Bitts & Bytes - Little River Books Newsletter

In This Newsletter:

Quote of the Week

"Failure is not an option. It comes bundled with the software."

A Personal Note From Jack

I must admit that I am fairly well frustrated by obstructionists who are unable to hide their desire to halt Missouri River towing totally. Their criticism fairly bristles with vitriolic statements that reveal their lack of understanding regarding water transportation and our nation's need for a sound, reliable water transportation system.

High on my list is the announced intention by environmentalists to improve the lot of interior least terns, piping plovers, pallid sturgeons, et al. And I wonder, if the population of these species were to be increased 10,000 fold, would that be enough to make them happy? I suspect they would just find another specie that is endangered and use that to achieve their end. To accomplish this end, according to them, the river has to be greatly changed—back to what they always refer to as pristine. Well, the Missouri has always been a mess. The

difference is that back in the mid-1800s and beyond, the river was more of a meandering river. It flooded huge areas of land and no doubt provided much more area suitable for wildlife. But that was then and this is now.

From the time of the great Indian wars, when steamboats dared the Missouri to take troops and supplies to Fort Benton, Mont., the river was wild and dangerous. Steamboats that drew only 12 inches or so of water could run the river almost any time of the year when there was no ice—not safely, but they could run it. Boats with deeper drafts were limited to deeper water. The late Joseph Mills Hanson, writing of the times, said, "The Missouri River habitually had two seasons of high water during the year; the first in April, occasioned by the melting snows and spring rains of the lower valley; the second in June, to which the breaking of winter in the Rock Mountains contributes, flooding the sources of the stream." He went on to say that if snow fall was light during the cold season, it prevented water from "attaining great height during either period."

If is, of course, these two periods that are of considerable import during the ongoing Missouri River controversy. It is a nature thing, and during those days there wasn't one darn thing they could do about it, except tie up or run boats of shallower draft.

The issue of reliable transportation was on the minds of steamboaters, shippers and consumers then just as it is now. A couple successful trips up the river could pay for an entire boat. Well, the flooding was one issue; it raised the issue of flood control. The importance of reliable transportation, the other major concern, ultimately became part and parcel to the package that gave the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers control over water management.

We can't detail all of the floods and damage that resulted from rivers run wild, but two very severe floods (in 1927 and 1937) inundated land from Kansas City, Mo., to the Gulf, placing millions of acres under water. And so it was after the 1927 flood when the Corps and thousands of civilian relief workers were engaged in saving people, their personal belongings (including some livestock) from death and starvation (and drowning), President Franklin Delano Roosevelt began a fund raiser to collect some $16 million in money to help pay for the effort. The hat was passed at theaters all around the country, and, believe it or not, they raised the entire amount in short order. From this came a program to help people of Appalachia learn to plant gardens. Packages of seeds and instructions were distributed. It changed their way of life.

So what to do about flood control? Can a country ignore the rampaging rivers and watch as billions in property is destroyed and people killed?

The factor that environmentalists do not wish to consider is the growth of the world's population. While it may not have been smart at the time the "West was won," people in America did settle along the rivers. They built cities and farms there. If they had not, they might not have survived. If water transport had not been available to St. Louis and up the Missouri, it would have taken much longer to open up the West. But that is all history. Water is the staff of life. Today, the population is growing at a much faster pace. There came a time in the 1920s or so, as it relates to both flood control and reliable transportation, that the government decided to build dams on the Upper Mississippi. Then six huge main stem dams and reservoirs were built to allow control of Missouri River waters. It is the Corps task—certainly no easy one—to raise and lower reservoir levels, hopefully to make room for anticipated rainfalls, prevent flooding and to nurture transportation. Along the way it was decided to provide a better and deeper channel for transportation.

