1897 Hamilton Klondikers Wreked on the Athabaska
The Hamilton Spectator, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, September 17, 1897. [3]
1889 "Wm. R Patterson" of Hamilton and "Eliza Lotridge" of Barton were married on November 27 in Hamilton. William, age 26, was born in Ireland and his parents were Thomas and Elizabeth. Eliza, age 20, was born in Barton and her parents were William and Harriet. William's religion was Presbyterian and Eliza's was Methodist. The witnesses were Alfred Franks of Hamilton and Lillie Brice of Barton. [1]
1891 On May 4, Wm. K. Patterson (age 27) and his wife Edith E. Patterson (age 21) lived in Hamilton, Ontario, Ward 7. Their religion was Presbyterian. William and his parents were born in Ireland. Edith and her parents were born in Ontario. William was a carpenter. [2]
1897 William K. Patterson was drowned on August 31.
Overtaken by Disaster
Hamilton Klondikers Wrecked on the Athabaska.
William Patterson Reported To Be Drowned
--The Party Lost Its Provisions and Is
Returning Home--The Accident Occurred
While Running a Rapids.
The Klondike expedition which left here on Aug. 14 has had a tragic ending and the members are now on their way home. On Tuesday, Aug. 31, the boat in which they were journeying northward on the Athabasca river struck a rock while running a rapid and was totally wrecked. William K. Patterson was drowned, the others had a narrow escape and were rescued with difficulty. All the tools, provisions and equipment were lost.
So far the reports of the sad occurrence are not very explicit as the survivors of the party have not yet returned to Edmonton. They left here on Aug. 14, the party consisting of W. K. Patterson, engineer at the hospital; W. Richmond, who was one of the Thirteenth jubilee detachment; Edward Harris, collector for the Herald; Robert Hunter, machinist; Arthur W. Complin, clerk in the Bank of Commerce; and J. E. Devine, carpenter. They were detained at Edmonton building a boat to take them to their destination.
Edmonton is at the head of the railway and they left there on Aug. 21 and marche to Atheabasca Landing, where the water route commences, a distance of 95 miles, arriving on Aug. 24. At last reports the party expected to leave Athabasca Landing on Aug. 28, and the guide they had expected to take had already departed with a Hudson bay boat, so the chances are they had no guide. A detachment of the mounted police and a party from Montreal were to leave by boat on the same day so that they would have company on the long journey. As affairs turned out it was lucky for them these other expeditions were en route at the same time.
The Accident.
According to the reports brought to Edmonton yesterday the accident occurred on Aug. 31, on the third day of the trip from Athabasca Landing, at the Grand rapids, 165 miles north. The rapids are about a mile long and there is a Hudson Bay tramway for portaging around them. It is considered a dangerous passage for any but the big ten-ton Hudson bay boats to run. Part of the way down the rapids are divided by an island and rocks.
The first intelligence stated that the party were running the rapids on a raft when it struck a sunken rock and went to pieces. Later information is to the effect that they had a large boat built for six and holding all their provisions. They attempted to run the rapids, and when half way down the boat struck a sunken rock, went to pieces and threw the crew into the water. Five of them succeeded in getting on to the rocks or islan in the rapids, but poor Patterson was swept down and drowned. One of the other expeditions luckily happened to be camped on the shore at the portage, and the members of it turned out with ropes and succeeded in throwing lines to the survivors, who were pulled on shore they lost nearly, if not all, their provisions and supplies and are on their way back There is a steamer to Athabasca Landing and a wagon road from there to Edmonton, so they will not be in such a bad fix as if they had penetrated further into the interior.
W. K. Patterson, the member of the party reported to be drowned, was a son of ex-Ald. Thomas Patterson, and was 32 years of age. He leaves a widow and two children. Mrs Patterson is a daughter of W. H. Lottridge, Barton street east. The deceased was a very athletic young man and an experienced yachtsman, but none of the party had any experience in running rapids or river navigation.
[1] Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1826-1938, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[2] Canada Census, 1891, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[3] The Hamilton Spectator, Hamilton, Ontario, September 17, 1897, page 1, [NewspapersClip].