A3
THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2022
Rare fi nd: Andes is convinced there’s more to be found
Continued from Page A2
“We haven’t found what
we would call ‘The Wreck,’”
Williams said. “We don’t
know if something like ‘The
Wreck’ exists.”
In the meantime, Williams
hopes the timbers taken from
the cave can reveal more spe-
cifi cs about how the Manila
galleons were constructed, a
process about which very lit-
tle is known.
A strange moment
For Andes, it’s a strange
moment.
It turns out offi cially fi nd-
ing bits of a shipwreck is
complicated, especially when
those pieces are found in a
protected area controlled by
the state and still claimed
by the Spanish government,
which takes a protective
stance over the wrecks of its
old galleons.
Though groups had been
hunting for the Beeswax for
decades and pieces of the
wreck’s cargo had been wash-
ing up since the ship ran
aground, it seems no one was
prepared for a discovery quite
this big.
There was immediate
interest in retrieving the tim-
bers, but considerations like
securing a permit, the coro-
navirus pandemic and the
logistics of doing a retrieval
in caves that are diffi cult to
reach, in an area popular with
tourists, slowed the project’s
momentum. The retrieval date
was moved multiple times
and was fi nally put off until
this spring.
Oregon
State
Parks
remains deeply concerned
about what the discovery
will mean for the state park
area near where the timbers
were found, which already
sees a high number of visitors
throughout the year.
This week, the goal was
to remove most, if not all, of
the timbers from the cave so
offi cials could say with confi -
dence, “There’s nothing else
there,” Delgado said.
The galleon has long cap-
tured people’s imagination.
At one point, the tragedy of
the shipwreck was confl ated
with a story about men rowing
ashore and burying a box — of
gold, obviously — near Neah-
Kah-Nie Mountain. Treasure
seekers descended at various
times on the mountain. Their
activities once gave the moun-
tain the nickname “mountain
of a thousand holes.”
For the record, Delgado
said the only gold he’s seen on
shipwrecks is in the movies.
The beeswax, porcelain and
textiles would have been just
as valuable as gold to people
at the time.
Still, interest in the “lost
Spanish gold” surges from
time to time and park rang-
ers sometimes catch peo-
ple with shovels, said Ben
Cox, the park manager of the
Nehalem Bay Management
Unit that includes Neah-Kah-
Nie Mountain.
Such activities can harm
resources and also violate
park and ocean shore rules,
said Chris Havel, associate
director for the state parks
department.
“Even the chance of an
important historical fi nd can
challenge a person’s judg-
ment,” he added. “There’s a
thrill in knowing and a nearly
irresistible urge to discover
more as quickly as possible.”
He said, “We don’t want
to miss the chance at answer-
ing some long-standing ques-
tions about contact between
European and tribal commu-
nities. We also don’t want to
harm these possible artifacts,
the ocean shore or see peo-
ple get hurt trying to chase the
mystery.”
But Andes feels confl icted.
A former treasure hunter
himself, he is now more
intrigued by the history of the
items he fi nds.
Over the past two years, he
has been the person keeping
a regular eye on the Beeswax
timbers, making the tricky
journey across slippery rocks
and into caves he has begun
to think won’t withstand the
pounding of ocean waves and
the sliding of the cliff s above
much longer.
As the retrieval date kept
getting pushed back, he tried
to keep the timbers in place.
He tied up one with rope —
it got washed out to sea any-
way last year — and partially
reburied others, setting rocks
on top of them.
At the same time, Andes
said he has been asked by
some people — including
state parks offi cials — not
to go out to the caves. And
throughout the whole process,
he has been told to keep quiet
about his discovery.
It is a tricky balance, said
state archaeologist John Pou-
ley, who was on hand when
the timbers were brought in
this week. There is the need
to keep archaeological sites
and artifacts safe while at the
same time educating the pub-
lic about such discoveries.
Andes doesn’t want hun-
dreds of people rummaging
around in cliff s and on the
beaches, but he also thinks
people should know about
what was found.
‘PEOPLE WALK
DOWN HERE
EVERY DAY AND
WALK OFF WITH
STUFF.’
Craig Andes | commercial
fi sherman and avid beachcomber
‘Just looking for agates’
Oregon’s beaches are
public and the story of the
Beeswax has been a com-
munity interest for decades.
It’s how Andes found the
pieces of the wreck that have
everyone so excited and con-
cerned now.
By trying to keep word of
the timbers quiet, he worries
that parks and other groups
involved missed an oppor-
tunity to better protect the
resources. He knows he is
not the only one roaming the
beaches and hillside, curious
about what is there.
“People walk down here
every day and walk off with
stuff ,” Andes said.
He thinks about some
of the familiar faces, that
instantly recognizable posture
of people searching for old
stuff , and the pleasant codes
they’ll exchange: “Looking
for agates?”
“Yep, just looking for
agates.”
Then there are people who
may not realize that the bit
of porcelain or wood they’ve
found could be important,
something diff erent than the
usual beach debris, some-
thing they should tell some-
one about.
Andes believes that dis-
cussing more openly what is
down there earlier could have
boosted funding for recover-
ing the timbers, future inter-
pretation work and eff orts to
protect the site. He thinks the
state missed an opportunity to
get ahead of the public.
To which Havel noted in a
statement: “It would be great
if just explaining a problem
and asking for public help
would work in a situation like
this. Our experience has been,
it doesn’t.”
The state parks department
doesn’t see a way to get ahead
of interest without identifying
the location and inadvertently
increasing interest.
