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May 29, 2006 -- Vol. 6 Issue 22 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:
Thought For The Week
We don’t always have the luxury of waiting for the best solution. Better ones come along in later years. 
Editorial Comment From Jack
Problem Solvers Must Rely Upon Known Facts for Solutions  The thought for the week, in this case, relates to the whole arena of levees, flood walls and hydraulics. While critics complain about the work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, they should be honest enough to acknowledge that when disaster strikes or issues are hot, there is not always time to sit on our caboose while scientists study the existing problem for decades to find a perfect solution. If one finds himself in a sinking canoe and has only a coffee can with which to bail water, odds are that he will grab that can and bail like hell. His efforts might even succeed. There is also the possibility, as with levee and floodwall construction projects, that the solution is not enough and the effort fails. Several major points about storms, hydraulics and the New Orleans area levee system have come to light in recent weeks. One critic argues that no one has ever been able to determine what a 500-year flood is. He questions whether we even know what a 100-year flood is. The contention is that we simply do not have the detailed records dating back far enough to make those determinations. A related point is that one cannot predict storms very accurately. We might, for instance, predict when one will hit but not know exactly how fierce that storm will be. Katrina was like that. Recent findings by scientists, whose vessel plunged into the center of a hurricane, indicate storms do not always act as we predict. Much of what we thought we knew about storms is questionable, they said. Another point of interest appeared in the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch”. It has nothing (and a lot) to do with the New Orleans situation. First, the writers argue that the construction of a levee in one location changes the hydraulics for water passing that location and that these changes must be taken into consideration when planning levees and floodwalls further downstream. I doubt very much that the Corps ignores those changes when new projects are on the drawing board. Also keep in mind that the Corps operates an Experiment Station at Vicksburg, Miss., where models are constructed for use in analyzing specific projects and hydraulics. So experimentation is in the Corps’ blood. Critics lurk in the wings waiting to batter the Corps at every opportunity. Yet, the Corps does not have the luxury during disasters to wait around for the development of a perfect model to provide uncontestable answers. While it is obvious that we know a lot more about storms and river hydraulics than we did more than 300 years ago when Louisiana folks started levying the Mississippi and other waterways in the New Orleans area, the people charged with fixing the problems then didn’t have that knowledge. Today we do have the luxury of analyzing some things on computers. Answers that used to take months to surface can now sometimes be found in minutes. Sophisticated machines can analyze the contents of a liquid or solid very quickly, and the results can be put to use. So far we don’t seem to be able to do that with storms. On the other hand, we are still searching for cancer cures, perfect vaccines for a variety of ills. New Information explodes to the screen of a computer in lots of instances, and in others it does not. Critics have said that early settlers to the Upper Mississippi River region destroyed most of the white pine forests, which the critics concluded was an environmental disaster. Yet the settlers were merely trying to make a life for themselves by cutting trees, building homes, operating saw mills, etc. They erroneously thought the forests were endless. It is written in “River of Conflict, River of Dreams” (which we have on our web site) that for decades during the expansion westward, no cities along the Mississippi River had sewage treatment systems. That’s true. So they dumped raw sewage into the river, believing it was impossible to pollute the river. Their intention was not to pollute but to rid themselves of the sewage. As years pass, we learn and are able to apply new-found knowledge. But we can’t go back and blame the Wright brothers for not knowing all there was to know about aerodynamics. Others who followed in their footsteps learned and applied what they learned. Today—an accomplishment that probably turned the Wright brothers over in their grave—we fly metal machines that weigh many tons and carry many tons of freight. And we use jet power. It is not a crime for a person NOT to know all of the information that will emerge in decades and centuries that lie ahead. And when they are still alive, charged with solving a major problem, I think they do the very best they can with what they know and what they have. I think the Corps has done that. It was common knowledge that New Orleans was built in a bowl and that the levee system could not protect it against the most violent of storms. Everyone predicted something like Katrina would one day happen. So that much is known. But there is also the “have” element. The “have” element, includes financial wherewithal to construct the kind of system the Corps knew had to be built, and they didn’t have it. The “have” element includes public support for the construction and the willingness to finance it. The Corps, in many cases, did not have it. Putting the cheapest tires on a heavy automobile for high-speed highway travel is not the smartest thing to do. But if cheap tires are all that are available, you do with what you have. Corps critics have piled up unfair criticisms against the Corps in an effort to change the way the Corps operates. Congress has been infiltrated by people who merely want America to operate differently. They want sustained progress, not real progress that provides jobs and helps to fulfill the demands of a growing nation and world. They want the Corps to do things in a way that suits them [the critics]. Yet, in recent years, the amount of money being spent on environmental restoration has grown manifold. Even that, I would say is good. But there are many critical problems that have not been addressed because money now earmarked for environmental recovery is not necessarily new money but money that has been diverted from the Corps budget for ongoing projects. So critical problems remain unsolved. It is time for critics to stop trying to beat the Corps to death.
