130-year-old shipwreck in North Dakota visible after drought

BISMARCK, N.D. — A steamboat shipwrecked for nearly 130 years in North Dakota is visible for the first time in more than a decade due to a drought.

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The Abner O’Neal, built in 1884, sank in the Missouri River on July 17, 1892, according to the State Historical Society of North Dakota. The ship struck a rock while traveling between Washburn and Manden and sank, KXMB reported. The ship was transporting 9,000 bushels of wheat when it sank, according to KFYR.

Archeologists said that because of low water levels, the shipwreck has been revealed for the first time since the 2011 Missouri River flood, KXMB reported.

“Through changes in how the dams are managed. The water really affects how much you can see it, so any given year it’ll be different out there,” Andrew Clark, chief archeologist for North Dakota, told the television station.

Nyk Edinger has used his kayak to visit the shipwreck, KXMB reported. He said that seeing the wreck allows people to appreciate the history of North Dakota when rivers were the major source of transportation.

“A lot of our history has been torn down because weather is extreme,” Edinger told the television station. “So to have something as old as the Abner O’Neal and still being able to see the actual iron and wood that went into that ship with our own eyes is an incredible experience.”

The boat was named for Capt. Abner O’Neal, a well-known figure in the steamboat industry around Wheeling, West Virginia, and Steubenville, Ohio, according to the State Historical Society of North Dakota. It was built in 1884 in Freedom, Pennsylvania, according to the website.

The boat operated in the West Virginia-Ohio area until it was sold to the Missouri River Transportation Company in March 1890, according to state historians. Before the steamboat sank in 8- to 10-foot waters, the crew attempted to patch the hole without success, according to the State Historical Society of North Dakota website. The boat and cargo was not insured and was considered a total loss.

“It was kind of cool to see a piece of history that has remained there for almost 130 years,” Todd Sheldon, a local history buff, told KFYR. “You could lay it out and see where the boat was and what side it had rolled onto.”

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