Ostnes — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:21:23 +0000

In reply to Lauretta Beaton MacBeth. I am lucky to be alive as my Grandmother was pregnant with my Dad in Discovery Otter, near Flat and Iditarod Alaska. She chose not to take the return trip on the SS Sophia and sold the return tickets. Sadly for you she sold the two tickets to Johnny Beaton for his wife, child and infant to travel "outside."

By: Jeanne E Ostnes

Jeanne E Ostnes — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:16:13 +0000

In reply to Mick Webb. I would love to read your story. I am lucky to be alive as my Grandmother was pregnant with my Dad in Discovery Otter, near Flat and Iditarod Alaska. She chose not to take the return trip on the SS Sophia and sold the return tickets.

By: Margot Dixon

Margot Dixon — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 14:30:08 +0000

I do wish I had been able to read all these comments as they were posted! Leonard Pye Locke was my great-grandfather. I am currently publishing book that includes information about his sisters, Eva and Emma, and I am working on a biography of Leonard ‘Before the Sophia’.

I do hope that through this chain others will be able to contact me.

By: Margot Dixon

Margot Dixon — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 14:23:37 +0000

In reply to Jillian Locke. Jillian, I would love to contact yo about Leonard Pye Locke. He was my great grandfather, and I am currently working on a biography 'Before the Sophia'.

By: Margot Dixon

Margot Dixon — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 14:20:55 +0000

In reply to Kathy.

Kathy, I would love to contact you about Leonard Pye Locke – he was my great-grandfather and I am currently working on a biography of his life ‘Before the Sophia’.

By: Margot Dioxn

Margot Dioxn — Sun, 18 Feb 2024 14:17:58 +0000

In reply to Lenore O'Rourke. Lenore, I would love to make contact with you re your father Leonard Warren Locke. I am the great granddaughter of Leonard Pye Locke and I am currently researching his life "before the Sophia". So far I have been unable to contact any descendants. It seems I am just a year or two late as all his grandchildren, including my father, have died and I have been unable to reach any of their children.

By: Bonnie Heintskill

Bonnie Heintskill — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 02:33:04 +0000

Where can we buy your book?

My great grandfather was on the SS Princess Sophia when it sank. He worked as an engineer on a Yukon Steamer and was on his way back to Seattle/Portland for the winter. We believe he was one of the original Yukon Gold Seekers. His sister claimed his body and had him buried in near Portland Oregon. Charles Albert Craven was his name.

In 2002 we took an Alaskan Inside Passage Cruise but went by Vanderbilt Reef at 2 a.m. in the morning. We did go to Vancouver Island to the Vancouver Maritime Museum to see the Sophia ship model. Very moving so see this.

By: Anita B

Anita B — Sat, 18 Feb 2023 06:18:28 +0000

My late mom’s maiden Chinese name
was : Lee (Mee Jean)
Her uncle Lee was 3rd cook on the ship.
2nd Cook (Lee) was a close family friend who had returned for a visit to the village. He had asked if his young friend was interested in getting work as a cook on the Princess Sophia. And got him hired.
Mom had always been close family friends with auntie Ping Sue Lee. They were from the same village . It was auntie Ping Sue’s grandfather’s brother who was 2nd cook.
Mom’s uncle’s bones were repatriated to the family in China for proper burial about 10 years later by the Wing Sang Co. of Vancouver. This was common custom ( where possible $) to repatriate the bones of the bachelor men back to their homes for traditional proper burial.
Her grandmother received a letter to travel to Canton (Guangzhou city) to pickup the remains, so she sent her younger son (my grandfather) to pickup.

My mom had mentioned this story of her uncle Lee going down with a Canadian ship, but didn’t know the name. A few years ago, the Vancouver Maritime Museum held an exhibit on the Princess Sophia sinking, and I was able to take mom and auntie Ping Sue to see it.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Sat, 24 Dec 2022 00:42:03 +0000

In reply to Lenore O’Rourke.

To Lenore O’Rourke – your father Leonard Locke born Vanc. 1918 is
not the son of Capt. Leonard Pye Locke & Emily Puttock.
Frederick Scott Locke born 18 March 1891 in Liverpool, Lancashire England was the last child born to Leonard Pye Locke & Emily Puttock.
Emily Puttock Locke was born 1856 in London England.
She would have been 62 years old in 1918 .
Frederick S. Locke married my aunt Marian Pollard, she was born 24 April 1901 Westward Ho!, Devon England. Frederick S. Locke & Marian Pollard were married in Seattle in 1927.

