Disaster On Our Doorstep

Nothing in Juneau's experience would rival the sinking of the steamship Princess Sophia, or as one newspaper editorial called it, "Our Appalling Catastrophe." On the morning of October 24, 1918 the SS Princess Sophia, bound for Vancouver B.C. from Skagway, struck Vanderbilt Reef 28 miles north of Juneau in a blinding snow storm with about 353 souls aboard, all of whom were lost. This book chronicles how Juneau and neighboring towns responded to the disaster on their doorstep, from rescue and recovery efforts to the return of remains to families or a final resting place at Juneau's Evergreen Cemetery.