In This Newsletter:

---

  On This 'n' That

"Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic, and you turn around to go and get it."

---

  A Personal Note From Jack

Our first report of the sinking of the Elizabeth M and six coal barges at Montgomery Lock on the Ohio River early on the morning of January 9 turned out to be just as we expected and said it would be at the time. A totally different picture emerged during this past week. Explanations that appeared in earlier stories have been challenged, if not directly, by implication.

To reiterate, we said early reports are frequently incorrect, though not intentionally so. The bottom line is that a reporter can arrive too early and began asking questions before the answers have been sorted out. Among the subjects interviewed early usually are eye-witnesses, rescue crew and survivors (if reporters can get to them) and company officials, located sometimes hundreds of miles distant.

I predict that this incident will end up in a lawsuit of gargantuan proportions. Already one survivor has indicated his intention to sue.

Points yet to be clarified:

1. Who was in the pilothouse at the time of the tragedy?
   
   
2. Exactly what did the pilot do to address the situation that developed after barges broke loose and were pulled out into the channel as the tow exited the lock. In first reports company officials said they do not know.
   
   
3. How long was it from the time the barges broke loose above the lock and the Elizabeth M was forced over the dam? One survivor indicates the attempt to rescue barges took upwards of a half an hour. Others say only a few minutes.
   
   
4. Where was the tow made up? One survivor says it was made up not far below the lock, and indicates that the pilot was warned by several rivermen not to attempt to take the six-barge tow above Montgomery Locks with Elizabeth M.
   
   
5. It was said that a second boat was to have helped the Elizabeth M but it didn't show up. When the "helper" boat didn't show, one survivor said the office told them to "go" anyway.

So when you get to the story of the Elizabeth M below, keep in mind that it is still in the state of flux. However, we now have names of survivors and victims. All of the information comes from published news accounts. And one late report indicates the identity of the captain at the helm during the struggle to survive the mishap. That fact has not been confirmed, to our knowledge, by the Coast Guard.

---

  Newsletter News

We cannot vouch for the value of B&B to every subscriber. However, we know that by going to "archives" on our home page, we can print a very nice copy of each edition, including some illustrations, which we place in a binder for a permanent handy reference. Readers might find the effort worthwhile.

We inadvertently used the same volume and issue number twice in the archives list. It was corrected as soon as we learned of the error. The volume and issue number on the letter itself was correct. If the error shows up in the archives, refresh the page.

---

  On The Water Front

Elizabeth M Tragedy Reports Vary Considerably

As previously reported by various news organizations, the Mv. Elizabeth M, owned by Campbell Transportation Company, Charleroi, Pa., and its six coal barges tow sank at Montgomery Locks and Dam on the Ohio River January 9. The towboat and three barges sank after passing through the dam. Three barges sank above the dam on the western end. We also know the identities of the crew.

It has been reported that Dennis M. O'Bryan, an attorney from Birmingham, Mich., has been hired to represent one of the survivors (Jacob Wilds) and the family of one of the deceased (Tom Fisher). It was also reported that O'Bryan has asked Campbell Transportation Co. president Don Grimm "to state publicly that the company does not intend to invoke the liability limit in a legal case." O'Bryan reportedly said that "even if the accident is determined to be pilot error, you cannot sue a fellow crewmember. The company is responsible for the pilot."

At this point, as with all stories, there is some information that is incontestable and some that is questionable. So let's dissect the story and consider what we know for sure and what is not confirmed.

1. We know the identities of the crew who lived and those who died.
   
   •  The dead include Scott Stewart, 36, pilot, Wheeling, W.Va.; Ed Crevda, 22, deckhand, West Brownsville, Pa.; and Tom Fisher, 25, lead man, New Cumberland, W.Va. (Fisher was also identified as Tom "Tony" Fisher of Latrobe, Pa.). Rick Conklin (identified in some stories as Ron Conklin), 40, Crucible, Pa,. who was believed to be in the pilothouse with the pilot, is missing and presumed trapped in the pilothouse.
   
