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January 24, 2005 -- Vol. 5 Issue 4 Written by Jack R. Simpson (unless otherwise noted), owner of J.R. Simpson & Associates, Inc. and contributing editor to "The Waterways Journal." 
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 In This Newsletter:
Quote of the Week
While watching a telecast this past week, I heard an interview with a seaman who had been rescued after having been among several that went overboard. He spent a lot of time in the sea and was all but convinced his time was up. What he told interviewers is that one learns a lot during such an ordeal. But really struck home is: "life is so finite." He went on to suggest that we try to get the most out of "today" because we never know about tomorrow. It’s not new, but it’s worth remembering. A Personal Note From Jack
I will not bore you with details, but an accident in St. Peters, Mo., this week was a prime example of the seaman’s comment about life being finite. A 16-year-old girl, driving a Land Rover, got out of her lane and struck head on an SUV carrying three children to school. The girl’s ankle was broken. The woman driving the SUV was killed. One child escaped injury. Another suffered a ruptured spleen. A third child, Jessica, 5, was really messed up. She has had part of her bowel removed and a colostomy bag attached, suffered a cracked vertebrae and must have a steel rod and pins inserted, and, finally, must wear body armor for six months to protect her spine. This all happened on what most of us would take to be just a casual, uneventful drive to school. Also, you will note from the news below that in recent days a number of mariners have died in waterways events that all occurred in a short time, the latest Monday morning on the Lower Mississippi. Further note: We will be bringing you bits and pieces of the follow-up on the Elizabeth M sinking behind Montgomery Locks and Dam (see B&B 1/17/05 in the archives). However, the Coast Guard hearing on the matter is scheduled for the end of January and is to last four days. From this meeting should come a report (eventually) that provides a story that is as close to the actual happenings and chronology of the event as we will get. Newsletter News
Unfortunately, this is a bad week for news. Or should I say, much of it is not good? Keep that in mind as you browse the waterfront below. On The Water Front
Elizabeth M Sinking Spurs New Reporting Rules As a result of the sinking of the Elizabeth M and six coal barges at Montgomery Locks and Dam on the Ohio River January 9 and several barge breakaway incidents, the U.S. Coast Guard has imposed new reporting rules. They state that the Coast Guard will shut down operations of marine companies involved in future accidents until the companies provide detailed reports. (Three crew perished in the Elizabeth M incident, and one man is still missing, presumed to be drowned but is no longer believed to be in the pilothouse of the partially sunken boat.) According to an article in the "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette", "Companies found in violation of the regulation can be fined up to $32,500 per violation." Cmdr. Wyman W. Briggs, Marine Safety Office, Pittsburgh, invoked his authority under the Ports and Waterways Safety Act in response to the fatalities resulting from the Elizabeth M incident. (One crewman, Rick Conklin, 40, Crucible, Pa., is still missing and believed to be in the sunken towboat.) The "Post-Gazette" reported that the first company to be subjected to the new directive was E&G Enterprises, a Neville Island company that owns three coal-filled barges that broke away January 15 at Emsworth Locks and Dam on the Ohio. The Pennsylvania DOT closed Sewickley Bridge temporarily after one of the barges struck a bridge support. Two other barges struck Emsworth and Dashields dams. The new rules direct companies involved in accidents to submit reports that detail the cause of the accidents and plans for corrective action. Briggs said the Coast Guard will suspend operations of the vessels involved in the accidents until it reviews and approves and reviews the reports. The Coast Guard consulted with local towboat companies and the Waterways Association of Pittsburgh before announcing the suspension policy. Authorities Unsure Who Was At Helm Of Elizabeth M As of January 19, authorities were still unsure as to who was piloting the Elizabeth M when she and three of her coal barges were swept over Montgomery Locks and Dam on January 9. Three loaded barges remain above the dam but are not obstructing traffic. The locks were opened to limited traffic on January 12. Two coal barges remain sunk below the dam. Searchers looked for a distance of five miles below the dam but were unable to locate a third sunken barge. Specifics may be ironed out when the