Corps Civil Works Director Rebuts “Washington Post” Story On May 14, the “Washington Post” published a story by Michael Grunwald that was extremely critical of the Corps. When Major Gen. Don T. Riley, Director of Civil Works, submitted a rebuttal to the “Post”, the newspaper refused to publish it. We, however, will! However, unlike the “Washington Post”, we don’t want to be unfair about it. How can we print the rebuttal without showing you the original “Post” story? So here is the link. We have the rebuttal because the Corps sent it to all division commanders and leaders and requested broad dissemination. It is not often that the Corps responds to critics. Here it is: Response to “Washington Post” Article By: Major Gen. Don T. Riley Director of Civil Works U.S. Army Corps of Engineers The Washington Post article in the May 14th edition, “Par for the Corps,” by Michael Grunwald, is unfortunately full of errors, undocumented claims, and misrepresentations. Its inflammatory rhetoric exploits the suffering of the Gulf Coast by minimizing the true impact of Hurricane Katrina. While Katrina was a Category 3 storm in terms of wind speed when it made landfall on August 29, only 24 hours earlier it was the largest Category 5 storm on record in the Gulf of Mexico, generating storm surges within the Gulf at over 28 feet. Although the wind speed dropped, the surge still came, making this the largest natural disaster to ever strike the nation. The article continues with a shotgun approach, criticizing Congress, the Administration, and State and local sponsors of water resource projects around the nation, leaving the reader wondering how one can have such widespread animosity. From the time the effects of Hurricane Katrina were first known, Corps of Engineers leaders have consistently told the American public that the Corps is accountable for the projects it builds and administers. No one is more concerned about the levee and floodwall breaches, nor more determined to know how these breaches occurred, than the Corps. We have approached our investigations deliberately and openly, have shared all data and information widely, and have sought not the first answer, but the right answer. We are determined to ensure we are doing the right thing now and in the future as we repair and rebuild these structures. The Chief of Engineers has commissioned an Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET) consisting of approximately 150 engineers, scientists and other experts from government, academia, and industry across the nation and world to investigate the hurricane protection system performance during Katrina. IPET’s analysis has been thorough and upon completion of review by the American Society of Engineers and the National Academy of Sciences will guide the Corps’ ongoing and future work in New Orleans, as well as advance the practice of civil engineering for other public and private projects. The Corps is awaiting the publication of the final IPET report to provide the conclusive, detailed analysis of the hurricane protection system’s performance during Katrina. The analysis to date has demonstrated that much of the early speculation about the performance of the system was wrong and there is still much to be learned. Regrettably, “Par for the Corps” is a rehash of personal opinions about past events without considering steps undertaken by the Corps in recent years to continuously improve and to ensure all projects are accomplished in conformity with the highest standards. The Corps has strengthened its analytical capabilities and ensures all projects undergo extensive analysis and multiple reviews before forwarding its recommendations to the Administration and Congress. We have enhanced training in project planning, emphasized senior leadership review, and update planning guidance to better balance environmental and social needs with economic justification. We also subject large, complex, and potentially controversial project proposals to review by outside experts to better inform federal decision making. The Corps doesn’t have the choice to sit on the sidelines and criticizing others; we are committed to action on behalf of the citizens of the Gulf Coast and the Nation. Our work is important, difficult, and sensitive. As such, we understand that many of our actions are subject to intense scrutiny. We welcome constructive criticism and recognize the best decisions are the product of full and open debate. Although some critics refuse, we ask all of them to join us in providing balanced water resource solutions for our fellow citizens. And we thank all those who participate productively.
For Those Inclined To Pray
 For those desiring prayer support for themselves or others, we invite you to join our Prayer Circle, which allows you to submit requests, thereby tapping into prayerful support of our 40 Circle members. There is power in prayer. Membership in the Circle and/or the submission of prayer requests is open to anyone and free. Request lists are sent out via email, generally, on the day they are received. Come join us!
Of People And Boats
Re: The National Gateway An email from Ed Henleben, St. Louis operations manager for Ingram Barge Line, appeared in our May 22 issue and suggested that the vessel that appears in our Photo Center labeled as National Gateway may not be that boat at all, because the National Gateway measures 138- by 44 feet and has 5,000 hp. The picture, kindly posted some time ago by Mike Murphy, was taken in 1967 and detail is lacking. But now we can do better, and we don’t think Mike would mind if we replaced his picture.  We asked our picture guru Dan Owen if he had any thoughts on the matter and, of course, he did. Like us, he couldn’t see enough details in the Photo Center picture, so he provided a new one.
The replacement picture of the National Gateway is one that was taken August 13, 1981, at Harvey, La., by the late Bill Evans of New Orleans. Most will remember that he was a “Waterways Journal” staffer. So thanks to Ed, Bill, Dan and the Boat Photo Museum for making better picture available to Photo Center visitors. As it relates to Owen, we include here an URL that should enable readers to find the feature story about him and his Boat Photo Museum in the “St. Louis Post-Dispatch”. We hope the link is still good.
