COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) -- It took awhile, but the New Carissa is vanishing.

Ore. Dept. of State Lands

The platform next to part of the New Carissa wreck

The wood chip freighter ran aground in 1999 on the Oregon Coast near Coos Bay, and after failed attempts to get rid of it, much of its rusted hull has been grounded on a beach. But this summer, removal work began.

Slideshow: Carissa removal

Salvage crews have hacked away 850 tons of rusted steel and say the wreck is within a few weeks of being completely gone.

The company had nearly run out of space to store the scrap metal it had been piling on the deck, but got a barge in last week to haul salvage away and make room for more.

David Parrot, the salvor's managing director, says the last major part of the ship is the engine room.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)