The date is March 31, 1914. Flushed with the success of a great hunt, the SS Southern Cross is heading back to St. John's, loaded to the gunwales with seal pelts. Somewhere off Newfoundland's southeast coast, the ship founders, leaving no clue as to her fate or that of her 173 crew members. The ship simply vanishes, as if whisked off the face of the Earth, the worst disaster ever to befall the sealing industry. The Mystery of the SS Southern Cross is a novel that engages the human story behind this long-standing mystery. It interweaves the crankiness of an old ship, vicious weather, and the passions of men caught up in the frenzies of the time.• John Lundrigan, a young sealer with special gifts, struggles against the weight of his oppressive father. He escapes to join the crew of the Southern Cross, where, despite his small stature, he establishes himself as a top hand. • George Clarke is the burly captain of the Southern Cross. Returning from the hunt he decides to push forward into the teeth of a growing storm.• Walter Baine Grieve, merchant and member of the St. John's elite, manages a fleet of decrepit, old wooden sealing ships. He delegates responsibility for outfitting the 'Cross to a junior assistant. This young man betrays Grieve's trust, helping to set the stage for the disaster.These stories intertwine to paint a portrait of the immensely rich and complex events that led to the tragedy of the Southern Cross. This fictionalized account offers insight into the mysterious loss that has lingered unresolved for a century. So too do the vibrant times of pre-war Newfoundland come to life--humour, passion, and songs breathe vitality into this relatively untold tale. In addition to being a rousing sea story, this novel honours the memory of the gallant crew and the lives they were forced to live.
Tim B. Rogers first encountered the Southern Cross when he heard Omar Blondahl sing a ballad about the tragedy. That was in Montréal, 1961. When he had a chance to do some research as part of a sabbatical fellowship at Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1979, he began to chase down details of this story that had captured his imagination. Over the years, the untold aspects of this great tale festered in his unconscious, finally bursting forth when he was encouraged to "go for it" and write it as a novel.Tim presently lives in Victoria BC with his wife, Patty, and his Labrador Retriever, Cuffer but retreats to his small farm in the Purcell Mountains as frequently as he can manage. In addition to treasured writing time, fly-fishing and legendary campfires, at which songs about cowboys, railways and the Southern Cross come to life, are mainstays of these wilderness retreats which nourish his passion to tell stories of the people.
