The Mystery of the Sloop Clara Bell
A small vessel has been found adrift on the Snohomish River, leaving authorities looking for its owners.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The page carries a notice that the sloop Clara Bell was picked up on the 12th instant below Lip-Lip. Owners are directed to apply to Capt. William Govl, master of the steamer Cyrus Walker. The notice is dated Port Gamble, February 16th.
“Picked up! On the 12th instant, below Lip-Lip, the sloop Clara Bell.”
In the 1870s, the Snohomish River was a primary commercial artery for timber and coal, and a boat 'picked up' was a common maritime salvage notice. Today, recreational paddle sports have replaced steam-towing, but the river remains a site where the modern and the historical collide through lost gear and changing tides.
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