Did it mess up some of the areas utilized by wildlife? Certainly it did! Did harvesting forests across America mess up wildlife habitat? Certainly it did! There was a time when the gigantic bison herds that roamed the valleys and plains of what is now Montana (then Dakota) provided life support for the Indians. Then, because of the great Indian wars and the expansions of the railroads, the white man intentionally decimated the bison herds to help starve out the Indians. Was it wrong to decimate those herds? Certainly.

Is there anyone who thinks we need to revert back to where the bison herd numbers in the millions? How does one restore an entire river system? Or perhaps the word isn't restore. The only restoration environmentalists want is (at least that is their pronounced intention) to restore habitat for birds and fish. So if we do, what then? Years ago, it would have made sense not to give all the bottom land to the farmers, who built levees so they could grow and harvest on the fertile soil. Billions of dollars have been paid to people who eventually sold land that was almost free to them for fortunes. Yet today, price supports fill the pockets of many whose crops can't be sold at the expected price levels. Farmers are paid not to grow certain crops. During the fifties and sixties, main street lawyers and other well-heeled people bought out farms, put the land in the soil bank and sat collecting money for not growing crops. Money is the key. In the eighties everyone with a piggy bank and a coin in it bought barges, and soon the industry was in deep trouble. Remember the Biblical statement: "The love of money is the root of all evil"? Many of our great problems are caused by greed.

I expect that I have let myself in for a lot of criticism for the way I feel. But let's get back to the Missouri River. Let's get back to the fact that cargo stats are down right now. So what? The population is growing. Transportation needs are increasing. In a few short years (by 2015 or 2020, they say) we will not be able to provide the transportation we need. If by then we have squandered the river by turning it into a wildlife refuge from Sioux City, Iowa (head of present day navigation) to the mouth on the Mississippi, what great benefit will have befallen us? What great benefit will come our way that is so great that it will make up for the loss of benefits that also will result? It is not survival of the towing industry that we should look at. It is the survival of the nation! To survive, the nation needs transportation. There is no land for railroads to expand. There is no way for railroads and trucking firms to expand their services other than to keep adding trains and trucks to already saturated rail lines and highway.

Environmentally friendly water transportation is the answer to the nation's growing transportation needs. It will not stop the railroads and trucking lines from expanding, but it will slow down their growth. It will keep pollution-belching trucks off the highways to the tune of 870 trucks per 15-barge tow. It will increase safety. It will save natural resources. For figures on truck vs. towboat pollution, see figures distributed annually by the Maritime Administration.

One needs only to look at the towing industry to see that mergers keep taking place, money shifts hands, some companies go out of business while others expand. But what we do not see is any great, friendly marriage and loyalty between companies and the rivermen who serve them. We do not hear, not often at least, from captains and other crew members who are so proud of the jobs they do, pushing products to the sea for export. Now, the picture is more one of contentiousness. And now, we are being challenged by South America, which wants to take over our export markets.

The industry will survive. But even bigger than the Missouri River controversy is the unwillingness of the federal government to modernize and maintain the inland waterways, the abandoned transportation infrastructure that can be a godsend to our nation. That is the current problem with which we must deal. Our future depends on it. To allow the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway to remain in such sad shape is almost criminal. We are busy spending to the tune of $300 billion in the Iraq campaign. Just $6 billion or $7 billion annually would do wonders for our waterways. And if the environmentalists really are sincere about doing what is best for the environment and the people of this country, they would pour some of their millions into a campaign urging the government to get its priorities straight. They should be helping to keep air and water clean.

We are never going to return to the past—although sometimes we wonder—but we must plan for the future. Shortsightedness can be fatal. Presently we are beginning to spend huge sums of money to do exactly as the environmentalists wish, without examining where it will lead us. But you can't get a buck to fix a river very easily. There's too little support.

For Those Inclined To Pray

Join our Prayer Circle so that you can tap into the prayerful support of the circle members. Membership and prayer requests are open to everyone. The activity of the Prayer Circle is confined totally outside of our weekly newsletter. With the exception of this segment, all contact is made, ultimately, through jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com. To learn about the prayer circle click here.

