 SS
Klondike was the name of two sternwheelers, the second
now A NATIONAL HISTORICL SITE located in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.
Both ran freight between Whitehorse and Dawson City along the Yukon
River from 1921-1936 and 1937-1950, respectively.
Klondike I was built in 1921 and had the distinction of having
50% more capacity than a regular sternwheeler, while still having the
shallow draft and meeting the size requirements in order to travel down
the Yukon River. Klondike I had a cargo capacity of 270 metric
tons without having to push a barge.
Klondike I ran aground in June 1936 in 'The Thirty Mile'
section of the Yukon River. The British-Yukon Navigation Company (a
subsidiary of the White Pass and Yukon Route railway company) salvaged
much of the ship and cannibalized the wreckage to build Klondike
II the following year.
Klondike II carried freight until 1950. Due to the construction
of a highway connecting Dawson City and Whitehorse, many sternwheelers
were decommissioned. In an attempt to save Klondike II, she
was converted into a cruise ship. The venture shut down in 1955 due
to lack of interest, and Klondike II was beached in the Whitehorse
shipyards.
The ship was donated to Parks Canada and was gradually restored until
1966, when city authorities agreed to move the ship to its present location,
then part of a squatter's residence. The task required three bulldozers,
eight tons of Palmolive soap, a crew of twelve men, and three weeks
to complete. Greased log rollers eased the process.
On 24 June 1967, Klondike II was designated a National Historic
Site of Canada, and is open during the summer as a tourist attraction.
Entrance is free for a self-guided tour, but there is a small charge
for the brochure. |
