S.S. Monte Cristo
The S. S. Monte Cristo was built at Ballard, Washington in 1891, by John J Holland for Henry Carsten. He ran her on the Snohomish River trade under Capt. George Hill and engr. Wm McKenzie. Later E. Sheelgren owned and ran her. In 1900, Robert “Diamond” C. Cunningham of Port Essington BC purchased and ran her on the Skeena River under Capt. John Bonser in opposition to the HBCo’s Caledonia.
| Name, Reg | Tonnage | Len x Wid x Draft | NHP | Engines | Passengers | Info |
| Monte Cristo, 92382, C-107824 | 187.77 | 90.2×24.1×3.0 | 10 | 10×40 | u/k | u/k |
For a time she was chartered by the Canadian government from R G Cunningham & Son in 1901 to freight supplies for the Yukon telegraph line that was being constructed from Port Simpson to Hazelton, along the Skeena River. Cunninghams Diary contains this information:
April 16, 1901: Str “Monte Cristo” having loaded goods for E. E. Charleson at ABC wharf and taken on sundry supplies left under charter to E. E. Charleson at $35.00 per day. The following were the officers and crew:
Capt. Walker wages to be paid by R C & Son
Geo MacCallum, Chief Engineer per month $140.00
Capt. W Madden $100.00
Wm Kerr, Fireman $50.00
Peter Jones, Fireman $50.00
Walter Wright, Deckhand & pilot $60.00
Henry Robinson, Deckhand $45.00
Chinese, cook $35.00
She made her first trip on the river in May 1900 and would make 11 trips up river between 1900 and 1901. She made her last trip up in June 1901. In June 1901 she made several trips up the Stikine River.
In November 1902, she went on the ways at Port Essington where she was abandoned.
Captains:
Capt. John H. Bonser
Capt. George L Hill
W. Madden
Wm McKenzie
Capt. Walker
Capt. W Madden
Walter Wright, Pilot
Engineer:
William McKenzie
George MacCallum
Fireman:
Wm Kerr
Peter Jones
Deckhand:
Henry Robinson
Ships Registry for the Monte Cristo courtesy Library and Archives Canada:
Sources:
Armstrong, Cliff Sternwheelers on the Skeena , 2001
Bennett, Norma V Pioneer Legacy: Chronicles of the Lower Skeena River, 2001
Macdonald, Joseph F. Macdonald’s Steamboats & Steamships of the Pacific Northwest.
O’Neill, Wiggs Steamboat Days on the Skeena River, 1963
Wright, E. W. Lewis & Drydens Marine History of the Pacific Northwest, 1967.
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