Baillie-Grohman Canal: The Struggle of Early Steamship Transits
The Baillie-Grohman canal represents a costly engineering effort that ultimately saw very limited utility. Despite the significant investment required for its construction, the waterway served as a link between the Kootenay and Columbia rivers in the Rocky Mountain Trench, yet it was transited by steam-powered vessels only three times in its history.
Key Facts
- Only three steam-powered transits were ever completed through the canal.
- The Gwendoline was the first vessel to use the canal in 1893 and 1894.
- The North Star transit in 1902 required the destruction of lock gates to accommodate the ship's length.
- The rise of railroads in 1898 effectively ended the dominance of steamboats in the region.
The Transits of the Gwendoline (1893–1894)
In 1893, a vessel named the Gwendoline was constructed by Armstrong at Hansen's Landing on the Kootenay River. To complete the fitting out of the ship, Armstrong attempted to move the vessel north through the canal to the shipyard located at Golden.
However, the canal had already begun to deteriorate. The transit was so difficult that the crew had to pull the Gwendoline out of the water, partially dismantle the boat, and transport her along the path using rollers. Following this ordeal, Armstrong successfully lobbied the provincial government to provide funds for necessary repairs to the waterway.
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By late May 1894, the rehabilitation of the canal was complete. Armstrong was able to return the finished Gwendoline to the Kootenay River, this time completing the transit normally through the repaired canal.
The North Star and the Challenges of 1902
Between 1892 and 1898, steamboats were the primary method for transporting ore from the mines in the southern Rocky Mountain Trench down the Kootenay River to Jennings, Montana. This era ended abruptly in the fall of 1898 when the completion of railroads rendered the surviving steamboats obsolete.
Armstrong, a prominent figure in East Kootenay river transport, had spent time steamboating on the Stikine River during the Klondike Gold Rush. Upon his return, he found no available work for his vessel, the North Star, on the upper Kootenay. In 1902, he decided to move the North Star through the Baillie-Grohman canal to seek work on the Columbia River side of the trench.
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The transit proved to be an immense challenge, taking a full month to navigate the sloughed-in canal. A primary obstacle was the size of the vessel; the North Star measured 130 feet in length, making it 30 feet longer than the canal's lock. To overcome this, Armstrong ripped out the lock gates and constructed cofferdams—temporary watertight enclosures—using sand-filled ore sacks. He finally cleared the path by using dynamite to blow out the lower cofferdam.
Summary of Vessel Transits
| Vessel | Year(s) | Transit Condition | Key Challenges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gwendoline | 1893 | Deteriorated | Required dismantling and rollers |
| Gwendoline | 1894 | Rehabilitated | Normal transit |
| North Star | 1902 | Sloughed-in | Vessel exceeded lock length by 30 feet |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many steamships successfully used the Baillie-Grohman canal?
Only two distinct steam-powered vessels—the Gwendoline and the North Star—transited the canal, totaling three separate transits.
Why did the steamboat industry decline in the Rocky Mountain Trench?
The completion of railroads in the fall of 1898 put the surviving steamboats out of business, as rail transport became the more efficient method for moving ore.
How did Armstrong move the North Star through a lock that was too small?
Armstrong removed the lock gates, built cofferdams using sand-filled ore sacks, and used dynamite to blow out the lower cofferdam to allow the 130-foot vessel to pass.
What happened during the Gwendoline's first transit in 1893?
Due to the deterioration of the canal, the Gwendoline had to be partially dismantled and pulled across the land on rollers.