Ancient Shipwreck Continues to Haunt Us

More than three-quarters of a century after she sank in B.C.’s remote Grenville Channel, an American army transport is back in the news.

Oil is leaking from the wreck of the S.S. Brigadier General M.G. Zalinski, posing an immediate environmental threat that must be dealt with, according to the Canadian Coast Guard. This, despite the fact that 44,000 litres of heavy oil and 319,000 litres of oily water were successfully extracted from the wreck nine years ago.

An estimated 27,000 litres of oil remain within the hulk which sits on a rocky ledge about six and-half fathoms (40 metres) below the surface.

It should come as no surprise that the underwater wreckage continues to deteriorate as the Zalinski was built way back in 1919. She’s one of several B.C. shipwrecks that continue to haunt us from the grave.

The story of the ill-starred Brigadier Zalinski in next week’s Chronicles.

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PHOTO: The Zalinski, in the foreground, has been underwater since 1946 and has been leaking oil for decades with more feared to come. —www.navsource.org/archives