Newsletter News

We fell victim to our weekly quote. A bad hard drive and floundering operating system caused the delay of this newsletter. Thanks for your patience. We knew we would have days like this. Software and hard drives are born to make trouble.

Web Site News

We would really welcome recipes from river cooks for our web site. Or aren't there many cooks left. We heard on the grape vine today that many cooks have been taken off boats and crew members are assigned to cook. We even heard they are getting TV dinners. Further, they say they are not bad. Well, everyone to his own choice.

Visit our web site and see the recipe section.

On The Waterfront

Elizabeth M Still on River Bottom, Body Still Missing

While Campbell Transportation Company argues that it's liabilities related to the sinking of the Elizabeth M and six coal barges should be limited to $105,000 (what it says is the value of the boat and six barges), the sunken vessel remains on the bottom of the Ohio River below Montgomery Dam and family members of the missing-and-presumed-drowned Rick Conklin say not enough has been done to try to find his body.

The first attempt to raise the Elizabeth M was made on February 9, but divers from The River Salvage Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., were unable to get the sling underneath the boat. Relatives of the missing man were on hand to watch the effort. Some feel the body is still on the boat but admit that it could be anywhere downriver. Divers searched the boat but could not get into the engine room or galley. Since the river has been rising, they say it is unlikely that further salvage attempts will be made during the next few days.

In the meantime, members of the Conklin family joined others, some 35 in total, and searched the river banks all the way to the Mansfield Power Plant. A downriver helicopter search was made right after the sinking.

Attorneys continue to argue that Campbell Transportation should, indeed, be responsible for the mishap. Campbell argues that the pilot disregarded orders and proceeded without a helper boat. The pilot argues that the instructions were unclear.

Jacob G. Wilds, 26, Latrobe, Pa., a survivor who was pulled from the river, is suing Campbell, seeking unspecified damages for pain and suffering, hospital bills, loss of earning capacity. The lawsuit, according to the Associated Press, does not give details but blames Campbell for the "underpowered inadequacy" of the Elizabeth M.

The Conklin family is not suing. At this point they merely want to find their lost family member. They dispute the adequacy of the search for his body. The Coast Guard said it is comfortable with the level of investigating and searching it has done.

Finally, at the last word we have, the federal judge has not ruled on a filing by Campbell to limit its financial damages to $105,000. Campbell claims the mishap was not caused by Campbell Transportation or the unseaworthiness of the boat or barges.

Stay tuned!

CSS Arkansas Collides With Foreign Ship, Sinks in Mississippi

The CSS Arkansas, moving dry cargo barges, sank in the vicinity of Mile 180, Lower Mississippi River, near Geismar, La., on February 10 after colliding with the foreign vessel Rodon Amarandon. The Coast Guard shut down the river between Mile 180 and 182.

Four crew were rescued from the CSS Arkansas. The Corps of Engineers joined the Coast Guard in investigating the accident. One of the barges sank and another was beached.

Of the rescued, two with minor injuries were taken to a hospital.

WWII Veterans Suggest WWII Sub for St. Paul Riverfront

We're a little behind on this, but a few World War II veterans have suggested that a Japanese submarine sunk by St. Paulites some five miles off the coast of Hawaii should be brought to the St. Paul riverfront. They made the suggestion after they heard that the mayor was considering bringing a boat to St. Paul as a riverfront amenity.

The sub now sits in 1,200 feet of water, where St. Paul naval reservists spotted it minutes before the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. The St. Paul "Pioneer Press" said the shell that struck the submarine's conning tower was the first shot fired by U.S. forces in World War II—or rather the second. The first one missed.

Richard Thill, retired, was an 18-year-old cook on the USS Ward (whose crew sank the sub) when the war broke out. The gun that sank the sub now sits on the grounds of the state's Veterans Service Building on the Capitol Mall as a tribute to St. Paul's role in the war, the "Pioneer Press" said.