   •  The survivors are George Toby Zappone, identified as Conklin's brother-in-law and also as captain of the Elizabeth M, Crucible; John Thomas, deckhand, Powhatan Point, Ohio; and Jacob Wilds, 26, of Derry, Pa.
   
   •  The identities have been confirmed by Coast Guard and Campbell Transportation. However, the names of the towns in which some of the crew lived have sometimes been reportedly differently.
   
   
2. At the time of the incident the Ohio River was running somewhere between 10 and 15 mph.
   
   •  This is one piece of information that has not changed from story to story.
   
   
3. To accomplish the locking, the pilot pushed the six barges into the lock in a string two-barges wide, then moved the Elizabeth M into the lock on the port side of the string.
   
   •  This bit of information has not been changed or contested, and professional rivermen say it is the way the locking would have been accomplished.
   
   
4. While it may be precisely known to lock personnel, the stories thus far have not focused on the exact procedure used when the barges were departing the lock.
   
   •  According to a licensed captain of 50 years, the barges should have been moved ahead in the lock and tied to the lock so the Elizabeth M could return to the stern of the tow and face up for rewiring.
   
   
5. From then on it becomes a blur. We do know that an out-draft pulled some barges into the channel and, ultimately toward the dam. Some reports indicate the forward two barges were pulled into the channel. The Elizabeth M was positioned, ultimately, between the dam and some (all?) of the tow to keep the barges from going through the dam.
   
   •  Descriptions of this stage of the incident differ. It could be because of inaccurate reporting by writers not familiar with the river and who did not know what questions to ask, or it could be because different descriptions came from eyewitnesses on the lock as well as from one of the crewmembers, the latter having barely escaped with his life.
   
   
6. We know, according to Coast Guard reports, et al, that three of the barges sank above the dam toward the western end, that the Elizabeth M was pushed through the dam by barges, three of which also went through the dam. Two sank below the dam (relatively near) and one sank further downstream. Of the three that sank below the dam, only the exact location of two is known. Sonar equipment is in use to determine the location of the third.
   
   •  This information has not been disputed.
   
   
7. We do not believe it has been confirmed who was actually at the helm.
   
   •  It has been reported that Scott Steward was in the pilothouse, along with Rick Conklin, who, it was first reported, was a pilot trainee with a provisional license. However, the Coast Guard does not issue provisional licenses. It was also reported that Toby Zappone, the vessel's master (off-shift and asleep at the time) heard the alarm and rushed to the pilothouse, where he took over the controls and would not give up on trying to save the coal barges. During one interview Jacob Wilds told the newspaper that Tom Fisher ran to the pilothouse and grabbed Zappone, who had no "lifejacket". It seems logical that if Zappone was awakened by the alarm, he might head for the pilothouse. We have no confirmation as to who was at the helm.
   
   
8. Right from the beginning, it was decided by rescue workers not to attempt to rescue the men (man?) heard and seen in the pilothouse of the sunken boat. Its pilothouse was still visible in the torrent of water below the dam.
   
   •  This decision has been praised by those who say that to take a boat anywhere near the Elizabeth M could and probably would have been a disaster. They say a rescue boat would have been sucked toward the dam and most likely sunk.
   
   
9. As relates to the business of "limiting liability", it is not clear, under the circumstances, that the company could apply for such a provision. However, Campbell Transportation president Grimm valued the vessel at about $750,000.
   
   •  Grimm said the Elizabeth M is about 50 years old but was rebuilt with a new hull and engine about five years ago. The "Inland River Record" shows the vessel as having been built as the B. F. Fairless in 1951 by Dravo. It shows the vessel as having Cat 3512 diesels, delivering 2,200 hp. The vessel has had several owners but its name was changed to Elizabeth M when it was owned by Standard Sand & Gravel of Wheeling, W.Va. Campbell purchased the boat in 1990.
   
