The ''Inlander'' was a

sternwheeler A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were w ...

that worked on the

Skeena River The Skeena River is the second-longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada (after the Fraser River). Since ancient times, the Skeena has been an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan—whose n ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada, from 1910 until 1912. She was owned by the Prince Rupert and Skeena River Navigation Company which was a syndicate of Skeena River businessmen who planned to use the ''Inlander'' as a passenger and freight steamer during the busy years of

Grand Trunk Pacific Railway The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historic Canadian transcontinental railway running from Fort William, Ontario (now Thunder Bay) to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, a Pacific coast port. East of Winnipeg the line continued as the National Tra ...

construction. Her route took her from

Port Essington Port Essington is an inlet and historic site located on the Cobourg Peninsula in the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park in Australia's Northern Territory. It was the site of an early attempt at British settlement, but now exists only as a remote ...

to Hazelton, over of one of the most treacherous rivers that was ever used for steam navigation.

Captains and crew

The ''Inlander's'' first captain was Joseph Bucey, who had been the pilot of the '' Hazelton''. Some of the other officers were Robert Ryder, who was the chief engineer and Jerry Cunningham, the ship's mate. Wiggs O'Neill was the

purser A purser is the person on a ship principally responsible for the handling of money on board. On modern merchant ships, the purser is the officer responsible for all administration (including the ship's cargo and passenger manifests) and supply. ...

. O'Neill became the foremost historian on the Skeena River sternwheelers and in his later years wrote ''Steamboat Days on the Skeena River'' and ''Whitewater Men of the Skeena''. Wiggs Creek near

Smithers Smithers is a surname of English origin. It derives from the Middle English term "smyther", referring to a metalsmith, and is thus related to the common occupational surname Smith. The name Smither is related. People *Alan Smithers (born 1938), ...

is named in his honour. Captain Bucey left the ''Inlander'' in 1911 and appeared the following year as the captain of the '' BC Express'' on the

Fraser River The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. The river's annual d ...

. For the rest of the 1911 season and through to her final voyage in the fall of 1912, the ''Inlander'' was piloted by Captain John Bonser. It was fitting that Bonser piloted the last sternwheeler on the Skeena River, as he had pioneered it twenty years earlier in 1892 for the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...

in the ''Caledonia'', naming many of the rapids and canyons along the route. The ''Inlander'' was the last of many notable riverboats under Bonser's command, among them, the '' Nechacco'' and the ''Northwest''.

Final voyage

By 1912, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway had reached Hazelton from

Prince Rupert Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, (17 December 1619 (O.S.) / 27 December (N.S.) – 29 November 1682 (O.S.)) was an English army officer, admiral, scientist and colonial governor. He first came to prominence as a Royalist cavalr ...

and sternwheelers were no longer required on the Skeena River. One by one they departed until the ''Inlander'' was the last one left. Some like the '' Operator'', ''

Conveyor A conveyor system is a common piece of mechanical handling equipment that moves materials from one location to another. Conveyors are especially useful in applications involving the transport of heavy or bulky materials. Conveyor systems allow ...

'' and '' Skeena'' went on to work on the Fraser River, while others like the ''Hazelton'' were dismantled. The ''Inlander'' left Hazelton for the final time at noon on September 10, 1912. Captain Bonser blew the ''Inlander'' whistle as a final farewell to the crowd that had gathered on the shore. When she reached Port Essington, the ''Inlander'' was pulled up onto her slipway and simply left to rot. Like the ''Inlander'', Captain Bonser had also made his final voyage. He died the following year on December 26, 1913.

Historical artifacts

The ''Inlander'' paddlewheel shaft (or axle) was recovered years after she had perished in Port Essington. The shaft is now on public display in Halezeton. A large scale replica model of the ''Inlander'' was built by Lyle Krum (

Terrace, British Columbia Terrace is a city located near the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada. The community is the regional retail and service hub for the northwestern portion of British Columbia. With a current population of over 12,000 within municipal boundarie ...

). It is on display at a museum near Terrace.

References and further reading

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Notes

External links