page_title: Olympian (sidewheeler)
section_title: Wrecked in South America
hierarchical_section_title: Olympian (sidewheeler) / Wrecked in South America
caption_attribution_description: English: Steamer Olympian wrecked at Possession Bay, Chile, 1906
context_page_description: Olympian was a large side-wheel inland steamship that operated in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Olympian operated from early 1884 to late 1891 on the Columbia River, Puget Sound, and the Inside Passage of British Columbia and Alaska.
  Built for the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, then controlled by Henry Villard, Olympian and its near twin Alaskan were known as “Henry Villard’s White Elephants.” In 1895 they were said to have been the “most expensive and at the same time the most useless steamers yet appearing in the Northwest.”
  Olympian was tried on several routes but was unable to make a profit on any of them. The steamer was tied up for good in 1892, and remained so until 1906, when it was sold to New York interests. The buyers intended to tow Olympian around South America to New York, rehabilitate it, and run it on Long Island Sound.
  Zealandia towed Olympian as far as Possession Bay on the east side of the Straits of Magellan, where Olympian broke loose and washed ashore. Olympian was never removed from the beach, where some remains of the steamer could still be seen in 1980.
context_section_description: In December 1905, OR&N sold Olympian to C.L.Dimon, of New York City.  The purchase price was said to be around $30,000. Dimon planned to have Olympian towed around South America to New York, there to be renovated and returned to service as an excursion steamer.  Reportedly Dimon intended to spend $100,000 in New York to recondition the steamer.
  On January 19, 1906, Olympian was brought up the Willamette River from the boneyard to the Willamette Iron and Steel Works to prepare for the trip around South America through the Straits of Magellan.  This would be the longest tow in the maritime history of the United States. 
  Olympian left Portland under tow on January 20, 1906, with Captain Wise and eleven crewmen on board.  Before leaving in tow, heavy timber bracing were installed inside the steamer, and the sides of the vessel were covered over with rough lumber.  Reportedly the paddlewheels were slso removed, but this cannot have been so, as photographs taken after Olympian was wrecked show the wheels still in place.
  While in tow of Zealandia, Olympian went aground in Possession Bay.  Olympian ended up laying broadside on the beach embedded in gravel to a depth of 3 ft (1 m).
  The estimated cost of salvaging Olympian was $17,500, an amount which it was thought would lead the owners to abandon the vessel. The owners of Olympian contracted with a local salvor to refloat the vessel for £3,500 ($17,000) on a “no cure, no pay” basis.  The salvors expended £1,300 ($6,300), and then refused to proceed any further unless they were paid that amount.  The owners refused to pay, and ordered Zealandia, which had been standing by, to proceed on alone if Olympian were not brought off the beach in five days.  When that did not happen, Zealandia departed, leaving a few men on Olympian to protect the owners’ interest in the vessel. Olympian eventually was abandoned. Its remains could be seen as late as 1980, and the wreck remains visible on satellite imaging.
caption: Olympian wrecked in Possession Bay, 1906.
exif: {"Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image Software": "Photos 3.0", "Image DateTime": "2018:06:03 14:28:48", "Image ExifOffset": "122", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2018:06:03 14:28:48", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2018:06:03 14:28:48", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "300", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "200"}