   
10. As is standard practice, the Coast Guard will continue its investigation and hold hearings, at which time it will question survivors, lock workers, and anyone who witnessed the towboat being pushed through the dam.
    
    •  The Coast Guard will determine whether criminal charges are warranted. At one point, according to attorney O'Bryan, he intervened to keep his client, Jacob Wilds, from talking with Campbell Transportation officials. Wilds has already met with the Coast Guard for two hours. According to Coast Guard Lt. J.G. Justin Covert in Pittsburgh, the hearing is tentatively set to begin on January 31, and it will last four days. Time and location of the hearing were yet to be announced.
    
    
11. Wilds said the coal barges may have originated at Charleston, W.Va., as earlier reported, but the tow was made up only a few miles below Montgomery Locks at C. C. Johnsons. Before the tow left there making very slow progress, crews from other boats, including the Rocket, told them they should not try to approach the locks. Wilds also said that a second towboat (the Richard C) was supposed to join the Elizabeth M to assist it through the locks but didn't. Whether or not Campbell Transportation Co. staff told the captain to go anyway, as Wilds stated, is yet to be confirmed. Reportedly, crew from the Mvs. Lillian G, Sandy Drake, and Rocket assisted in rescuing the survivors.
    
    •  Crewman Jacob Wilds was under considerable stress during this incident. He said the incident took about 30 minutes rather than the five or six minutes others have suggested. He has given a description of what took place and said the captain risked the lives of the crew numerous times. In our opinion (B&B's) it will be wise to let the Coast Guard sort out what is accurate in his story. There are numerous bits and pieces from these reports that don't quite fit.
    
    

For example: One reporter was told that the deckhands would all be required to be out on the barges when tows lock through. Was that just a general statement made by a river-industry person to explain what might be considered normal procedure? But it does seem reasonable to believe, river conditions being as bad as they were, that the entire crew would be called out. Yet stories say at least two of the deckhands and the vessel's master were asleep in their quarters. We believe that during such a traumatic experience it would be almost impossible for a participant to be able to observe all that was taking place. Beyond that, it would seem almost impossible for him to give a flawless account of what happened, especially when he said he had almost given up hope of living and that his life passed before him.

One report said attorney O'Bryan said that a foot-long gash had been found on the side of the boat. However, since no one, to our knowledge, has ventured near the boat, and the boat was submerged except for the top of the pilothouse, how could anyone have discovered a gash?

It was also argued by some that the captain of the doomed vessel had several opportunities to cut away from the coal barges he was trying to save. Wilds said in one interview that the crew had time to "take pictures" of what was happening. We need to wait for the official report.

Stay tuned!

---

More Barges Run Away During Ohio High Water

The Sewickley Bridge over the Ohio River was closed briefly on January 15 as two runaway coal barges made their way past the bridge. One sank a short distance downriver. The other was tied up atop Daschield Lock and Dam. A towboat reportedly was in pursuit of the barges, but the Coast Guard provided no additional details in its January 16 report. The agency did say, however, that the barges had been tracked since the "the Emsworth Lock and Dam".

---

Collin D Sinks at Dayton, Ky., Yacht Club

The Collin D, a towboat used by Queen City Riverboat Cruises to tow a party barge, sank January 12 while docked at the Watertown Yacht Club in Dayton, Ky. It sank at 11 a.m. and was submerged by noon, the Coast Guard said. There was some concern that the vessel would leak fuel, and officials wanted to make sure the vessel didn't end up in a navigable part of the river and hamper river traffic.

---

Wally Blessey Burns On GIWW

The Mv. Wally Blessey caught fire while pushing a barge on the Gulf Intracoastal Canal on January 9. After the fire was extinguished and while the vessel was being towed back to its home port in Houston, Texas, it encountered rough water and ended up on the beach, partially sunk near Corpus Christi. Notified immediately of the fire, the Coast Guard dispatched a rescue boat to the burning vessel and within 12 minutes of receiving the call had the crew off the boat.

