 SSWest Cadron, 1920s | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | SSIowa (1928-1936) SSWest Cadron (1920-1928) |
| Operator |
|
| Builder | Western Pipe & Steel Co. |
| Yard number | 12 |
| Completed | 1920 |
| Fate | Ran aground January 12, 1936 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 5,724 (gross) |
| Length | 410 ft (120 m) |
| Beam | 54 ft (16 m) |
| Installed power | 359 nhp |
| Propulsion | triple-expansion engine |
| Speed | 10.5 knots |
SSIowa was a steamship built by theWestern Pipe and Steel Company ofSan Francisco, California in 1920 for the U.S. government and was known as theSS West Cadron.[1] It served in theQuaker Line subsidiary of theStates Steamship Company. from 1928—when it was renamed theIowa—until January 12, 1936, when it ran aground on Peacock Spit,Washington, part of theColumbia Bar at the mouth of theColumbia River.
SSIowa was travelling fromLongview, Washington where it had taken on a load of lumber. The ship was carrying more than 6,900long tons of cargo. Around midnight, as SSIowa was crossing the Columbia River bar, a gale estimated at 75 mph hit the ship. Captain Edgar Yates was experienced crossing the bar and had not brought abar pilot aboard. At theCape Disappointment Lighthouse around 2 a.m., a Coast Guard observer witnessed the ship start to turn south and then turn to the north toward Peacock Spit where water depths are only around 20 feet (6.1 m). TheAstoria Coast Guard station received theIowa distress call around 4:30 a.m.[2]
The Coast Guard cutterOnondaga was dispatched after theSOS was received. Attempts were made to communicate with the ship by observers at the lighthouse using radio, light signals, and flags. The observers saw a flash of light from the ship and a few flags raised in response, but were unable to decipher any messages from the ship in the stormy conditions. By the time that theOnondaga arrived, only masts were visible above the waves.[2] All 34 people aboard the ship died, and only six bodies were recovered from the wreckage that dotted local shorelines for days.[3]
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1936 | |
|---|---|
| Shipwrecks |
|
| Other incidents |
|
