Beyond the Breakers

Jess (@jesslovesboats) is back to navigate us through Part Three (of Four) in the saga of the Karluk!

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Sources for Part II:

Cavell, Janice. "The Karluk's Lost Men: The Alexander Anderson and Alister Forbes Mackay Parties, 1914." The Journal of the Hakluyt Society, March 2025, pp. 1 - 31. 

Diubaldo, Richard J. Stefansson and the Canadian Arctic. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1978.

Levere, Trevor H. “Vilhjalmur Stefansson, the Continental Shelf, and a New Arctic Continent.” The British Journal for the History of Science, vol. 21, no. 2, June 1988, pp. 233 - 247. 

Levy, Buddy. Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk. St Martin’s Press, 2022. 

Niven, Jennifer. The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk. Hyperion, 2000.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. The Friendly Arctic. Macmillan, 1921. www.loc.gov/item/21021129/

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “Letter from Mr. Stefansson.” The Geographical Journal, vol. 52, no. 4, Oct 1918, pp. 248 - 255. 

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “‘Living Off the Country’ as a Method of Arctic Exploration.” Geographical Review, vol. 7, no. 5, May 1919, pp. 291 - 310. 

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “Stefansson’s Expedition.” Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, vol. 46, no. 3, 1914, pp. 184 - 191. 

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Jess is back as we get further into the saga of the Karluk (emphasis on the second syllable). If you've been waiting for the shipwreck, wait no more!

Sources for Part II:

Cavell, Janice. "The Karluk's Lost Men: The Alexander Anderson and Alister Forbes Mackay Parties, 1914." The Journal of the Hakluyt Society, March 2025, pp. 1 - 31. 

Diubaldo, Richard J. Stefansson and the Canadian Arctic. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1978.

Levere, Trevor H. “Vilhjalmur Stefansson, the Continental Shelf, and a New Arctic Continent.” The British Journal for the History of Science, vol. 21, no. 2, June 1988, pp. 233 - 247. 

Levy, Buddy. Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk. St Martin’s Press, 2022. 

Niven, Jennifer. The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk. Hyperion, 2000.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. The Friendly Arctic. Macmillan, 1921. www.loc.gov/item/21021129/

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “Letter from Mr. Stefansson.” The Geographical Journal, vol. 52, no. 4, Oct 1918, pp. 248 - 255. 

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “‘Living Off the Country’ as a Method of Arctic Exploration.” Geographical Review, vol. 7, no. 5, May 1919, pp. 291 - 310. 

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “Stefansson’s Expedition.” Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, vol. 46, no. 3, 1914, pp. 184 - 191. 

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We're joined by longtime listener and longer time polar exploration enthusiast Jessica (@jesslovesboats) for a tale that would be a certified goofball comedy if not for the overwhelming tragedy of it - it's the story of the Karluk, the Canadian Arctic Expedition, and the men, women, and (yes!) children who fought to survive in some of the cruelest conditions that Planet Earth has to offer.

*This is Part One of a four-part series; there will also be an Able Seaperson-tier bonus episode related to this series

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Sources for Part I:

Cavell, Janice. "The Karluk's Lost Men: The Alexander Anderson and Alister Forbes Mackay Parties, 1914." The Journal of the Hakluyt Society, March 2025, pp. 1 - 31. 

Diubaldo, Richard J. Stefansson and the Canadian Arctic. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1978.

Levy, Buddy. Empire of Ice and Stone: The Disastrous and Heroic Voyage of the Karluk. St Martin’s Press, 2022. 

Niven, Jennifer. The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk. Hyperion, 2000.

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. The Friendly Arctic. Macmillan, 1921. www.loc.gov/item/21021129/

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “Letter from Mr. Stefansson.” The Geographical Journal, vol. 52, no. 4, Oct 1918, pp. 248 - 255. 

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “‘Living Off the Country’ as a Method of Arctic Exploration.” Geographical Review, vol. 7, no. 5, May 1919, pp. 291 - 310. 

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur. “Stefansson’s Expedition.” Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, vol. 46, no. 3, 1914, pp. 184 - 191. 

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This week it's the story of a battleship so famous that they made an entire musical about her. 

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Don't forget to check out our guest appearance on We Always Lie to Strangers where we are introduced to the 1953 Springfield Missouri Cobra Scare. 

Sources: 

Evans, David C. The Japanese Navy in World War II: In the Words of Former Japanese Naval Officers, 2nd Edition. Naval Institute Press, 2017. 

Toll, Ian W. Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941 - 1942. Norton, 2012. 

"Salvage of the USS Oklahoma, 1942 - 1944." Naval History and Heritage Command. https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/wars-and-events/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor-raid/post-attack-ship-salvage/salvage-of-uss-oklahoma--1942-1944.html

"USS Oklahoma (Battleship # 37, later BB-37), 1916-1946." Naval History and Heritage Command. https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-navy-ships/battleships/oklahoma-bb-37.html

"USS Oklahoma - Official Website." https://ussoklahoma.com/

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This week it is the story of the narrowboat Drum Major and her 1998 foundering on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal that resulted in multiple deaths.

*there is about 19 minutes of intro in this one so skip accordingly if you want to get into things right away

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Sources: 

Clarke, Mike. The Leeds & Liverpool Canal: A History and Guide. Carnegie Publishing, 1994. 

