In January 1875, the sternwheel, steamer Chehalis was pulling a barge containing 18 wooden coal cars across Lake Washington. As the Chehalis was rounding the northwest point of Mercer Island, a gale blowing from the south struck the steamer and barge. The wind tipped the barge and sent the 18 coal cars plunging to the bottom of the lake.

Background information

In 1863, coal mining began in the Seattle area. To bring coal from Newcastle to Seattle, the Seattle Coal & Transportation Company constructed a cumbersome system of railways and barges to haul trains of iron-wheeled wooden cars from the mines to Seattle. The first tramways were not much more than 6-inch wide wood rails covered in iron, but they allowed the coal cars to be moved from the mines without sinking into the often-wet soil of Puget Sound. Motive power came from men and horses. Each wooden car was capable of carrying two tons of coal. The coal cars are wooden boxes approximately eight feet long, four feet wide, and 2 1/2 feet high.

The Sinking

In January 1875, the sternwheel, steamer Chehalis was pulling a barge containing 18 wooden coal cars across Lake Washington. As the Chehalis was rounding the northwest point of Mercer Island, a gale blowing from the south struck the steamer and barge. The wind tipped the barge and sent the 18 coal cars plunging to the bottom of the lake. The wooden coal cars remain where they sank, well preserved in the cold (45 degree) water, most of them upright and still carrying their cargo of coal.

The Coal Cars today

The coal cars were located by Underwater Atmospheric Systems, Inc. (Robert Mester) using side scan sonar, and reported to the Washington Office of Historic Preservation as a submerged cultural resource.

The coal cars are presently located south of the Evergreen Point Bridge in the middle of Lake Washington. Bottom depth is 195 feet. There is a main group of approximately 10 coal cars, with the remaining cars scattered around the main group. The coal cars are wooden boxes, approximately eight feet long, four feet wide, and 2 1/2 feet high, that sit on a wooden frame with medal axles and wheels. Most of the cars sit upright on the bottom and most of them are still loaded with coal. The bottom of the lake around the cars is littered with pieces of coal. Most of the cars are substantially intact, although many have their wheels buried in the soft silty bottom.