- SS Klondike
The S.S. Klondike is a
steamship located inWhitehorse, Yukon ,Canada . It ran freight toDawson City for a number of years.The S.S. Klondike I was built in 1921 and had the distinction of having 50% more capacity than a regular steamer, while still having the shallow draft and meeting the size requirements in order to travel down the
Yukon River . The cargo capacity was 270metric tonnes (266long tons ) without having to push a barge.Unfortunately, the S.S. Klondike I ran aground in 1936. The British Yukon Navigation Company (a subsidiary of the
White Pass and Yukon Route railway company) salvaged much of the ship and rebuilt it the following year.The S.S. Klondike II carried freight until 1950. It was then converted into a
cruise ship , a premature idea, as Yukontourism was only in its infancy at the time. The venture shut down in 1955 and the S.S. Klondike was beached at the end of the shipyards.The ship was donated to
Parks Canada and was slowly restored until in 1966 it was agreed to move the ship to its present location, hen part of the squatter's residence named "Whisky Flats". The task was a difficult one, requiring three bulldozers, eight tons (imperial) of Palmolive soap ("Princess" brand), a crew of twelve men and three weeks of hauling over the logs put in front.On
1981-07-01 , the S.S. Klondike II was declared anational historic site .References
* cite book
last = Green
first = Dianne
title = Exploring Old Whitehorse
publisher = Northbush Publishing Ltd.
year = 1996
location = Whitehorse, Yukon
isbn = 978-0921114017* cite book
last = Dobrowelsky
first = Helene
coauthors = Ingram, Rob
title = Edge of the River, Heart of the City
year = 1994
publisher = Lost Moose Publishing
location = Whitehorse, Yukon
isbn = 978-0969461227External links
* [http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/yt/ssklondike/natcul/index_E.asp S.S. Klondike National Historic Site of Canada]
* [http://www.yukoninfo.com/whitehorse/info/ssklondike.htm SS Klondike]
* [http://www.recreationyukon.com/klondike_nationalhistoricsite/ SS Klondike]
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