On October 25, 1906 the British sailing
ship Peter Iredale was en route to the
Columbia River to pick up a shipment of
wheat. Around 2 a.m. the crew spotted
the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, just south
of the Columbia River's entrance. The
ship's captain, H. Lawrence, wanted to
wait until daylight to cross the
dangerous bar. Dense fog made navigation
difficult and he mistakenly thought the
ship was 50 miles offshore.

By the time Lawrence realized that he
was dangerously close to shore, it was
too late. The Iredale landed on a
sandbar off Clatsop Beach, where it
stuck. No one died and the wreck
instantly became a local attraction
and landmark.

The Columbia River Bar, where the
Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River
meet, can be a navigational
nightmare. Since 1792, approximately
2,000 ships have sunk in this area,
earning it the nickname "Graveyard
of the Pacific."