---

What Are The Odds?

A report from the Coast Guard has us asking "What are the odds?"

The agency is investigating an accident where a 793-foot tanker named (what else?) Tsunami struck a pier on the west bank of the Mississippi at Westwego, La.

Is that strange, or what?

---

All Because of Carp, Coast Guard Regulates Chicago Sanitary And Ship Canal

The Coast Guard's Ninth District commander has implemented a regulated Navigation Area (RNA) on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal for all vessels operating in the vicinity of the aquatic nuisance species demonstration electrical dispersal barrier. The RNA was established in response to a recent test conducted by the Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers on the effects of the electrical barrier on passing barge traffic.

(The barrier was constructed by the Corps to prevent aquatic nuisance species like the Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes from the Illinois River system. It is located on the canal at Romeoville, Ill.)

Vessels are prohibited from:

• Loitering in the vicinity of the barrier
• From mooring or laying up on either bank, and they may not make up or break tows
• From passing in the vicinity of the barrier

Vessels are required to:

• Enter the section of the waterway only with the sole purpose of transiting to the other side and maintain headway throughout the transit
• All personnel on open decks must wear a Coast Guard-approved Type 1 personal flotation device while in the area.
• Make a security call when approaching the barrier to announce intentions and to work out any arrangements on either side
• Commercial tows transiting the barrier area must be made up with wire rope to ensure electrical connectivity between all segments of the tow.

---

  Crossing the Bar

King Fisher of Port Lavaca, Texas, who built King Fisher Marine Service from the ground up and ran it for 57 years, died January 7, "The Waterways Journal" reports. He died one week shy of what would have been his 90th birthday. Fisher began the company in 1940 and by the time he sold the business in 1998 to Orion Construction Company, it was the largest dredging company in Texas, with 300 employees. At the time of the sale, the firm was operating seven cutterhead dredges, ranging in size from 12 to 20 inches.

Capt. Norbert K. Strong, 78, of Lansing, Iowa, died January 10 in a LaCrosse, Wis., hospital, the "Waterways Journal" reports. He was a river pilot for 32 years, having worked for Alter Company and J. F. Brennan Marine.

---

advertisement

  Maps For Sale

Maps for Sale: John W. Gorman, Inc., of Minneapolis, is offering U.S. Geological Survey maps, DeLorme State Topo Atlas & CD’s, historic maps of the Mississippi River, and world and USA wall maps. Contact the firm at 7320 Portland Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55423; by calling phone/fax at 612/869-7730; or via email: johnwgorman@usinternet.com. Additional details are available in the "new book" offers column on the right side of our home page.

---

  Our Readers Write

I am a huge fan of your website and I am hoping to submit pictures to you soon from our trip on the Mississippi Queen on the Grand Excursion!

Anyway, I just wanted to add some info about this week's Alabama Princess. Before the Grand Excursion, we noticed this boat at Skipperliner in LaCrosse. Upon inquiry, it had (as you can see) been partially dismantled for over land transport, and a subsequent trip up the Mississippi to Skipperliner. There, it was being further dismantled, and refurbished for another overland trip to Wisconsin Dells, where it will now be operated on the Wisconsin River for the 2005 season.

My interest in this particular boat really came about this summer as it was somewhat of a blast from the past. Almost unrecognizable from the time it was built. I was a young cub pilot for the Captain of the LaCrosse Queen in the 1980s, Captain Lyle Rislove. The builder of the Isabella Queen / Alabama Princess (LaCrosse Riverboat Company) was also the builder and operator of the LaCrosse Queen. Thus, Captain Lyle was the exclusive shakedown cruise Captain for the boats this company built, and I distinctly recall being with him on a trial trip with the new Isabella Queen.