“We already constantly
say: stay away from cliff
edges and bases, know the
tides so you don’t get trapped,
stay away from logs in reach
of the surf, and all the other
beach safety messages,”
Havel said.
“Our additional message
when people pay attention to
this story will be, ‘If you fi nd
anything unusual, old, and
human-made on the ocean
shore, report it.’ Our view is
doing that now for this spe-
cifi c location, or even without
any context, would either put
an unwanted spotlight on this
spot or simply be confusing.”
Andes is convinced there’s
more to be found that could
help solve the mystery of the
Beeswax — a mystery that
has intrigued him since he
was a kid.
Over the years, he studied
photos and other historic doc-
uments. He explored beaches
and cliff sides, expanding his
own understanding of the
landscape around the wreck,
the places where evidence has
washed up.
Andes discovered the fi rst
timber piece in the sea caves
several years ago. It looked
like nothing more than a bit
of buried log, one end stick-
ing out. At fi rst, he wasn’t sure
what he was looking at. Then,
in the spring of 2019, more of
the wood was exposed and he
began to suspect it wasn’t just
driftwood.
In fact, he said, he knew
what it was the minute he
saw more of it. The wood was
exceptionally hard and dotted
with small square holes. He
was convinced it was from a
shipwreck and one wreck in
particular: the Beeswax.
“You can’t tell all the trea-
sure hunters in the world about
it,” he said, “but you kind of
have to because they’re going
to fi nd out about it anyway.”
This story is part of a col-
laboration between The Asto-
rian and Coast Community
Radio.
Lydia Ely/The Astorian
Nehalem Fire Chief Chris Beswick, left, Oregon State Parks employee Justin Parker, right, and
others in the Beeswax shipwreck recovery party guided a large piece of the wreck onto the beach.
Celebration
of Life
for
Luella Dunn
Baunach
6/16/36-6/1/22
Saturday, June 18th 2022 at 11 am
Warrenton Community Center
170 SW 3rd Street
Bring Your Stories & Have Lunch
OPEN HOUSE: This Saturday, June 18th from 12-3
847 Summit Ave, Gearhart
Beautifully maintained single level home in the
Thank you!
• A.F. Dick, Machine - Knappa
• Affordable Towing - Knappa
• Alexandroff Dentistry - Warrenton
• American Century Trophies - Ocean Park
• American Family Insurance - Astoria
• Andi Warren Insurance/Farmers -
Warrenton
• Ann & Fred Mestrich
• Arts’ Auto Parts, Long Beach
• Beach Baron’s Car Club - Ocean Park
• Camp Rilea - Warrenton
• City Lumber - Astoria
• Classic Bodywerks & Towing - Astoria
• Clatsop Fleet Services
• Clatsop Truck & Equip. Repair -
Warrenton
• Columbia House Warmers - Astoria
• Deals Only - Astoria
• Del’s OK Point S Tire - Astoria
• DMT/NAPA Auto Parts - Astoria
• Doug & Dorothy Gillies
• Ernie & Judy Atkinson
• Jim Varner’s Automotive - Astoria
• Jo & Chuck Loesch, Kuuma Saavi Works
• Joe’s Mobil - Astoria
• Judy & Steve Jordan
• K Manufacturing - Astoria
• Mini Mart - Astoria/Warrenton
Sponsors &
supporters
• Knutsen Insurance
• L & D Race Tech - Warrenton
• Lum’s Auto Center - Warrenton
• Mark’s Auto Serivces - Seaside
• McCall Tires/Les Schwab - Warrenton
• Meiner Detailing - Astoria
• Nicki Andrews & Dick Pedersen
• North Coast Truck - Astoria
• Nu-Way Carpet - Astoria
• Nygaard Logging - Warrenton
• Ocean Crest Chevrolet - Warrenton
• Oliver Yackley
• O’Reilly Auto Parts - Warrenton
• Polk Riley Printing - Astoria
• Randy Mosher
• Ray Kramer - MAC Tools - Longview
• Rod’s Auto Marine Electric - Warrenton
• Seaside Muffler & Off Road - Seaside
• Springer’s Garage - Astoria
• Teevin Bros. Land & Timber - Knappa
• Two Old Goats Farm & Feed - Knappa
• Vinson Bros. Construction - Svenson
• Warrenton Auto & Marine Repair -
Warrenton
• West Coast Artisans - Astoria
• Wilcox & Flegel Oil Co. - Astoria
• Young At Heart Paper Crafting
These merchants and individuals helped make our event a
success by sponsoring trophies, event shirts or by contributing
raffle items or show equipment. Without their assistance,
Lower Columbia Classics would not have been able to host the
event. As members and guests of our club, please stop in at
these businesses to thank them personally for their support.
coveted west side of Gearhart. This home has no
details left undone. Gorgeous vaulted ceilings with
skylights creates an abundance of natural light. The
kitchen is a chef’s dream complete with a built in
oven, gas cooktop and granite counter tops galore.
Gather around the island with friends and family. The
master ensuite features your own private spa inspired
bathroom. The exterior adorns immaculate landscaped
lawn including raised garden beds and also boasts
a great wrap around deck, an oversized lot, 3 car
oversized attached garage, natural gas generator & so
much more!
Ann Westerlund
BROKER
503.791.4425
annwesterlund1@gmail.com
THANK YOU!
The 50’s Cruise Reunion Committee
Lower Columbia Classic Car Club
1520 SE Discovery Lane Ste C Warrenton