SS ''Olympia'' was a

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

that served the northwest

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

during the Klondike Gold Rush. She was wrecked in 1910. ''Olympia'' was laid down as SS ''Doune Castle'' but launched as SS ''Dunbar Castle'' in 1883 by Barclay, Curle and Co. of

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, for the Castle Mail Packet Company. In 1895, ''Dunbar Castle'' was sold to Fairfield Ship Building and Engineering Co. and renamed SS ''Olympia''. In 1897, the Scottish American Steamship Company bought her, and later that year she was bought by the Northern Pacific Steamship Line. In 1898, she operated with the North America Mail Steamship Company of

Tacoma Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, northwest of Mount ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. In 1903, she operated under the North Western Steam Ship Company of

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, Washington, which sold her to the Alaska Steam Ship Company in 1904. That year,

lifeboats Lifeboat may refer to: Rescue vessels * Lifeboat (shipboard), a small craft aboard a ship to allow for emergency escape * Lifeboat (rescue), a boat designed for sea rescues * Airborne lifeboat, an air-dropped boat used to save downed airmen ...

were installed. On 10 December 1910, ''Olympia'' ran aground on

Bligh Reef Bligh Reef, sometimes known as Bligh Island Reef, is a reef off the coast of Bligh Island in Prince William Sound, Alaska. This was the location of the 1989 ''Exxon Valdez'' oil spill. After the incident, 33 US Code § 2733 mandated the operati ...

off Alaska′s

Prince William Sound Prince William Sound ( Sugpiaq: ''Suungaaciq'') is a sound off the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the ...

and sank without loss of life. Following the sinking, steamboat inspectors accused

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Daniels, in command of ''Olympia'' when she ran aground, of "unskillful navigation.""Outside News of Alaskan Doings", ''Fairbanks'' (Alaska) ''Daily News-Miner''. 14 January 1911. Page A1.

Notes

* "Details of the Wreck of the S.S. Olympia", ''Fairbanks Daily News-Miner''. 3 January 1911. Page 2.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olympia, SS Ocean liners Ships built on the River Clyde 1883 ships Maritime incidents in 1910 Ships sunk with no fatalities Shipwrecks of the Alaska coast Shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean