Credit River - SS Viking Traditional Cache
Eolh: Time to let this one go.
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A fun little hide that should be a pretty quick find.
Credit River - Shipwreck Series
SS Viking
March 15, 1931
There are many shipwrecks around the world. Some very famous and others not so. Each however has it’s own story to tell. As you travel along the Credit River doing this series of caches, we have highlighted a number of these shipwrecks. During low water levels on these parts of the Credit River, you need to be careful in a canoe or kayak so as you don’t wind up in your own shipwreck. Besides the many large rocks along the way, there are also some other obstacles such as dams which should be avoided. All of the geocaches in this series have been placed by tubing, inflatable boat or on foot by walking in the water along the Credit River. Whichever way you choose to search for these caches, use caution and common sense.
More information about this series can be found here: Credit River - Shipwreck Series
SS Viking
The SS Viking was a ship used by the film producer Varick Frissel in the making of the 1931 film The Viking. During the shooting of extra footage for this film the ship exploded, taking the lives of the producer Frissell and twenty-six other crew members.
The Viking was a wooden-hulled whaling ship built by Nylands Boat Company in Norway in 1881. The Viking was launched in 1882 from the Nylands Shipyard and for a while spent a number of years hunting the saddleback seal off the coast of Greenland. In 1882 Viking was used by Fridtj of Nansen for his first Arctic expedition. In 1904, Viking was purchased by the Bowring Brothers of St. John’s[1] for the sealing industry. She was placed under the command of Captain William Bartlett, father of Captain Bob Bartlett, where William remained master of her until 1923. Viking was the smallest of the Bowring Brothers' fleet, and her loss was the first for the Bowring Brothers in fifty-two years. Viking was capable of carrying 276 men.
In 1930 and 1931, the SS Viking was chartered by Varrick Frissell and Alexander Gustavus Penrod (previously cinematographer of Down to the Sea in Ships) to make a film of the annual seal hunt off the coast of Newfoundland. Viking was mastered by Captain Bob Bartlett for the making of the film and was featured in the final production. The film was shown at the Nickel Theatre in St. John’s, to the chagrin of its producers who felt that it required more sensational footage. To obtain additional footage, both Frissell and Penrod returned to the front the following spring in Viking, this time with Captain Abram Kean. On March 15, 1931, about eight miles (13 km) off Horse Islands, while stuck in the ice, Viking was rocked by an explosion that blew the stern off the vessel. Dynamite loaded on the vessel to add to the sensationalism of giant explosions of icebergs had somehow been set off, killing 27 of the 147 on board including Frissell and Penrod. Viking caught fire and sank.[2] A number of sealers made it to Horse Islands. However, there were insufficient supplies, shelter or medical equipment to keep the men alive for long. Rescue ships, including the salvage tug Foundation Franklin and the Reid coastal steamer Sagona took on supplies and medical personnel and raced to the area. However they were delayed both by a raging gale and by the ice, which had driven in around the island.
Despite the tragedy, the film was completed and released in June 1931. The title was changed from White Thunder to The Viking. The film was the first film to record sound and dialogue on location, but despite this the film mainly received negative reviews.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Zvpeb fvmrq pbybheshy pbagnvare, gvrq bagb fbzr qrnqjbbq, bar sbbg sebz gur jngref rqtr.
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