The sub is one of Japan's I-24 vessels that measured 78 feet in length and weighed 46 tons. These subs were hauled across the Pacific on the backs of larger subs for the attack on Pearl. The crew of the Ward sank one trying to sneak into the U.S. naval base in Hawaii. The smaller submarines were not very successful.

The submarine in question had not been seen since its sinking until a remote submersible from the University of Hawaii found it in August 2002, intact, still armed in the sand at the bottom of the Pacific. Video footage of the wreck confirms the conning-tower hit and the Ward's claim to have sunk it.

Missouri River Water Users Cost Predicted To Rise Dramatically

Due to ongoing water management problems on the Missouri River, the Army Corps of Engineers developed a water-supply user contact list from Gavins Point Dam to the mouth. Included are industrial water supply intakes, thermal power station intakes, marinas, riverboat casinos, and excursion boat operators.

Continued drought has brought about physical changes in the river making access to the water a challenge. So the Corps conducted a survey among the users to understand past and future investments that users make to reach water.

Investments made by individual users are closely held and not available. Most of the investments are attributable to the intake owners. Only a consolidated investment is presented, the Corps said.

Water users low water costs for 2000 to 2004 were $18,773,321.

Water users costs for near future activity planned projects — $63,159,120.

Low water future infrastructure investment beyond 2010 — $286,075,000.

(Editor's note: During a 1980s drought, it was reported that some marina wharfs were hundreds of yards from the Missouri channel.)

Coast Guard Expands Role in Homeland Security

The "Cape Cod Times" reports that the Coast Guard is "overworked and undermanned" since the agency took on an expanded role after 9/11.

A few years ago liquid natural gas tankers entered the port of Providence, no one paid much attention, wrote Kevin Dennehy and Eric Gershon. "These days, the same carriers usually are accompanied by Coast Guard crews from Group Woods Hole, armed against terrorist attacks."

Coasties also patrol each day the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, the ports of New York and Boston, even the bridges that span the Cape Cod channel.

The "Times" reports that some federal officials warn that the homeland security mission is "jeopardizing the Coast Guard's ability to fulfill its traditional missions, including water rescues and fisheries enforcement."

The story provides numerous figures to support claims about the added burden on the Coast Guard.

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said the Coast Guard responsibilities have increased much faster than its funding.

(Editor's note: To whom would critics give the security mission to, the South Dakota National Guard? Everyone but everyone is hard pressed by added responsibility resulting from the 9/11 terrorists attacks. Perhaps these people protest too much. Those in charge of security have done a pretty darned good job, considering that many undertakings necessary were cruising uncharted courses. No one had ever dealt with this kind of problem before.)

Mississippi River Pilots' Pay Not Too Shabby

In the middle of story related to the procedures used to determine pay for pilots bringing goods into and out of Louisiana ports came a few figures about what those pilots now make. The debate over pilot pay spilled over into the legislature after the state Public Service Commission recently approved steep pay raises. The state has four pilots' groups.

According to the story, "Most pilots have a target pay of about $342,000 a year, not counting generous retirement benefits, travel expenses, and income from other businesses linked to their pilot duties.

At a time when cargo volumes to most state ports declined, the number of pilots continued to climb, the story said.

Navy Christens X-Craft

On February 5, the U.S. Navy unveiled its revolutionary new Littorial Surface Craft – Experimental, referred to as X-Craft. It is a high speed, aluminum catamaran designed to test a variety of techniques that could allow the Navy operate more effectively in shallow (littorial) waters. Officially the ship has been named Sea Fighter and assigned hull number FSF 1, which stands for fast sea frame.

Down to the nitty gritty, the 262-catamaran has a crew of 26 (16 Navy 10 Coast Guard), is powered by a combined diesel or gas turbine (CODOG) engine plant outfitted with MTU 595 diesel engines and two General Electric LM 2500 gas turbines. The diesels will primarily power the ship during long-range cruising speeds, while the gas turbines will enable the sea fighter to travel at 50 knots, at least, in calm seas and at 40 knots in sea state four. It will be able to travel 4,000 miles across the ocean without being refueled.