By: Christine Arbic

Christine Arbic — Sat, 20 Aug 2022 04:59:32 +0000

The soldiers were not newly enlisted on their way to fight in the Great War….they had in fact been stationed at Fort Gibbon with the US Signal Corp. My cousin was one of them and had been in Alaska since 1914.
I have spoken to someone who had dived the wreck many many times and she says that the boilers did not in fact explode as they are intact on the bottom of the Lynn Canal.

By: Lenore O'Rourke

Lenore O'Rourke — Mon, 03 May 2021 20:02:11 +0000

Thankyou Eve for setting this communication piece up…We continue to learn more about this tragedy and all of us with the connected history must wonder from time to time how our lives would have taken such different paths ..or not at all..if this sad event didnt take place.

By: Jillian Locke

Jillian Locke — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 02:03:44 +0000

In reply to Lenore O'Rourke. That is so interesting about the other kids. My dad is Leonard Locke, captain Locke’s grandson. I will share this with him.

By: Lawrence Thompson

Lawrence Thompson — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 15:23:17 +0000

My Mother was employed by Doctor James Donald Hennessy, son of Thomas Hennessy (body 71), passenger on the Sophia. Dr. Hennessy was age 9 at the time of the sinking and living in the Michigan upper peninsula. The son went on to be a noted neurologist and surgeon in Council Bluffs Iowa.

By: Susan Craig nee Waller

Susan Craig nee Waller — Sun, 25 Oct 2020 16:10:17 +0000

Thank you for keeping the story alive. You mention the chief engineer Archibald Alexander who stayed behind as his twin daughters had the Spanish flu, but someone had to take his place. That would be my grandfather, Charles Waller of Victoria. He left behind my grandmother and three small children. My father was the youngest and just a baby who never got to know his father. I cannot remember exactly the amount my grandmother received but it was pittance. Something like $25 for herself and $5 for each child.

By: wendy

wendy — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 17:50:33 +0000

Just came across your story…which I know well, as my great grandmother and great aunt were passengers, and both perished on the Princess Sophia. Their last name is Very, documented on the passenger list.

The story goes, they were found frozen together miles up a river near Juneau, 5 months after the disaster. My mother was named after her aunt. They were heading back from Dawson City after the gold rush on route to Seattle, where the family owned a hotel. I have read the book and own a copy of the PBS documentary as well.

From Burnaby (Vancouver) I have been able to visit Alaska several times and Yukon as well. I have chatted to book store owners etc., in Juneau and mention the story. Most people in BC are not aware of the marine disaster, but most people I have spoken too up north are very familiar. I have heard different stories (and have some legal documents, that one of my aunts retrieved while she was researching the history of it, on how the SOS was called and maybe could have been a different outcome.

Anyhow, thanks for posting the story….it always hits home with me.

regards

Wendy MacDonald

By: Norman Kelley

Norman Kelley — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 00:50:23 +0000

I am planning to build a model of the Princess Sophia. Do you know of any plans that may be available. I have built many model ships and as a past resident of Juneau and a visitor to Whitehorse, Haines, etc., I’d like to start this project. I can do this with the general pictures but something a little more detailed would be good. It is a very sad tale.

By: Steven Stubing

Steven Stubing — Thu, 23 Aug 2018 15:12:31 +0000

Please tell me the name of the English Setter Dog that survived after swimming ashore? I saw a picture of him. Please help? Thank You, – Steve

By: Lauretta Beaton MacBeth

Lauretta Beaton MacBeth — Sun, 18 Feb 2018 20:38:45 +0000

MY name is Loretta Beaton I was named after my aunt a nine year old girl that drowned on the Princess Sophia. There were huge amounts of gold being transported on this ship from the Iditarod Mining District. Do you no anything about this?

By: Gret

Gret — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 09:05:30 +0000

I have stood at their grave in Fraser View Cemetery, Vancouver, where it clearly says her name Louise Alexander. However, in my Internet research for my story,

By: Lenore O'Rourke

Lenore O'Rourke — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 19:24:42 +0000

Re your meeting with Syd Locke mentioned his father Frederick was the youngest of Capt Locke’s children ..Not true ..my father born Leonard Locke in Vancouver was born Jan 2 1918 and was 10 months old when the Sophia went down. Bertha Locke at the time was also pregnant and delivered in 1919 a baby girl . Both children were adopted to families on the West Coast and the East. My father found his sister after 60 yrs.