Farrington, J.H. “The Leeds and Liverpool Canal: A Study in Route Selection.” Area, vol. 1, no. 1, 1969, pp. 22 - 23. 

“Report on the investigation of the foundering of the narrow boat Drum Major with the loss of four lives at Steg Neck lock near Gargrave, North Yorkshire on 19 August 1998.” Marine Accident Investigation Branch, 20 Dec 1999. https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/contact-and-sinking-of-narrow-boat-drum-major-while-descending-in-steg-neck-lock-on-the-leeds-and-liverpool-canal-near-gargrave-england-with-loss-of-4-live

"Son is hailed a hero. " Telegraph and Argus, 21 Aug 1998. https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8074182.son-is-hailed-a-hero/

Wainwright, Martin. "Teenager dived in vain to save four on sinking barge." The Guardian, 3 June 1999. https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/jun/04/martinwainwright

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Honorary third host of the podcast Kaylee is back this week to join us in discussing the R.J. Hackett, a vessel that changed the way bulk cargo was transported on the Great Lakes and laid the groundwork for the designs we still see today. 

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Sources: 

Baker, Newton D. “Transportation on the Great Lakes.” The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 171, Jan 1934, pp. 204 - 210. 

Bowlus, Bruce. “Bold Experiments: The Evolution of the Great Lakes Ore Carrier.” Michigan Historical Review, vol. 22, no. 1, Spring 1996, pp. 1 - 17. 

“Steamer Hackett Burns.” The Sturgeon Bay Advocate, vol. 44, no. 34, 18 Nov 1905. 

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We are joined by the baddest boys in the Ozarks - We Always Lie To Strangers - to discuss the I-40 Bridge Disaster, which saw the towboat Robert Y. Love impact a bridge over the Arkansas river near Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, on May 26 2002.

(Wish we could claim the foresight to have scheduled this for the anniversary but that is entirely 100% coincidental) 

You can find everything WALTS-related here

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Sources:

"5NEWS Vault | I-40 Bridge Collapse in Webbers Falls (Part 2)." 5NEWS, 25 Apr 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKQVicEbWak

Baird, Austin. "The curious cases of William James Clark." Anchorage Daily News, 25 Aug 2011. https://www.adn.com/features/article/curious-cases-william-james-clark/2011/08/26/

Doucette, Bob. "Missourian charged with impersonation at bridge collapse." The Oklahoman, 14 June 2022. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2002/06/14/missourian-charged-with-impersonation-at-bridge-collapse/62091068007/

"Heartbreak And Hope: 20 Years After The I-40 Bridge Collapse." News 9 YouTube, 4 June 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OApNUebSC54

"MKARNS 12-foot Channel." US Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District. https://www.swl.usace.army.mil/Missions/Planning/MKARNS-12-foot-Channel/

"MKARNS marks 50th anniversary." Oklahoma Department of Transportation. https://oklahoma.gov/odot/programs-and-projects/programs/multimodal/freight-transportation/waterways/mkarns-50th-anniversary.html

United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit. "United States of America v. William James Clark." 6 Apr 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20100903160625/http://ca10.washburnlaw.edu/cases/2004/04/03-7100.htm

"U.S. Towboat Robert Y. Love Allision With Interstate 40 Highway Bridge Near Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, May 26, 2002." National Transportation Safety Board, 31 Aug 2004. ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HAR0405.pdf

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This is a short preview of a bonus episode available at the Able Seaperson ($3) and 2nd Mate ($5) tiers 

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Here we conclude the main story of the mutiny on the whaleship Globe where everyone lives happily ever after in a tropical paradise. Or something like that. 

*meant to cut in a minor edit for this episode - George Comstock was 15 by the time the Globe sailed, and Samuel was 20

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Sources: 

Couper, Alastair. “Dangers, Mutinies, and the Law.” Sailors and Traders: A Maritime History of the Pacific Peoples.” University of Hawai’i Press

Gibson, Gregory. Demon of the Waters: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Whaleship Globe. Little, Brown, and Company, 2002.

Heffernan, Thomas Farel. The Mutiny on the Globe: The Fatal Voyage of Samuel Comstock. Norton, 2002. 

Hoyt, Edwin P. The Mutiny on the Globe. Random House, 1975. 

Woodman, Richard. A Brief History of Mutiny. Carroll & Graf, 2005. 

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Following up on our Battleship Potemkin bonus, we are staying in the mutinous mood with this two-part series on the whaleship Globe, and the enigmatic boatsteerer Samuel Comstock who would cast her into infamy.

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Sources: 

Couper, Alastair. “Dangers, Mutinies, and the Law.” Sailors and Traders: A Maritime History of the Pacific Peoples.” University of Hawai’i Press

Gibson, Gregory. Demon of the Waters: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Whaleship Globe. Little, Brown, and Company, 2002.

Heffernan, Thomas Farel. The Mutiny on the Globe: The Fatal Voyage of Samuel Comstock. Norton, 2002. 

Hoyt, Edwin P. The Mutiny on the Globe. Random House, 1975. 

Woodman, Richard. A Brief History of Mutiny. Carroll & Graf, 2005. 

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