Its mission is flexible. Its amenities include two landing spots for helicopters or unmanned aerial vehicles. It can take part in various undertakings, including battle force protection, mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare, amphibious assault support, and assistance with humanitarian aid. A multipurpose stern ramp, with direct access to the mission bay, allows Sea Fighter to launch and recover manned and unmanned surface and sub-surface vehicles while underway. Its mission bay can hold up to a dozen 20-foot mission modules.

The ship, which is designed for a mixed-gendered crew, has five officers and 21 enlisted personnel. The present crew is all male but it may one day have women serving aboard.

The Sea Fighter was put into the water on February 9 and will moor at the civilian port of Everett, Wash. On April 30, Nichols Ship Builders will officially hand the ship over to the Navy. It will head for its homeport of San Diego in July and then commence the testing process.

(Editor's note: Being a Navy vet, I couldn't resist the story. The ship sounds like something out of a Clive Cussler novel.)

Coast Guard Honors Lyondell-Citgo's Beverly Clarke

Beverly Clarke, Marine Commercial Manager of Lyondell-Citgo's Houston Refinery complex, is the recipient of a Meritorious Public Service Award, presented by the U.S. Coast Guard.

She was honored for the "valued contributions she made to the American people and Coast Guard through actively assisting Marine Safety Office Houston-Galveston and Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Houston/Galveston from July 1, 2002, to December 1, 2004, with the management of navigational safety issue throughout the Houston Ship Channel."

The citation says, "During this timeframe, Ms. Clarke served as chairperson of the Deep Draft Entry Facilitation Subcommittee – a Houston-Galveston Navigation Safety Advisory Committee (HOGANSAC)-sponsored entity." The remainder of the citation reads;

"In this capacity she initially tackled the daunting problem of addressing the economic impact port security boardings had on charterers, refiners and vessel owners. As such, via aggressive outreach and superb facilitation skills, Ms. Clarke assembled a broad cross section of industry stakeholders to gather demurrage costs, refinery cut-back expenses and world scale charter rates to quantify the precise impact random boardings were having on industry. Ms. Clarke also exhibited keen initiative by soliciting and detailing various port and vessel security vetting practices performed by vessel owners and operators that call upon the Gulf Coast Ports that exceeded International Ship and Port Security Code and Maritime Transportation Security Act requirements.

"Armed with this wealth of data, she crafted a position paper that detailed the costs borne by industry and articulated potential solutions that were ultimately conveyed to Coast Guard Headquarters. The significance of her undertaking was driven home when her Subcommittee's efforts were highlighted at the 2004 Harbor Safety Committee conference as well as other national federal advisory committees. Ms. Clarke's tireless efforts in enhancing navigation safety were also evident in her role as a Port Coordination Team member where she worked closely with the Captain of the Port in representing refinery interests during the approach of Tropical Storm Fay, Hurricanes Bill, Isidore, Lili, [and] Claudette as well as several prolonged channel closures associated with dredging and power-line relocation operations.

"Her extensive network of contacts in the industry and diligence in monitoring incidents that impact the Houston Ship Channel ensured that critical port stakeholders could better adapt to unpredictable circumstances on the waterway without compromising navigation safety. As a driving force behind many HOGANSAC initiatives, she has devoted scores of hours leading work groups that have grappled with MTSA [Marine Transportation Safety Act] outreach, the complexities of the [Houston Channel] deepening and widening project, the development of a protocol for establishing commercial priorities after prolonged channel closures and the prioritized queuing of daylight-only vessels slated for random security boardings. Ms. Clarke's efforts are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of humanitarian and public service."

