Rust Never Sleeps

The rusting bones of a ship wreck on an Oregon beach...

Fort Stevens State Park is close to Astoria... in fact, it marks the extreme northwest corner of the state. On the beach near the park, visitors can climb the rusting remains of the shipwreck Peter Iredale.

The vessel ran aground in 1906 while trying for the mouth of the Columbia River during a squall. No lives were lost. All of the crew were rescued.

The captain's final words to the ship were: ""May God bless you, and may your bones bleach in the sands."

His understanding of metallurgy was a bit murky, I guess. For the past 150 years, the bones of the Peter Iredale have been quietly turning to rust.