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SS Admiral Sampson
SS Admiral Sampson was a U.S.-flagged cargo and passenger steamship that served three owners between 1898 and 1914, when it was rammed by a Canadian passenger liner and sank in Puget Sound. Following its sinking off Point No Point, Admiral Sampson has become a notable scuba diving destination for advanced recreational divers certified to use rebreathing equipment.
Admiral Sampson was one of several Admiral-class steamships built by William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the American Mail Steamship Company. Named in honor of the United States Navy Admiral William T. Sampson, the other ships in the class were Admiral Dewey, Admiral Schley, and Admiral Farragut. Admiral Sampson was a steel-hulled, twin-propeller design with two upper decks constructed of wood, and a single smokestack.
Ordered by the American Mail Steamship Company, the vessel was put in the service of the United Fruit Company and made regular trips between Philadelphia and Caribbean Sea ports. In February 1900, Admiral Sampson came to the rescue of the United States Army transport ship McPherson, which was disabled by a broken propeller shaft off Hampton Roads, Virginia. On November 4, 1902 Admiral Sampson sank the cargo schooner Charlie Bucki in a collision in Massachusetts Bay in dense fog. Charlie Bucki's captain and three crewmen were killed.
In 1909, the Alaska Pacific Steamship Company acquired Admiral Sampson and its sister ship, Admiral Farragut, as a result of its growing business on the West Coast shipping routes. Both ships were placed on the San Francisco–Puget Sound shipping route. In 1912, the Alaska Pacific Steamship Company acquired the remaining Admiral-class steamships and merged with the Alaska Coast Company to form the Pacific-Alaska Navigation Company. The new company offered freight and passenger service between San Francisco and Puget Sound and Alaska ports as far north as Nome.
On the morning of August 26, 1914, Admiral Sampson left Seattle, Washington, en route to Juneau, Alaska, with 126 passengers and crew aboard. Visibility was poor because of fog; the ship's captain, Zimro Moore, ordered a slow crawl of 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph), extra lookouts and the ship's whistle sounded at regular intervals. At the same time, the steamship Princess Victoria was inbound to Seattle with similar precautions in place.
Despite both ships' precautions, Princess Victoria rammed Admiral Sampson at approximately 5:46 a.m. near Point No Point, 18 miles (29 km) north of Seattle. Princess Victoria struck Admiral Sampson broadside, near Admiral Sampson's after hatch, a spot about midway between amidships and the ship's stern. Capt. P. J. Hickey of Princess Victoria kept his ship's engines ahead and pushed Princess Victoria into the gash torn into the hull of Admiral Sampson. This action both reduced the amount of water rushing into the hole and allowed some of Admiral Sampson's passengers and crew to evacuate onto Princess Victoria.
Princess Victoria's crew lowered their ship's lifeboats to aid Admiral Sampson's passengers and crew, as it was apparent that the latter ship was sinking. Captain Moore ordered the same action aboard Admiral Sampson, but only two boats could be lowered in time. Moore ordered that his passengers be dropped overboard for pickup by the lifeboats. He ordered the crew off the ship and said he would stay with the ship.
In addition to tearing a gash that stretched below Admiral Sampson's waterline, the impact of Princess Victoria ruptured an oil tank aboard Admiral Sampson and started a fire. Princess Victoria was forced to pull away and the Admiral Sampson sank, about 15 minutes after the collision. All told, 114 passengers and crew members were saved. Eight crew members, including Capt. Moore, and three passengers drowned. One injured crew member died later in a hospital.
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SS Admiral Sampson
SS Admiral Sampson was a U.S.-flagged cargo and passenger steamship that served three owners between 1898 and 1914, when it was rammed by a Canadian passenger liner and sank in Puget Sound. Following its sinking off Point No Point, Admiral Sampson has become a notable scuba diving destination for advanced recreational divers certified to use rebreathing equipment.
Admiral Sampson was one of several Admiral-class steamships built by William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the American Mail Steamship Company. Named in honor of the United States Navy Admiral William T. Sampson, the other ships in the class were Admiral Dewey, Admiral Schley, and Admiral Farragut. Admiral Sampson was a steel-hulled, twin-propeller design with two upper decks constructed of wood, and a single smokestack.
Ordered by the American Mail Steamship Company, the vessel was put in the service of the United Fruit Company and made regular trips between Philadelphia and Caribbean Sea ports. In February 1900, Admiral Sampson came to the rescue of the United States Army transport ship McPherson, which was disabled by a broken propeller shaft off Hampton Roads, Virginia. On November 4, 1902 Admiral Sampson sank the cargo schooner Charlie Bucki in a collision in Massachusetts Bay in dense fog. Charlie Bucki's captain and three crewmen were killed.
In 1909, the Alaska Pacific Steamship Company acquired Admiral Sampson and its sister ship, Admiral Farragut, as a result of its growing business on the West Coast shipping routes. Both ships were placed on the San Francisco–Puget Sound shipping route. In 1912, the Alaska Pacific Steamship Company acquired the remaining Admiral-class steamships and merged with the Alaska Coast Company to form the Pacific-Alaska Navigation Company. The new company offered freight and passenger service between San Francisco and Puget Sound and Alaska ports as far north as Nome.
On the morning of August 26, 1914, Admiral Sampson left Seattle, Washington, en route to Juneau, Alaska, with 126 passengers and crew aboard. Visibility was poor because of fog; the ship's captain, Zimro Moore, ordered a slow crawl of 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph), extra lookouts and the ship's whistle sounded at regular intervals. At the same time, the steamship Princess Victoria was inbound to Seattle with similar precautions in place.
Despite both ships' precautions, Princess Victoria rammed Admiral Sampson at approximately 5:46 a.m. near Point No Point, 18 miles (29 km) north of Seattle. Princess Victoria struck Admiral Sampson broadside, near Admiral Sampson's after hatch, a spot about midway between amidships and the ship's stern. Capt. P. J. Hickey of Princess Victoria kept his ship's engines ahead and pushed Princess Victoria into the gash torn into the hull of Admiral Sampson. This action both reduced the amount of water rushing into the hole and allowed some of Admiral Sampson's passengers and crew to evacuate onto Princess Victoria.
Princess Victoria's crew lowered their ship's lifeboats to aid Admiral Sampson's passengers and crew, as it was apparent that the latter ship was sinking. Captain Moore ordered the same action aboard Admiral Sampson, but only two boats could be lowered in time. Moore ordered that his passengers be dropped overboard for pickup by the lifeboats. He ordered the crew off the ship and said he would stay with the ship.
In addition to tearing a gash that stretched below Admiral Sampson's waterline, the impact of Princess Victoria ruptured an oil tank aboard Admiral Sampson and started a fire. Princess Victoria was forced to pull away and the Admiral Sampson sank, about 15 minutes after the collision. All told, 114 passengers and crew members were saved. Eight crew members, including Capt. Moore, and three passengers drowned. One injured crew member died later in a hospital.