(Editor's note: A personal note is in order. Ever since I wrote "If Ships Could Talk" in 1982, Beverly Clarke has been a faithful supporter, purchasing books for distribution on ships serving Lyondell-Citgo around the world. She has been a good friend throughout the 25 years that I have known her. It gives me great pleasure to be able to publish her Coast Guard citation in B&B, though It is not and will not be a regular practice. Nevertheless, I think Lyondell-Citgo is very proud of her. She is most deserving of this honor. Her work has dealt very directly with the homeland security activities we so often write about. It is also necessary to point out that there are many among civilian ranks, serving their country and fellow man by volunteering their time for such activities. We owe them all a debt of thanks.)

Containers on Barges Nothing New in Germany

For several years we have been saying in B&B and in "The Waterways Journal" that European countries are making good use of their waterways and are doing everything they can to move cargo off the highways.

Support for that contention is illustrated in this picture of a "typical ship" that can be found on the river Rhine in Germany. The photographer, Hape Kraus of Oberhausen, said, "This type is called 'coupled formation', which means a normal river ship is pushing a barge. He says he is willing to take more pictures of this type for us. Our thanks to him for sharing.

Questions From Our Readers

Relating to the Elizabeth M:

Thanks for Nav Notice No. 1-2003. At No. 14, What is a "towboat only setover"? I think it is what happened here and the lockmaster dropped the ball. The Coast Guard would not allow questioning on No. 14 because the lock operator said a knockout lockage was in plat [in play?]. But according to No 8, page 3 , in a knockout, the towboat is placed in the hole alongside the rear barges. Here, the towboat only was set alongside the barges, powered them out of the lock and failed in timely catching them on the fly. What do you think?

Dennis O'Bryan

(Editor's note: We'll let our readers respond. Many serve with the Coast Guard. Others are experience river captains.)

Our Readers Write

On my way back from Springfield I decided to come back through Beardstown on the Illinois. You'd never have thought it was still winter. The Illinois was free of ice, as is the Upper Miss., which is very unusual. They were loading barges, and the river is on a bit of a rise on the ditch, though not out of its banks.

The Sir Robert has been up to the Quad Cities, and the Phyllis, Reggie, as well as some of the Artco boats, have been running all winter long, so some of the locks tonnage figures will be up early. I was pleasantly surprised to see a commercial from Farm Bureau pushing the benefits of River Commerce and the need for lock modernization, though I wish this had been done a lot sooner. Looks like the COE is going to have to tighten its belt again. President Bush has cut more funding, though I was glad that 19 is getting the funding for the new mitre gates; they are badly needed.

I hope I can get the weekend off in June to go to the Towboat Festival at Grafton . Keep up the great work you do with Bitts & Bytes and keep spreading the word; its good food for the brain.

John Miller

Boat Photo Center

Please note: When someone posts pictures for our Photo Center, I always ask that they provide the name of the boat, location (river and city, if both apply), date the picture was taken (year for sure, if possible), name of photographer. If photographer and person posting the picture are different, we need both names. We must all keep in mind that our photo center is viewed by people all over the world. If someone just gives "near Grafton" as a location for instance, foreign viewers will not know where that is. So I have to put in Upper Mississippi River. If they use as a location a town that I do not recognize (and no river), then I may be stumped and have to ask. So we ask everyone to make sure they include dates and the name of the waterway (Mile located if you know it).

By following this plan, we can successfully write up description material that will not be confusing to our web site visitors from overseas (and to me). Thanks.

This week we have a little change in the postings. In addition to eight boats (one foreign), we have the dredge Black and items on board that dredge. As a little background, Kathy Flippo, Clinton, Iowa, author of so many really good books, asked Dennis Stehben if he would post pictures he took of the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium at Dubuque. Dennis was kind enough to comply. So we have five of his pictures this week and a few more museum pictures lined up for a near future issue.

This week's pictures include: the Mv. Charles T. Jones from Dan Kemper; the first and second Girlie Knight boats, courtesy of Dan Owen and the Boat Photo Museum; Delta Queen, Laurie S. Johnston, and Show-Me-State by Jim Mihalek; a typical "container ship" on the Rhine in Germany from Hape Krause; five William M. Black dredge boat museum pictures from Stehben; a picture of the Cindy L. Erickson and mulch barge from Bill Kelley of www.riverbills.com; and the CSS Arkansas, posted courtesy of the Boat Photo Museum.

