Rescuing 2,500 Tons of Steel from the Sea
A massive engineering project is underway to salvage thousands of tons of steel rails from the wreck of the Abercorn.
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The venture of wrecking the cargo of the ship Abercorn for its 2,500 tons of steel rails is assured of success. The wharf from the beach to the wreck, about 1,400 feet in length, is practically finished. The rails are being removed by a derrick from the wreck to a pier, loaded on a tram-car, and carted to the beach. Upon removal from the water, the rails are given a coat of grease to prevent corrosion. From the beach, a temporary track is being built five miles south across the upper end of Damon's Point to Oyehut on the harbor. There, the rails will be loaded onto scows to be carried to Portland or the Sound. It is estimated the venture will be highly profitable for wreckers F.R. Allen, A.M. Cannon of Spokane, and Paul F. Mohr of Tacoma, who expect to clear about $40,000.
“The beach being perfectly level, construction of the track will be easy, though from the ocean beach to the Oyehut there is some rough ground.”
This industrial salvage operation captures the raw extraction economy of early Aberdeen, where the harbor was treated as both a gateway and a treasure chest. Today, Damon's Point is a quiet gateway to the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, a stark contrast to the period when entrepreneurs were laying temporary railways across the tide-flats to capitalize on shipwrecks.
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