Did a Sea Monster Guard the S.S. Islander's Gold? (Conclusion)

It wasn't long after I began researching B.C. and west coast shipwrecks that I first read of the sinking of the S.S. Islander. The Victoria-based coastal passenger liner had struck an iceberg in Alaska's Lynn Canal during the Klondike gold rush.

Little did I realize that the day would come when I'd have a direct connection to this historic tragedy.

Among the 42 victims of the Islander were Andrew (Andres) Keating Sr. and his two sons. Keating, who was so rich that he'd once owned much of downtown Los Angeles, had retired to the Cowichan Valley, bought up 1000s of acres, and built one of the most unusual manor houses in the province.

The property on which I have my home, on Koksilah Ridge just south of Duncan, was subdivided from the large Keating estate which has since been reduced to 50 acres. Fortunately, his iconic mansion, my neighbour, has been restored.

There are three fascinating elements to the story of the S.S. Islander: her avoidable sinking with great loss of life, the subsequent attempts to salvage her reputed fortune in gold, and Andrew Keating.

In the second and concluding instalment I'll tell you of the incredible attempts to salvage the Islalnder's treasure--attempts that spanned 60 years! I'll also tell you more about Andrew Keating and his unusual manor-house in next week's Chronicles.

PHOTO: The ill-fated steamship Islander drew treasure hunters right up to the mid-1990s. --Wikipedia

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