On October 25, 1906, with an empty cargo hold and only 28 days out of Salina Cruz Mexico, the Peter Iredale ran aground. Bound for Portland and a new load of cargo, Captain H. Lawrence offered his crew a bonus if they cut five days off the normal sailing time.
Perfect sailing conditions allowed them to make good time, and the crew anticipated a rewarding voyage. Nearing their destination, they encountered a strong southwest storm. The captain gave the order to stand off the mouth of the Columbia. A few hours past midnight, the Peter Iredale was lost as a gust of wind pushed her into a surging mass of waves breaking on shore. The ship's bottom raked the sand, crashing sections of the main mast, rigging, blocks, and tackle onto the deck, Tossed in the surf, the ship struck bottom for good, the remaining masts snapping as she came to rest. bar
Miraculously, no hands were lost during the thundering shower of rigging pounding the deck. The ship, however, was declared a total loss. For the most part, the wreck of the Peter Iredale was unremarkable, merely reflecting navigational problems in bad weather. Her fame came as a popular attraction on the northern Oregon coast.
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