The Yukon Riverboat Disaster of 1906 | Episode 101 episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 20, 2026 · 37 MIN

The Yukon Riverboat Disaster of 1906 | Episode 101

from Doomsday: History's Most Dangerous Podcast · host Brad Choma

The Yukon River is famous for its remoteness and scenic vistas and history, where very little may seem to happen – but in 1906, one man’s lack of situational awareness and fine-motor skills created the greatest, cattle-based pyrotechnics display the world had ever seen. On today’s episode:  you will see how miners and prostitutes used to travel in style in the far sub-Arctic North; you will hear about what may be the clumsiest bad-day-at-work episode we’ve ever discussed; and you will find out at what point an incinerating cow flips from piquing your appetite to inducing eye-watering vomit.And if you had been listening on Patreon… you would learn about the most unusual haunted home ever built in the history of human habitation; you would hear how today’s story could be considered more punishing than the Uruguayan Rugby Disaster, the Greeley Arctic Disaster and the Donner Party; and you would hear the debunked tale of a man in full diving gear who became part of a forest fire.I love getting to visit new and exotic places around the globe, but being chained to an office chair ten feet from where I sleep means these stories can be as close as I’ll ever get  to visit it, in the theatre of my mind, and I’m unendingly appreciative to listeners who provide the suggestions that let me do that. The Yukon River sits about 4,400 km (about 2,735 miles) from my door, so it’s a little far, but this is our first trip to the Yukon, and I couldn’t have been more excited by it. This absolutely bug-nuts story came courtesy of listener, Jonny Wilkie, a resident, and he inspired me to want to incorporate more minisodes from story suggestions you’ve all supplied that didn’t have enough beef on them to inflate into a full episode, but are just too damn good not to want to share. Also, this came out about 30% shorter than a regular episode, so they’re not-so-minisodes. No matter.I was going to add a cooking segment to today’s story, but opted for the quick and benign details of an open-air BBQ that flambés metric tons of food a lot quicker and grosser than you’d think. I settled for the details of the worst nature hike anyone’s ever attempted on this show. And that includes the students of Wolf Creek and the Uruguayan Rugby Team. Gun safety will play an important role in our story too. I will make the point how a single bullet can cause a lot of harm, and then we’re going to back it up, mark my words.–––––THANK YOU. Most shows survive at the whim of production companies and corporate sponsors, built from the top down. Doomsday doesn’t exist because some network exec believes in it – it exists because actual people do. It's built from the bottom up, and it’s been my privilege to bring you these stories. Just you, me, and a microphone. I don’t do this for you, so much as I do this because of you. If you'd like to support the show at Buy Me A Coffee, or join the club over at Patreon for AD-FREE EPISODES, LONGER EPISODES, EXTRA CONTENT, all that good stuff (I’m truly sorry about those ads, they're not in my control)All older episodes can be found on any of your favorite channels  Apple : https://tinyurl.com/5fnbumdwSpotify : https://tinyurl.com/73tb3uuwIHeartRadio : https://tinyurl.com/vwczpv5jPodchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6wStitcher : https://tinyurl.com/mcyxt6vwGoogle : https://tinyurl.com/3fjfxattSpreaker : https://tinyurl.com/fm5y22suRadioPublic : https://tinyurl.com/w67b4kecPocketCasts. : https://pca.st/ef1165v3CastBox : https://tinyurl.com/4xjpptdrBreaker. : https://tinyurl.com/4cbpfaytDeezer. : https://tinyurl.com/5nmexvwt Follow us on the socials for more Facebook : www.facebook.com/doomsdaypodcastInstagram : www.instagram.com/doomsdaypodcastTwitter : www.twitter.com/doomsdaypodcastTikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@doomsday.the.podcastSafety google off. We'll talk soon. And thanks for listening.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/doomsday-history-s-most-dangerous-podcast--4866335/support.

The Yukon River is famous for its remoteness and scenic vistas and history, where very little may seem to happen – but in 1906, one man’s lack of situational awareness and fine-motor skills created the greatest, cattle-based pyrotechnics display the world had ever seen. On today’s episode:  you will see how miners and prostitutes used to travel in style in the far sub-Arctic North; you will hear about what may be the clumsiest bad-day-at-work episode we’ve ever discussed; and you will find out at what point an incinerating cow flips from piquing your appetite to inducing eye-watering vomit.And if you had been listening on Patreon… you would learn about the most unusual haunted home ever built in the history of human habitation; you would hear how today’s story could be considered more punishing than the Uruguayan Rugby Disaster, the Greeley Arctic Disaster and the Donner Party; and you would hear the debunked tale of a man in full diving gear who became part of a forest fire.I love getting to visit new and exotic places around the globe, but being chained to an office chair ten feet from where I sleep means these stories can be as close as I’ll ever get  to visit it, in the theatre of my mind, and I’m unendingly appreciative to listeners who provide the suggestions that let me do that. The Yukon River sits about 4,400 km (about 2,735 miles) from my door, so it’s a little far, but this is our first trip to the Yukon, and I couldn’t have been more excited by it. This absolutely bug-nuts story came courtesy of listener, Jonny Wilkie, a resident, and he inspired me to want to incorporate more minisodes from story suggestions you’ve all supplied that didn’t have enough beef on them to inflate into a full episode, but are just too damn good not to want to share. Also, this came out about 30% shorter than a regular episode, so they’re not-so-minisodes. No matter.I was going to add a cooking segment to today’s story, but opted for the quick and benign details of an open-air BBQ that flambés metric tons of food a lot quicker and grosser than you’d think. I settled for the details of the worst nature hike anyone’s ever attempted on this show. And that includes the students of Wolf Creek and the Uruguayan Rugby Team. Gun safety will play an important role in our story too. I will make the point how a single bullet can cause a lot of harm, and then we’re going to back it up, mark my words.–––––THANK YOU. Most shows survive at the whim of production companies and corporate sponsors, built from the top down. Doomsday doesn’t exist because some network exec believes in it – it exists because actual people do. It's built from the bottom up, and it’s been my privilege to bring you these stories. Just you, me, and a microphone. I don’t do this for you, so much as I do this because of you. If you'd like to support the show at Buy Me A Coffee, or join the club over at Patreon for AD-FREE EPISODES, LONGER EPISODES, EXTRA CONTENT, all that good stuff (I’m truly sorry about those ads, they're not in my control)All older episodes can be found on any of your favorite channels  Apple : https://tinyurl.com/5fnbumdwSpotify : https://tinyurl.com/73tb3uuwIHeartRadio : https://tinyurl.com/vwczpv5jPodchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6wStitcher : <a...

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The Yukon Riverboat Disaster of 1906 | Episode 101

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This episode is 37 minutes long.

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This episode was published on January 20, 2026.

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The Yukon River is famous for its remoteness and scenic vistas and history, where very little may seem to happen – but in 1906, one man’s lack of situational awareness and fine-motor skills created the greatest, cattle-based pyrotechnics display the...

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