Cannon might be from 1846 wreck of USS Shark

By Tom Vogt


Two cannons with possible links to Fort Vancouver have had their 15 minutes of fame. Next comes the long, dirty slog of restoration.

Research done on one of the cannons by the "History Detectives" TV series indicates it most likely came from the USS Shark. The U.S. Navy schooner was wrecked in 1846 near the mouth of the Columbia as it sailed from Fort Vancouver toward the Pacific.

Production of the PBS episode included a visit to the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, where chief ranger and historian Greg Shine provided some background on the Shark, which was launched in 1821 at the Washington, D.C., Navy Yard.

The cannon investigation was one of three segments on the episode aired recently by Oregon Public Broadcasting.

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