Oregon Coast Shipwrecks Come to Light in Talk, Exhibit

Published 09/19/2010

The “Yaquina Bay” steamship went aground on the south jetty of Yaquina Bay in 1888. The story is part of the new exhibit, “Rough Waters: Shipwrecks on Oregon’s Coast,” at the Burrows House Museum

(Newport, Oregon) – A little over 100 miles from the big “graveyard of the Pacific,” shipwrecks will come to light in a whole new way.

That graveyard is just outside of Astoria, but Newport will receive an expert on the subject on October 2 as noted author Dennis Powers will speak at the Carriage House of the Lincoln County Historical Society on that Saturday at 2 p.m., kicking off a new feature at the museum.

Powers will talk for the opening of the exhibit, “Rough Waters: Shipwrecks on Oregon’s Coast.” He will focus on his new book, “Tales of the Seven Seas: The Escapades of Captain Dynamite Johnny O’Brien.” O’Brien was a colorful sea captain who narrowly missed being eaten by cannibals, fought off Chinese pirates with cannon fire, cavorted with the royal family of Hawaii; and shipped with the villainous Robert O’Malley, prototype for Jack London’s “Sea Wolf.”

This colorful seafarer also encountered a shipwreck at Coos Bay, on the southern Oregon coast.

“The exhibit and our speaker both offer an intriguing look at the dangers of life at sea. The exhibit features incredible photos of shipwrecks and interesting objects,” said Diane Disse, museum educator for the Lincoln County Historical Society.

Newport's Bayfront

The exhibit contains a photograph that goes all the way back to 1887, showing the ship “Yaquina City” wrecked on Yaquina Bay. The most recent is that of the “New Carissa” in 1999 and its wild, meandering story of mishaps and misfires, including the attempts to control its path and destroy it. There is also a painting of the “New Carissa” by Mimi Fox as a featured part of the exhibit.

Powers graduated with a B.A. from the University of Colorado, a law degree from the University of Denver Law school, and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School. He went on to work in various investment companies while writing books on legal issues, eventually having his own law firm in Santa Barbara, California. His real passion was in writing and the ocean. Powers penned four commercially successful books about the sea and has just released his fifth, “Tales of the Seven Seas.”

Both the exhibit and the Powers lecture are free. Call the Historical Society at 541-265-7509.

The Burrows House in another era

The Lincoln County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the history of Lincoln County. It includes the Burrows House and Log Cabin museums, located at 545 SW Ninth Street in Newport. The museums are free and open to the public. The Burrows House Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Log Cabin Museum is open Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Other Events Coming to Newport and Nearby

September 25. Great Oregon Fall Beach Cleanup at any one of over 40 beach sites from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to clear the entire Oregon coast of debris. www.SOLV.org

Yaquina Bay

September 25. Summer SunSets Beachside Concert. Siletz Bay. Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-996-2119, 800-452-2151, www.oregoncoast.org

September 25. Mushroom class with Wild Gourmet at Cascade Head on Three Rocks Rd at 9 a.m. Just north of Lincoln City, Oregon. 541-992-3798.

October 8. The Rocky Horror Show, performed by Red Octopus Theatre. 7 p.m. Newport Performing Arts Center. 777 W Olive Street. Newport, Oregon. 541-265-2787

October 9. Archeology Lecture, by Phyllis Steeves. 7 p.m. Yachats Commons Auditorium, Hwy 101 & W 5th. Yachats, Oregon.

Depoe Bay, near Newport

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