Anyway... I thought you might want to add this vessel's final destination to your caption. Thank you for the wonderful work you do with this site, and I promise to contribute to the photo section soon!

Eric J. Steffes
Madison WI ( but also from the LaCrosse / Trempealeau, Wis., region)

---

  Boat Lamps in the Nautical Gift Shop!

Den Haan Rotterdam, founded in Rotterdam, Holland, in 1922, began as a manufacturer of navigation and interior lighting for inland and seagoing vessels. All lamps, many of them replicas of old models, are hand made to commercial ship standards. Each lamp is made of solid brass with a polished and lacquered finish, giving it distinctive style and quality. Their lasting beauty and timeless design will enhance the decor of any home or ship's cabin.

Weems & Plath boat lamps are available in several styles ranging from green starboard and red port lamps to brass bulkhead lights and copper wall anchor lamps. Visit our nautical gift shop to view our selection.

---

  Boat Photo Center

Ten pictures make up the posting in the Boat Photo Center this week. They include: three of the Thomas E. Erickson by Jim Mihalek; the A. N. Prentice and Dennis Ross by Jesse Lybarger; two of the Mv. Mississippi by William Steel; the Warioto by C. David Bethurum; the Leon Johnson by Ed Rahe; and the Ned Merrick by Wade McGrady.

---

  The Book Beat

Shrader's Books Filled With History of the Times

I cannot emphasize too much the historic value of the steamboat trilogy authored by Dorothy Heckmann Shrader. Included are "Steamboat Legacy", "Steamboat Treasures", and "Steamboat Kid". These books take us back more than 150 years to when the Missouri River area in question was first being settled. "Steamboat Legacy" is actually the life and times of a steamboat family, the Heckmanns. The books include the names of dozens of steamboats built and lost during the time period, who built them, why, and what happened to them. Many would be surprised at the number of boats built for service to handle farm products, et al, on even the Gasconade River, a tributary. They tell of the struggle to meet shipping demands for agricultural products, struggles against lower water and ice. Want to know what life was like "in the colonies" of the time, these books tell you, including the stories of various illnesses that overtook families.

The books normally retail for $12.95 each in soft cover. Because we offer them at a discounted price of $11.50 each, we cannot go no lower for purchasing the set. So they are $34.50 for the trio. We do have one of the three in hard cover and sell it for a vastly discounted price of $12.00 (supply limited). S&H is extra of course. It was normally $27.95.

---

  For Those Inclined To Pray

Bitts and Bytes has established a "Prayer Circle" so that readers who request it can tap into the prayerful support of the circle members. At this mailing we have 23 members representing eight states. Please note that membership and prayer requests are open to everyone. The activity of the Prayer Circle will be confined totally outside of our weekly newsletter, with the exception of this portion, which will invite membership and update statistics. All arrangements must go through jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com. To learn about the prayer circle click here.

---

  Tow Talkin'

By Kathy Flippo

January 17, 2005

Ahh! The good old wintertime is here at last! The mercury is hovering around a brisk zero. What was surprising was Wednesday (the 12th) when we had 38 degrees and of all things, thunderstorms rolling through! Real crash bangers too. But there wasn't enough rain to get rid of the snow thank goodness. I do love snow.

The river up here in Clinton, Iowa, is filled with ice jammed up against the railroad bridge. It's open below that though all the way to Lock 14, or at least it was on Wednesday. Now it is bald eagle time. Saw eight the other day. They were standing on the ice around the air holes waiting for lunch to swim by. Question: why is that bit of open water in the ice called an air hole? Does everyone call it that or is it another one of the strange bits of Iowa lingo?

I have personal logbooks that not only record the weather, location, boats, and odds and ends but a tally each day of eagles, immature and mature. They are not afraid of... if you wish to read the rest of the column, click here.


See you on the Web,


Jack
Little River Books
jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com
Don't forget to visit our website!