Lögberg-Heimskringla - 28.07.2000, Side 8

8 « Lögberg-Heimskringla » Special Issue • Friday 28 July 2000

Steve Riley took a chance
Clifford Stevens
Gimli, MB
PROBABLY THE MOST LAMENTED
misadventure on Lake Winnipeg
was the stranding and subsequent
sinking of the S.S. Chieftain at the
mouth of the Red River on the moming
of June 2, 1915.
The S.S. Chieftain was built on the
model of an ocean-going tug boat. She
met all her expectations. She had plenty
of power in her engine and boiler. She
was owned by the Dominion Fish
Company and provided fast passenger
and freight service from Selkirk to
Gimli and Fort Alexander. When the
railroads took over the passenger busi-
ness, the Chieftain went back to being a
fishing and freighting boat. Fluctuations
in the fishing business finally brought
her under the ownership of the Northern
Fish Company based at Warren’s
Landing. With her power and quick
answers to her helm, she was very well
adapted to this area which was restrict-
ed and rock-bound and was well known
to fishermen and Lake Captains alike.
The Chieftain would tow a fleet of
fishing boats to the fishing grounds each
moming at first light. Daylight was
essential for the navigating of the ten-
mile channel to clear waters.
Lighthouse range beacons on shore
were the principle channel markers.
Buoys were a very uncertain aid as the
fast waters could move from ten to fifty
feet in a single night. There were four-
teen or more changes of bearings in the
ten-mile channel—a tall tree back from
the shoreline; a white house; and a clos-
ing on a high bluff of timber were all
reliable bearings for a pilot to watch for.
In the spring of 1915, the waters of
Lake Winnipeg were very low. This
made the operation of the freighting and
fishing business very tricky. The
entrance channels of the ports and har-
bours were badly affected and one of
the worst was the entrance into the
mouth of the Red River. This channel,
even at the best of times, was beset by
shifting sand bars.
Such were the conditions that
Captain Steffanson (better known as
“Steve Riley”) found hiinself in on the
morning of June 2, 1915. To make mat-
ters worse, a strong northwest wind was
blowing. Captain Steffanson studied the
conditions in the channel for a time
through his binoculars, then told
Árnaöaróskir á Islendingadagurinn á Gimli ágúst 2000.
Please see Riley on page 21
Sveinson and Sons Ltd.
CRONSHAW JE WELLERS
JEWELLERY - SOUVENIRS - WATCH REPAIRS
ENGRAVING - CRYSTAL - SILVER
DISTRIBUTOR OF MOST KiNDS OF "FRESHWATER FlSH' & ‘SMOKED FISH'
\8US. 642-8889, RES. 642-8277 BOX 1667, GIMU. MANTTOBA ROC1B0 J
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Les Thordarson & Greg Harrop
Gimli Lumber & Supply Ltd.
Colonization Road. Box 1306
Gimli, Manitoba ROC ÍBO Toll Free
Telephone (204) 642-7496 1 - 800-224*1449
= SHOPPERS
DRUG MART
“Everything you want in a Drug Store’’
(Ron Corrigal Pharmacy Ltd.)
377 Main Street
Selkirk, Manitoba R1A 1T7
Phone: 482-5600
Monday - Friday
9 am -10 pm
Saturday
9 am - 9 pm
Sunday and most holidays
12 noon - 6 pm
40 Centre GIMU, MAN. 642-5039
LUNDAR PHARMACY
Keith and Davilyn Eyolfson
Prescriptions, Drugs, Cosmetics, Giftwares,
Stationery, Confectionery
PHONE 204/762-5431 - LUNDAR, MANITOBA
MOTORS l7tRBORG
P0NTIAC • BUICK • CHEV 0105 • G M C
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Frldfinnson
Dave Leduchowski
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Kim Masiak
John Martens
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Phone
376-2342
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