The Galena was an impressive shipwreck, but its steel hull was dynamited and sold for scrap. Galena wrecked on Clatsop Spit on the south side the river’s entrance. CPHM 1984.074

November Happenings in History

Nov. 22, 1718 — Blackbeard the pirate (Edward Teach) was killed off the coast of North Carolina after a long and prosperous career. Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood of Virginia sent two ships and crew to put an end to him. The sailors eventually encountered Blackbeard who was killed by Lt. Robert Maynard in a fight.

Nov. 19, 1868 — New Jersey suffragists attempted to vote in the presidential election to test the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which states, “no State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.” 172 suffragists, including four African American women, were turned away. Instead they cast their votes in a women’s ballot box overseen by 84-year-old Quaker Margaret Pryer.

Nov. 2, 1947 — The first and only flight of Howard Hughes’ “Spruce Goose” flying boat occurred in Long Beach Harbor, California. It flew about a mile at an altitude of 70 feet. Costing $25 million, the 200-ton plywood eight-engine Hercules was the world’s largest airplane, designed, built and flown by Hughes. It later became a tourist attraction alongside the Queen Mary ship at Long Beach, California and has since been moved to Oregon.

The Local Pages

Nov. 16, 1906, Chinook Observer:

“Another Shipwreck: British Ship Galena Went Ashore Near Gearhart Park — All on Board Were Saved — Chance of Getting Vessel Off”

“Another British vessel was wrecked on Clatsop Beach today and altho the officers and crew were saved there is only about the same chance of getting her off as the many vessels that have made a permanent bed for themselves in the immediate vicinity.

It is the British ship Galena, 2119 tons and in command of Captain Howell, out 60 days from Junin, Chile for this port in ballast. The details of the wreck are not yet known, but she went ashore a short distance north of Gearhart Park at half past ten o’clock this morning.

The first knowledge of the wreck to reach this city was a telegram from Captain Howell from Clatsop City on the line of the A. & C.R. [Astoria & Columbia River Railroad] announcing the beaching of the vessel near there and that all had come ashore in safety and would come to Astoria on this evening’s train.

While no particulars are now available it was high water at the time and the wind was blowing a gale from the southeast. The weather has been so thick outside for the past week or more that Captain Howell must have lost his bearings and when he got in close was unable to get off shore again.”

Note: The Galena wrecked just 19 days after the Peter Iredale.

Nov. 3, 1950, The Tribune, “Airplane Downed by Wind Storm”:

Imagine the surprise of Mrs. Elwell Chabot last Friday shortly after noon, when a woman knocked upon her door and announced that her plane had crashed on the Chabot cranberry bog. Elwell Chabot had just returned home from the bog a short time previous.

About 11:30 a.m. Friday, Mrs. J.K. McDonald from Astoria while flying her 2-seated Cessna plane alone from Aberdeen to Astoria on her first cross country flight of any distance, had tried to lose a bit more altitude because of the wind, and had been caught in a down draught. The plane consequently landed on its nose in the middle of the western end of the Chabot bog. Mrs. McDonald was indeed lucky that it should land thusly in such a place, where the soft spongy bog undoubtedly saved her more damage to her plane and to herself. She received only a few bruises and cuts on the leg.

Next morning, Mrs. McDonald’s husband came over from Astoria with a pickup truck, dismantled the wings of the plane and placed them on the truck, and aided by three other men, lifted the plane out of the bog and wheeled it back of his pickup to the ferry and home.