In an unusual occurrence, even for the Graveyard of the Pacific, not one, but two barkentines wrecked at about the same time, according to the March 1, 1853 edition of The New York Herald. (The Daily Astorian didn’t print its first edition until 1873.)
The two ships, the J. Merrithew and the Mindora, both from San Francisco, entered the Columbia River Bar unaided on Jan. 12. Both came in over what was then called the Middle Sands. Why they didn’t summon bar pilots to navigate the river safely is a mystery.
Made official in 1846, the bar pilots knew and understood the vagaries of the river’s ever-shifting sands, and were able to avert many groundings and wrecks.
Unaided, it didn’t take long for both vessels to run into trouble. The Mindora lost its rudder, started filling with water, and had to be abandoned. The Merrithew lost its rudder, as well, the stern stove in, the masts were cut away, and the sea swept over the vessel. A bar pilot boat arrived and removed the captain and crew.
On the night of Jan. 13, a heavy gale roared in from the southeast, and by the next morning, both vessels had vanished. It was presumed that the Merrithew sank at anchor, and the Mindora disappeared into the shifting sands.
The crews and passengers from both vessels were saved. The vessels and their cargoes, however, were a total loss. (Painting: William Bradford)