On a stormy day 98 years ago, the southbound ship the Princess Sophia sank off Vanderbuilt Reef, 30 miles from Juneau. Though rescuers were able to come in sight, dangerous waters prevented pulling alongside, and the ship sank taking the lives of all 353 aboard.
To honor those who lost their lives, and those who tried to save them, there will be a short ceremony this Tuesday, Oct. 25, at noon, at the grave of then-newlyweds Walter and Frances Harper, who were among those who died that day. Five years earlier, Walter, of Athabascan and Irish descent, had been the first man to reach the summit of Denali, climbing in the party with Episcopal Archdeacon of the Yukon Hudson Stuck. The short graveside ceremony will be hosted by Episcopal priests Rev. Wilson Valentine and Rev. Mark Boesser, Archdeacon of Southeast Alaska. All are welcome.
The new Alaska State Kashevaroff Museum, the SLAM, has a display of artifacts retrieved from the shipwreck of the Princess Sophia.