The Book Beat

"Between The Saints: Louis And Paul" Is for Tourists And Rivermen Alike

The most important thing to understand about author Kathy Flippo is that she knows the Upper Mississippi River well. Though she now lives with her now-retired-riverboat-captain husband Pat Flippo in Clinton, Iowa, she has amassed a terrific amount of river education and experience. Actually, she was born in Clinton, where she grew up moving back and forth as a child between South Clinton and Beaver Island, just off the Clinton right descending bank of the Mississippi. "Beaver Island Remembered" was her first river book.

Later she lived for a while in St. Louis and learned the river from St. Louis to Clinton. When she married Pat, she was able to accompany him on the boats. When she was not actually on the boats, she was called upon frequently to make deliveries to them and participate in crew changes. As her friend and admirer Joanne Wiklund (herself a retired editor and writer living in Port Byron, Ill.,) says, "From the pilothouse to the galley and beyond, Kathy has many interesting tales to tell.

Little River Books produced "Between The Saints…" for Kathy in 1998. The book is the story of towboating between St. Louis, Mo., and St. Paul. And Kathy doesn't miss a bet. There aren't many chores on boats that Kathy hasn't tackled. She's had her hands on the sticks, filled as cook, helped with crew changes, etc., but she also has taken time to view the scenery along the way. So in the end, she wrote a book that provides a good primer for anyone considering working on the river, and a travelogue of the Upper Mississippi River.

Just as Kathy takes you step by step through the towboat and describes each and every job, she gives you a mile by mile description of the passing countryside and historic sites thereon. Her conversational style gives you the feeling that you are right there experiencing it all. In Chapter VI, about Pool 25, she writes about the old stage coach stop at Mile 259.5. "Just above Hamburg's City Front", she writes, "there is a very old log hotel. It is a large, two story building, with nine windows facing the river, huge stone chimneys on each end, and a dog trot in the center. At one time it was an overnight stop for stage coaches on the Chicago-St. Louis Line. Depending on which way you were going, it was either the first or last stop. Now it stands empty."

Kathy takes you upriver pool by pool, describing locks and locking maneuvers and the sites to see. Here in Chapter XI, which covers Pool 19, she discusses Nauvoo, Ill:

________

Nauvoo is a historic old town. It was once an Indian village called, "Quashquema." In 1839 Joseph Smith, Jr., arrived with his congregation of Latter Day Saints after being driven out of Missouri and started building what would soon become the largest city in Illinois. But trouble started with the neighbors "out in the county," and on June 27, 1844, Joseph Smith, Jr., and his brother Hyrum were murdered by a mob at the jail at the county seat of Carthage. This left the church and the community without leaders. Persecution started up with a vengeance after that, and the Saints started moving out to friendlier locations in Iowa, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere in Illinois. By 1848 Nauvoo was just about a ghost town.

Now the historic district is ready for company and visitors are welcome. There are nine restored homes and nine restored business buildings plus the site of the temple that was burned by arsonists in 1848.

As we start the long crossing, the second red buoy above Nauvoo is a red and white striped obstruction buoy. The obstruction is the M/V John Paul that sank sometime before 1975.

And then we move on to Ft. Madison, Iowa:

_______

Ft. Madison, Iowa, strings out along the river for three miles. They don't have a levee or sea wall, so we can see the whole town. Within the last few years they have built a large log fort complex in their Riverview Park. It has several buildings furnished in frontier style, with costumed guides plying their trade and telling stories of frontier times at Ft. Madison. Also in the park is a steam locomotive and the old railroad depot that is now a historical museum.

Just below the Ft. Madison bridge is a chimney standing without a building. That is the site of the original fort built in 1808 to protect the frontier and incoming settlers against Indians. Good idea that didn't work. Indians burned the fort in 1813.