Coast Guard holds a four-day hearing into the matter on January 31. Early reports put Capt. Scott Steward, 36, Wheeling, W.Va., in the pilothouse along with Rick Conklin, 40, Crucible, Pa. Newspapers keep reporting that Conklin had a provisional pilot’s license, but the Coast Guard does not issue provisional licenses. Later reports indicated that the vessel’s master, Capt. George Toby Zappone, was off watch and asleep in his quarters when he was awakened by the alarm. It was reported that Zappone rushed to the pilothouse and took over the helm. Jacob Wilds, 26, Derry, Pa., said during one of his interviews that another crewman, Tom Fisher, 25, Latrobe, Pa., dashed to the pilothouse and rescued Zappone. Fisher is among those listed as dead. Wilds, et al, have engaged an attorney and have indicated their intent to sue. The Coast Guard is continuing to interview witnesses. The Ohio River near Montgomery was opened to all navigation on January 19, according to Briggs. A team of divers descended on the wreck Friday, January 21, and no sign of the missing crewman was found. They said they are sure he is not on the vessel. (Editor’s note: A complete list of the crewmen, living and dead, can be found in our archives for the January 17, 2005, issue of B&B.) Coast Guard Continues Search For Captain Of Mv. John 1:1 The U.S. Coast Guard reported today (January 25) that its crews in New Orleans are continuing their search for the captain of the towboat John 1:1, which sank this morning near Mile 120 on the Lower Mississippi River about four miles south of the I-310 bridge in the vicinity of Destrahan, La. The boat’s crew notified the Coast Guard about 1:53 a.m. that the 65-foot boat was sinking and required assistance. Two of the crew reportedly made it off the boat safely, while the captain remained onboard. Coast Guard Group New Orleans immediately launched a rescue boat crew from Station New Orleans and a rescue helicopter crew from Air Station New Orleans to search. Search crews from the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office conducted patrols of the nearby levee with negative results. A safety zone has been established from mile marker 117 to 115, with a one-way traffic restriction. Search Called Off For Crewman Lost In Barge Explosion It was reported last Friday (January 21) that the search for a missing crewman involved in a tank-barge explosion had been called off. The victim, Alex Oliva, was working on the barge carrying some 500,000 gallons of clarified slurry oil (a petroleum byproduct) when it exploded and sank in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on Chicago’s southwest side. The vessel was about half an hour from docking when "a couple of the men went out on the barge for a routine check", explained April Egan, wife of towboat captain Dennis M. Egan, 27, of Goofy Ridge [sic] in western Mason County. The blast threw scraps of debris everywhere. The captain and two other crewmen were uninjured. Clarified slurry oil is reportedly the consistency of honey and becomes thicker in cold water, which would reduce environmental damage, an EPA spokesperson said. Search of Mobile River For Missing Deckhand Fruitless The Sunday, January 23, search for Clinton "Trey" Given III, 34, Mobile, Ala., (who presumably fell off the tug Mary Sue late Saturday) has turned up nothing, authorities said Sunday. According to Robert Rishel, vice president of operations for Henry Marine Services, said Given was last seen on the boat about 8:30 p.m. Saturday. No one actually saw him fall off the boat, but it was 30-40 minutes later that he was reported missing, Rishel said. The missing man had worked for Henry Marine, Spanish Fort, Ala., since the early 1990s. The Mary Sue had left its station to cross the river to help a ship that was experiencing difficulty. By the time Given’s absence was noticed, the boat had traveled maybe a quarter of a mile, Rishel said. The weather was bad at the time and included wind and low temperatures. It is possible that high winds blew the victim overboard, Rishel said. It is believed Given was not wearing a life preserver. The Coast Guard launched a search team Saturday night from Dauphin Island and also searched Sunday from the Cochrane-Africatown Bridge south to Pinto Pass. Some 15 members of the Mobile County Sheriff’s Flotilla assisted in the search. Because of the weather conditions and water temperature, it turned into a search and recovery effort. A county spokeswoman said that there was little hope of finding Given alive. Rishel said the crew of the Mary Sue did not want to stop searching Saturday or Sunday. They continued the search Monday. Given and Rishel started together as deckhands about 10 years ago. Given had wanted to become a pilot. Ruptured Tanker May Have Struck Other Objects Philadelphia - Soon after the tanker Athos I was ruptured on November 26 while transiting the Delaware River, it was reported that she had struck a 15-foot chunk of metal, apparently part of a huge pump. The vessel spilled 265,000 gal. of oil. Now it is believed that the ship might have struck a huge concrete slab as well, investigators said last week. The tanker was preparing to dock at a terminal in Paulsboro, N.J., when the incident occurred, blackening nearly 60 miles of shoreline, killing wildlife, hampering shipping and causing environmental damage from northeast Philadelphia and Palmyra, N.J., to Delaware. 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. News On The Lighter Side
