John R. Bell - Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Posted by: 
The A-Team
N 48° 24.601 W 123° 20.636
10U E 474548 N 5361930
John R. Bell was one of many who drowned in the accidental sinking of the passenger liner Princess Sophia in Alaska in 1918. He now rests in Ross Bay Cemetery in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Waymark Code: WM17KYP
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 03/06/2023
Views: 2
The Canadian Pacific Railway passenger liner Princess Sophia departed Skagway, Alaska on the evening of October 23, 1918, bound for Juneau. Only a few hours out, and in heavy snow, she ran aground on Vanderbilt Reef in Lynn Canal on October 24. Rescue vessels arrived and attempted to rescue the passengers, but were hampered by weather. The next day, a storm pushed waters higher than expected and the ship was floated off the reef, but soon sank due to damage to the hull. Rescue ships were unable to reach the ship due to the weather, and all 364 people on the ship died.
John R. Bell
Drowned on
S.S. Princess Sophia
Oct. 25 1918
Aged 21 years
John is buried in the same plot as his mother, Mary, who also died in 1918.
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