Elleda Wilson: A spartan nature
Oct. 20—Tuesday is the 116th anniversary of the Peter Iredale running aground on Clatsop Spit. While the steel barque is a well-known landmark, how much do you know about the shipowner she was named for?
Peter Iredale (1823-1899), of P. Iredale & Porter of Liverpool, England, was a force to be reckoned with. In addition to his "Spartan nature," Iredale's memory was "astonishing," a business associate recalled, as he could remember exactly what ships were carrying, even those that had been away from their home ports for over a year.
One obituary said, "At one period he was super cargo and coast master on the West African coast...He was a man of great vigor, and possessed an iron constitution.
"He fought down fearlessly, almost scornfully, attacks of all kinds, recovering from yellow fever, coast fevers and other troubles, until he became almost immured from death. While many others perished on that fatal coast, he triumphed over every disease by which he was assailed.
"... He was a man of the old type, straight as an arrow, open-hearted, and with ever a cheery word on his tongue."