Ft. Madison has two "pens." On the downstream side of the bridge is Schaefer Pen Company. You know, the ink pens you write with. On the upstream side of the bridge is the Iowa Penitentiary, the "big pen" where the bad boys are incarcerated.

This is the bridge Amtrak's Southwest Chief goes over twice a day on its runs between Los Angeles and Chicago. In the mornings eastbound about 11:30 and westbound about quarter of 9 in the evening. Obviously there is more than one train doing this, because it is a 39-hour trip one way when everything goes according to Hoyle.

This bridge is another double decker, but with tracks on top and the highway on the bottom. It is a royal pain coming downstream. Of course the highway traffic thinks it's a royal pain, also, to have to wait for a tow to navigate the span. On the Illinois side of the bridge is the village of Niota.

Pat sent our boys out to help make the bridge. He'll take the Illinois span as he usually does northbound. Going the other way he always takes the shore span. If a captain decides he needs a tug to help, the Donna Rae stands by on channel 11.

When Pat called the bridge tender to open the bridge, the tender told him someone was coming down, but we would beat them. The bridge tender had already checked with his dispatcher and can open the bridge.

It is not always that easy. Pat said, "Once we were headed down on this bridge in freezing rain. When the boys got to the head of the tow, the bridge tender called on the radio and said it would be a few minutes before he could open up the span. It was froze!

"I floated over against the alignment cell to wait the few minutes, which ran into a half hour. It was cold, cold, cold out there in that freezing rain, so Slim sent Roger Woelfel back to the boat. He was to fetch a bucket with some diesel fuel in it and some rags so they could light a fire and maybe warm up a bit.

"Well the half hour ran into an hour and then two hours before the bridge tender finally got the bridge thawed out and unlocked. We went through with no problem. "When the guys came back to the boat, all you could see was the whites of their eyes. They had sat around that bucket burning rags and old lock line scrap and were literally covered with black soot and smoke."

"Is Roger Woelfel Bernie's brother?" I asked, since that was the first I'd ever heard of him.

"Yep," Pat answered. "Once in awhile they'd both be on the boat at the same time, and they'd get into a good fight every day—keeping in practice for when they were home at the same time, I guess."

We heard the M/V Junko Hartman calling the bridge, announcing her arrival, and the bridge tender said, "Keep coming, I'll keep it open."

Pat called the Junko and said, "We'll be at the Apple River Chemical Dock and meet you on the one whistle."

And there we leave Kathy, Capt. Pat and their crew…preparing to head for the Apple River Chemical Dock.

Kathy's book covers every detail she could think of and more, right down to the shad flies. One day it looked stormy, like it might rain. But it didn't. Instead it cleared off, and they had a shad fly hatch.

"These critters by the millions of trillions hatch out in the evening and are drawn to lights…The running lights on towboats also draw them. What was a shining white boat one day looks wooly brown the next morning after a hatch! Then the deck crew gets out the hoses and brooms and sooge down the boat."

This book belongs in everyone's library. It is also available on a nice professionally prepared set of six audio cassettes with the author doing the reading.

Tow Talkin'

February 14, 2005

By Kathy Flippo

For the past two-three weeks I've been working three or so hours at the Clinton County Historical Society museum rearranging the genealogy, history, and research library. Besides photograph albums and family memorabilia, we have received several scrapbooks of newspaper clippings. I was flipping through one of the scrapbooks to see if it was dedicated to one subject like World War II. As far as I could tell, this one scrapbook of very old clippings were just clippings of whatever struck the person's fancy at the time. Found a clipping that sure struck mine!

I don't know the year of this clipping, but I do know it has to be in the 1890s. I don't know the newspaper either. The photograph illustrating the article is of the Illinois Central Railroad Bridge at Cairo, Illinois.

"The most important link in the national highway between…to continue reading this column, click here.

See you on the Web,

Jack
Little River Books
jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com
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