| Biography/Admin History: | The steamship "Beothic," official number 151634, gross tonnage 1825, and formerly named the "Lake Como", was built in Lorain, Ohio, USA in 1918 by American S.B. Co. The Neptune Steamship Co., Ltd. acquired the vessel and registered it at St. John's, Newfoundland in 1925. The vessel was re-registered the following year to the Job's Seal Fishery Co., Ltd., also of St. John's. By 1927, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had chartered the vessel from Job's for use as a northern supply ship. In that year Dr. Frederick Banting, co-discoverer of insulin and a talented amateur landscape painter, accompanied the accomplished Group of Seven artist A.Y. Jackson on board the "Beothic" for a painting expedition to the eastern Arctic. Jackson made another trip to the Arctic on the vessel in 1930. One of Jackson's paintings - The "Beothic" at Bache Post, Ellemere Island - held by the National Gallery of Canada, is a result of these expeditions. The vessel is also well known for its role in the rescue of survivors from the S.S. "Viking" which exploded off Horse Islands, Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland, March 15, 1931. The "Beothic" was first on the scene, and helped to transfer surviving crew members to other ships - the "Imogene", "Sagona" and "Prospero". On December 8, 1940, the vessel was stranded and lost at Great Brehat, near St. Anthony. |
