The First Emperor Diver

[Scott A McWilliam]

The First Emperor Diver

 

[Scott A McWilliam]

This post addresses a Wikipedia error on the Emperor shipwreck, which reads in part, “Canada Steamship Lines also chartered the excursion boat Coastal Queen to assist in the search. However, bad weather prevented diver E. J. Fowler, who was on board the Coastal Queen from reaching the wreck.”
The citation is attributed to the Toronto Historical Society and Dan Lenihan. While I have the greatest respect for both, this account is factually incorrect. There is an interesting reason for this error.
They appear to have relied on a Canada Steamship Lines and US Coast Guard account that dismisses Doc’s diving. As you can see in the photographs weather was not a problem, and in one of the photographs, Doc, in his diving woollies, is standing on the Pilot house, which is awash, so he reached the wreck. There are many photographs of Doc in gear diving the site. There is no sign of the Coast Guard boat on station during the diving operations.
In addition to looking for bodies, Doc made a reasonably detailed survey of the hull and declared the ship a total loss as Emperor had broken her back on Canoe Rocks shoal. The Emperor was insured, and the only way for them to recover was to sell the salvage rights. In the hope of doing this, Doc’s report was not disclosed.
It is one of the many examples where the official Company or Coast Guard account is incorrect and a disservice to history. Unfortunately, this type of error is not uncommon. In the official account of the loss of the Madera, the Captain stated that both anchors were deployed after the tow line parted. The first divers found both anchors in place. A false account was provided by the captain and crew to avoid liability or gain economic advantage.

 

[Jared0425]

This post addresses a Wikipedia error on the Emperor shipwreck, which reads in part, “Canada Steamship Lines also chartered the excursion boat Coastal Queen to assist in the search. However, bad weather prevented diver E. J. Fowler, who was on board the Coastal Queen from reaching the wreck.”
The citation is attributed to the Toronto Historical Society and Dan Lenihan. While I have the greatest respect for both, this account is factually incorrect. There is an interesting reason for this error.
They appear to have relied on a Canada Steamship Lines and US Coast Guard account that dismisses Doc’s diving. As you can see in the photographs weather was not a problem, and in one of the photographs, Doc, in his diving woollies, is standing on the Pilot house, which is awash, so he reached the wreck. There are many photographs of Doc in gear diving the site. There is no sign of the Coast Guard boat on station during the diving operations.
In addition to looking for bodies, Doc made a reasonably detailed survey of the hull and declared the ship a total loss as Emperor had broken her back on Canoe Rocks shoal. The Emperor was insured, and the only way for them to recover was to sell the salvage rights. In the hope of doing this, Doc’s report was not disclosed.
It is one of the many examples where the official Company or Coast Guard account is incorrect and a disservice to history. Unfortunately, this type of error is not uncommon. In the official account of the loss of the Madera, the Captain stated that both anchors were deployed after the tow line parted. The first divers found both anchors in place. A false account was provided by the captain and crew to avoid liability or gain economic advantage.

As I recall (and this may have come from Stonehouse), the Emperor wasn't salvaged because of the location and the depth. The weather took apart most of the bow by the spring of 48. I was told a story that the first scuba divers were visiting in 1968.

 

[Scott A McWilliam]

Loaded with iron ore and in such an exposed location, along with the structural damage mentioned, salvage was never economically attractive.

 

[Scott A McWilliam]

There may have been an additional contributing factor that lead to the error in the Coast Guard account and Doc’s Emperor diving. My Dad and I went fishing with Doc in 1959-61. At the end of 1975, I went for an employment related medical in Thunder Bay. This was with Doctor McIntosh or McIntire who was an elderly man.
In the hallway of his office, he had an eight-by-ten photograph of the Emperor’s pilot house awash and the bow of the Coastal Queen. By this time, I had made many dives on the Emperor. When I asked about the photograph, he told me that after the war, as a young, newly minted physician, he was recruited for search and rescue efforts on the Emperor wreck site.
Naturally, I asked about Doc’s diving and was surprised when he said there was no diving and no sign of the missing Emperor crew. The weather was bad, and they conducted a surface search but came to the conclusion that it was a futile effort.
It is apparent that the Coastal Queen made at least two trips to the wreck site, and the results of the first trip may have made there into the Coast Guard account with no mention of the trip Doc did the diving on.
If you are correcting errors, a good place to start is with my own. A typo found its way into the first version of this clip. My apologies, this version is corrected.

 

[Jared0425]

There may have been an additional contributing factor that lead to the error in the Coast Guard account and Doc’s Emperor diving. My Dad and I went fishing with Doc in 1959-61. At the end of 1975, I went for an employment related medical in Thunder Bay. This was with Doctor McIntosh or McIntire who was an elderly man.
In the hallway of his office, he had an eight-by-ten photograph of the Emperor’s pilot house awash and the bow of the Coastal Queen. By this time, I had made many dives on the Emperor. When I asked about the photograph, he told me that after the war, as a young, newly minted physician, he was recruited for search and rescue efforts on the Emperor wreck site.
Naturally, I asked about Doc’s diving and was surprised when he said there was no diving and no sign of the missing Emperor crew. The weather was bad, and they conducted a surface search but came to the conclusion that it was a futile effort.
It is apparent that the Coastal Queen made at least two trips to the wreck site, and the results of the first trip may have made there into the Coast Guard account with no mention of the trip Doc did the diving on.
If you are correcting errors, a good place to start is with my own. A typo found its way into the first version of this clip. My apologies, this version is corrected.

Did you see Luke Clyburn's documentary from 1975? He interviewed one of the Emperor's survivors. I think it's called angels of the sea or something along those lines.

 

[Scott A McWilliam]

Yes, I was in the Park when they filmed and did some diving with a few of their divers. We did some diving on the Algoma site and they were shooting 16mm and dragging surface supplied lights. They were copied from Al Giddings' design, four 650-watt bulbs that were run wet in Iklite Superlight housings.

 

[Scott A McWilliam]

Using large bulbs wet was interesting. On the Gunilda footage shot by Gerry Buchanan, a bulb implodes, on camera at 230'. A memorable moment.

 

[Jared0425]

Dave Trotter had his camera implode on him on the Kamloops in 81. He was swimming looking for pilothouse wreckage @240ft and POP there went his $1,200 (1980s dollars) camera. Luckily his buddy at the time brought a backup.

 

[Scott A McWilliam]

Well, he did switch to GoPros.