Maryland Marine To Christine Mv. Decatur on January 26 Higman Marine and its subsidiary Maryland Marine, Inc., Houston, Texas, say they will christen the Mv. Decatur on Wednesday, January 26. The boat will be used to transport petroleum products under Maryland’s contract with BP Chemical. The 74-foot boat has 2,000 hp., four decks, five staterooms, and sleeps seven crewmembers. It was built by Kody Marine of New Orleans. Reader Takes "Pittsburgh Tribune-Review" To Task How many times have you heard a towboat called a barge? A pilot called a captain of a barge? A towboat called a tug? Apparently a few zingers like that slipped into the "Pittsburgh Tribune-Review" lately, and reader J. K. Folmar I of California, Pa., took the paper to task. The violation was in calling a towboat a tugboat. The error was exacerbated on January 15, he wrote, when a columnist (writing about a towboat) called it a twin-engine, 2,200 hp. ship. (Editor’s note: Where have we heard this stuff before?) Coast Guard Finalizes Regs for Super Bowl XXXIX The headline says it all. So we won’t go into detail. But did you know that the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Jacksonville, Fla., has finalized and released navigational areas, security zones, and temporary anchorages on the St. John’s River, which will be established and enforced during Super Bowl XXXIX activities and events. (Editor’s note: It was report on television that game tickets are going for $6,000 on eBay and hotel rooms run as high as $4,000. We’ll watch at home.) Another "Did You Know?" Did you know that 80 percent or more of all oceangoing vessels that enter the Great Lakes are subject only to paperwork requirements and are exempt from regulations meant to keep out invasive species capable of wreaking havoc on the ecosystem? In July, officials from New York, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin petitioned the Coast Guard for more aggressive regulations. "We have to engage in full public participation before we do anything," said Beivan Patnaik, regulatory coordinator for the Coast Guard’s Aquatic Nuisance Species Program. B&B: Guess who’s stonewalling? Great Lakes utilities are spending millions annually to keep their water intakes clear of zebra mussels, which are among the first invaders and which are the impetus for the existing ballast water regulations sought by Congress. B&B: Zebra mussels have invaded U.S. rivers and utilities in many locations are paying huge sums for intake maintenance as well. How much public engagement does it take? They are engaged to the tune of millions of dollars. NTSB Reports Pilot In Ferryboat Crash Lied The National Transportation Board reports that the pilot who blacked out in the crash of the Staten Island ferryboat in 2003 began lying on his Coast Guard physical exam forms to conceal that he used prescription medication. Michael Gansas, who was absent from the pilothouse when the crash occurred, took the Fifth 99 times when questioned by safety investigators. Coast Guard Upgrades Enrich Gulf Coast The Associated Press reports that a modernization drive by the Coast Guard has delivered major contracts for airplanes to Mobile, Ala., and ships to Pascagoula, Miss., injecting millions of dollars in the coastal area economy. At First We Thought It Was A "No Kidding!" Sort Of Headline The interactive edition of the "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" displayed the following headline: Winter proves the most dangerous season for those working on the rivers" Our first reaction was, "No kidding!" But then, after remembering all of the fatal mishaps being reported on the waterways these days, we thought, "This is just the kind of information that the public needs to know." The Elizabeth M episode also sparked a number of stories that focused on the difficulties of navigating rivers during high water. Crossing the Bar
