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Buried Cannons Removed from Oregon Coast Beach |
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Covering 180 miles of Oregon coast travel: Astoria, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Manzanita, Nehalem, Wheeler, Rockaway, Garibaldi, Tillamook, Oceanside, Pacific City, Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, Newport, Waldport, Yachats & Florence.
02/21/08
Secrets of the Season |
Buried Cannons Removed from Oregon Coast Beach
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| One cannon is hoisted into a giant container by State Parks staff (photo Chris Havel, State Parks) |
(Arch Cape, Oregon) – Staff from Oregon Parks and Recreation Department late Tuesday removed a pair of historic cannons that had been buried on a north Oregon coast beach – in the secluded, secretive village of Arch Cape.
Park staff was under the supervision of state archaeologist Dennis Griffin, transporting each of the 800 to 1,000-pound cannons via truck to a nearby park office.
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The cannons were discovered by a teen and her family vacationing in Arch Cape. They had been revealed by extreme low tides and the natural loss of beach sand during winter storm action. Sand levels on some parts of the Oregon coast are as much as ten feet lower than usual.
Although not proven yet, they are thought to be two of the three cannons lost by the USS Shark when it ran aground on a sand bar at the mouth of the Columbia River in 1846. The first cannon was discovered on this beach in the late 1890’s, and for a while Arch Cape was called Cannon Beach. That title was later given to the current Cannon Beach.
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| The cannon gets lifted by State Parks |
The origin of the cannons has not yet been determined; a thorough review by qualified historians may take weeks or months.
On Wednesday, with guidance from historic cannon restoration experts from Texas A&M University, staff submerged the artifacts in tanks of fresh water and covered them with layers of wet burlap. The fresh water bath, refreshed weekly, will draw salt from the objects and protect them from further corrosion. The cannon are fragile, having survived in a protective, oxygen-free environment for many decades. Because the cannon are kept covered, public viewing is not yet possible, but staff plan to announce a regular schedule for viewing as early as the week of February 25.
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| One of the cannons found at Arch Cape (photo Tiffany Boothe, Seaside Aquarium) |
Arch
Cape Property Services.
Dozens of homes in that dreamy,
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The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and the Department of State Lands will work together with local, regional and national historians over the coming days on a plan to place the cannon in the hands of qualified experts for study, and eventually transfer ownership to a suitable local museum so the public can enjoy these important parts of Oregon’s history.
A web page on the Parks and Recreation Department website will be constantly updated with new information, photos and other media as they become available. The web page address will be www.oregon.gov/OPRD/PARKS/cannon.shtml
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| Also revealed by low sand levels are oddities like these "red towers" at Arch Cape, surreal formations which are compacted iron deposits squished together by sand |
Winter storms, low tides, and the continual movement of sand from one beach to another have revealed a bounty of Oregon’s secrets this season. Visitors to the beach, whether around Arch Cape or elsewhere, who find items they think may be of historical value should:
- Document the location by marking a map and taking photos or video
- Leave the items where found
- Contact the nearest state park office or a local historical society.
As always, beach visitors should also be mindful of their safety, and keep careful track of tides, beach logs and other debris, unstable cliffs, and unusually powerful waves.
More stories on the subject:
Quick Facts About Oregon Coast Treasures, Geologic Wonders Much of the United States is focusing on the Oregon coast at this time, with various geologic developments and historic objects popping up left and right.
How To Find Oregon Coast Odd Discoveries, Artifacts If you want to play tresure hunter or geology explorer on the coast, here's a list of places to find the good stuff
The Science Behind Oregon Coast's Recent Treasures A big rush of unusual objects, some thousands to millions of years old, have been appearing on the Oregon coast. Here's why and how.
New Claims, Problems for Oregon Coast Artifacts and Oddities Artifacts recently found on the coast apparently have a new owner and some exceptionally strange tourist attractions may be in danger
Oregon Coast Relics Gone in Three Months Without Preservation Methods The now-famous cannon would fall apart in three months without current preservation methods, and restoring these could take as long as two years, officials said.
Treasures, Shipwrecks Create Huge Publicity for Oregon Coast It may be the biggest chunk of press the Oregon coast received since Keiko the Whale or the New Carissa shipwreck, and it's helping after the economic damage done by media coverage of the December storm
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