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The Mt. Adams Sun, Bingen, WA., January 13, 1957, page 4

GIGANTIC GRAVES WAIT AT WISH-HAM FOR REBURIAL OF MEMALOOSE BODIES

Just north of The Dalles Bridge the winter wind whistles across 14 empty graves dug by Lee Lemley of Bingen. Ten are large enough for giants. Two measure 42 feet long, six only 24 feet, but two are 48 feet in length. The other two dimensions are the same 8x5 feet-long and deep enough for rows of Cedar coffins soon to come. Men will know this place as Wish-Ham cemetery where the Indian dead from Grave and Memaloose islands will soon be re-buried. Those weathered bones which cannot be identified will be placed in a concrete tomb, 17 x 45 feet, and shielded from storm and sun by a 40-ton cement roof cast in one slab.

SINGLE GRAVE

Near the tomb of the unknowns are three single graves for famous chiefs who led their tribes in life as they now do in death. And so that no man may forget the fishermen from the vanished rocks, the Great White Father will erect a $1500 monument and a stone alter on the highest point in the roadside cemetery. For lack of kinship with the other dead, one other grave is set apart by his family's wish - just as Lemley will dig a common grave for five others in the old cemetery at Hartland.

NEW GRAVES

The digging is done on Memaloose and Grave islands. The shacks where the dead huddled in silence for ages are empty. Each body has been placed in a plain cedar box with what remains of his funerals splendor - even gold coins, jewelry and guns that were buried with him for use in Spiritland. While the digging proceeded, armed guards stood watch day and night to see that everything that came out of the ground went into the boxes. No one was allowed to take anything - not even pictures. The only exception of was an archaeologist who took photographs for the U.S. Govt. And in accordance with tribal custom, Uncle Sam padded each coffin with a white wool blanket. Yellow blankets to go on top were provided by Indian descendants. As soon as weather permits, the cedar coffins will be brought to Wish-Ham and spaced two feet apart in the long trenches. The contract requires that the huge graves be backfilled by hand and tramped down every six inches until the coffins are covered with earth at least a foot deep. The rest of the filling may be done by machine. When the trenches are filled, each grave will be mounded and marked, according to Lee Lemley. "Sure it's expensive," says Lee. "But if our cemetery was about to be flooded, it wouldn't seem silly."