Grain Shipment Lost in Columbia River Sinking
A wheat-laden steamer bound for Celilo strikes a rock near the mouth of the Snake River.
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 steamer Jerome, loaded with 1000 bushels of wheat, consigned from Kennewick to Celilo, struck a rock in the Columbia river when just above the mouth of the Snake river and sank in about 30 feet of water. The cargo is ruined, but it is believed the boat can be raised. Captain Danier was in charge of the boat. No one was injured.
“The cargo is ruined, but it is believed the boat can be raised.”
The Columbia and Snake rivers were once vital commercial highways for agriculture, as seen by the frequent loss of wheat-laden steamers. Today, these waterways remain critical for transportation, though the reliance on riverboats has shifted toward massive barge systems operated through complex lock and dam infrastructure.
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