Vernon Behrhorst, of Lafayette, La., who, as the Waterways Council reports, will long be remembered as "dean of water resources", died last month at the age of 76. "He worked tirelessly for numerous waterway organizations, starting as an impassioned volunteer, then becoming a loyal member, and usually winding up as an elected officer," "Capitol Currents", the council’s newsletter, reported. Formerly an economics professor at what is now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. After leaving the classroom, he became the director of the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Water Policy, coordinator of the Louisiana Coastal Protection Task Force, and assistant director of the National Ports and Waterways Institute. He received the National Rivers Hall of Fame’s Achievement Award in 1996 for "his significant contributions to the history of America’s rivers". Boat Photo Center
First we’d like to start off with a special photo and description posted by Claude Hammond of the Valley View [Ky.] Ferry Authority. And here’s the story:  The John Craig, sternwheel ferry, located on the Kentucky River at Valley View, Ky. Photographed by Jim Wilkins of the Lexington-Fayette Urgan County Government in September 2004. The Valley View Ferry is the oldest business in Kentucky, having been established in 1785, prior to Kentucky’s statehood. The ferry's original charter was signed by Virginia Gov. Patrick Henry and it has received special permission from the Kentucky and Virginia state governments to fly the flags of both states. It is perhaps the only commercial watercraft in the U.S. that can officially fly two state flags. Its route connects Fayette and Jessamine counties on the Kentucky River's north bank and Madison County on the south bank. The ferry is a free service funded by the governments of Fayette, Jessamine and Madison counties, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. It is located on Tates Creek Road (KY Rt. 169). Posted by Claude Hammond, Valley View Ferry Authority.
Ten other new photographs grace the Photo Center this week. They are: the mvs. Gilda Shurden, Adrian Hargrove, Marge Kovac, Hortense B. Ingram and Pebble Beach, submitted by Jesse Lybarger; the mvs. Ann Brent, Bernard G and Seneca Chief by Capt. Jeffrey L. Yates; and the Gilda Shurden and Kevin Michael by Ed Rahe. Boat Photo Center The Book Beat
We No longer Offer Non-U.S. Book Sales Little River Books is modifying its web site and on-line book-purchasing programs via PayPal to reject non-U.S. sales. We have tried for several years, just as a courtesy, to live with the cost of doing business with customers in foreign lands, but it no longer makes sense. The cost of shipping is different with every country and with the changing weight of the books being shipped. We have few non-U.S. sales. However, since our program and web site is geared to mostly automated sales and offering discounted books (in most cases), and our shipping is limited to $5 per order, we lose money on every non-U.S. sale. To the few non-U.S. customers who have patronized Little River Books, we offer our thanks and our regrets for not being able to continue the program. Jack R. Simpson President Little River Books Division J. R. Simpson & Associates, Inc. Just An Interesting Coincidence  I was about four-fifths of the way through Dorothy Heckmann Shrader’s "Steamboat Legacy" and reading about Steamboat Bill [Heckmann] when I noticed on the television menu a program called "Steamboat Bill Jr." Curious, I tuned in and here is what I found. The 1928 movie (not a talkie but plenty of background music) starred Buster Keaton as the   wimpy son of a Steamboat Bill, a giant of a man who operated a local steamboat. It did include some interesting shots of old boats-or where they props? Our own Steamboat Bill Heckmann and his family were involved for some 65 years operating steamboats on the Gasconade and Missouri rivers. The late Dorothy Heckmann Shrader chronicled the history of the family and those steamboats in her three books "Steamboat Treasures", "Steamboat Legacy", and "Steamboat Kid". We have them all.
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 24 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’
January 24, 2005 By Kathy Flippo One of the nicest things about the "new" Locks and Dam 26, Melvin Price at Alton, Illinois, is winter. Now the tows can shove right in, shove right out, and there is none of the rigmarole that used to happen at the old locks. That is when industry helped itself and boats took turns knocking out of tow to pull cuts at the lock. They would either tie their tow to someone else's and let that boat "baby sit" or in the winter, just shove them into the ice to wait for you. It was such a bottleneck that on November 4th at 6 a.m. there were 89 tows waiting to go through. By 6 a.m. the next day, the 5th, there were 95 tows waiting turn! With all the grain coming down the Upper and out of the Illinois River, the old 600-foot lock couldn't... to continue reading 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!  |
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