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On The Waterfront
Limestone Barge Sinks In Mobile Bay, Holds Up Traffic A 195-foot limestone barge in tow of the River Eagle, Excell Marine Corporation, Cincinnati, sank in Mobile Bay about seven miles north of Fort Morgan last Tuesday night. It blocked the Mobile Ship Channel, delaying larger vessels bound to port. The Coast Guard said it was closing the entire channel on Friday. Ships with drafts of 28 feet or more were not able to navigate the bay. The lost business will cost the Alabama State Docks between $400,000 and $600,000 in dockage and wharfage fees. The loss could be greater if ships divert to other ports.
Removing Asphalt Barge From K&I Railroad Bridge Delayed A Week Salvors expected to remove the sunken Magnolia Marine asphalt barge from against the K&I Railroad Bridge over the Ohio by Memorial Day weekend, but the move has been delayed at least a week. It has been about four months since the barge sank. Most of the 800,000 gallons of liquid asphalt have been removed from the barge. However, rain last Wednesday and Thursday nights raised the water level and increasing pressure on the barge, thus preventing the planned removal.
Release of Missouri Water Caused No Flooding The water released down the Missouri River water around May 21 apparently slipped down the Big Muddy without flooding anywhere, drawing praise from environmentalists. It raised the level at Boonville, Mo., only six inches. Gauges at Glasgow and Jefferson City showed only 0.4 foot rise. The flows were increased for the purpose of aiding the endangered pallid sturgeon. Opponents of the releases plan to continue their opposition. They say there is no guarantee that the increased flows will do anything at all to help the fish recover.
Columbia Sussex Offers $200 Million for Casino Queen Some may have missed the announcement just over a week ago that Columbia Sussex, A Kentucky company had offered $200 million to purchase the Casino Queen in East St. Louis. The company previously attempted to buy the President Casino but backed away when it was not clear that the firm could get a Missouri gaming license. The intended buyer must pass muster with Illinois gaming laws before the deal can go through.
You can contact the editor directly at jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com.
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From Our Readers
Re: Duplicate B&B Deliveries I really enjoy Bitts and Bytes. My family goes way back on the Green and Barren Rivers in KY, and my father held Masters License all tonnage, on the Miss, Ohio and all tributaries until his death in 1955. This E-Mail is to let you know that I am getting two E-Mails each week, with the second being sent about 5 minutes after the first. A great publication for those of us who love the river. Ken Hines Bowling Green, KY. (Editor’s note: We’re working on the problem, which we believe to be generated with our host company. Please be patient. I will double your subscription price!!!!!!)
Re: Wilson Lock Traffic “As of yesterday (May 22), I do not know how many towboats are involved, but there were (80) Eighty barges waiting to lock at Wilson dam. I heard one captain say he had been there for four days! I can see five tows from my dock between us and Wilson Point, which is five miles down stream from us. The lock is about five or six miles down stream from Wilson Point. It has been so windy here for days that we have not been able to get the cruiser out to get the total amount of boats or the names for you. Of course, that would only involve boats on the up stream side of the lock.” (Editor’s note: The Corps is doing work on the lock, and only the auxiliary chamber is working. A few days ago there was some concern that the Delta Queen might not make it through, but Jeff Yates points out that evidently it did.) “Also, as it relates to the online picture of the 918-meter-long water bridge over the River Elbe in Germany, it was built over a period of six years at a cost of 500 million euros. The Internet report says the bridge joins the former East and West Germany, as part of the unification project. It is located in the city of Magdeburg. The photo was taken on the day of the inauguration. “But now, Folks, here is your Red-Neck history lesson for today: “Prior to 1926, there were two aqueduct bridges here on the Tennessee River in Red-Neck country! One was at Shoal Creek, (Really A River,) five miles west of us and the other at Blue Water three miles east of us. Big paddle wheelers the size of the Delta Queen, (which went by here last Sunday night at six o’clock,) and large tow boats with barges used them. They were part of the Shoals canal that ran past our house. Small steam engines were available to pull the freight barges if needed. There were nine locks in this system that ran along the north side of the Tennessee River, right in front of our house. It was designed and built by the same man who did the Panama Canal in the late 1800s. He said this was much harder to engineer than the Panama Canal was. His house still stands here in Florence. Fifty miles of the river in this area were not navigable because of the shoals. When Wilson Dam was opened, the canal, the steam engines and all of the buildings and offices were flooded and are now covered with eighty feet of water, except for the lock walls at lock three, which you can still see at times in low water. Yes, some of the Alabama red-necks were pretty smart also. “There were 4,000 men employed to build Wilson Dam and lock between 1918 and 1925 when it opened. It is a mile and a half across the dam and 57 men were killed while building it.” Jim Corbin
Re: Coast Guard Licensing Rules I have long suspected the U.S. Coast Guard of having a death-wish. I believe that they feel when they finally destroy the American Merchant Marine it will take Congress fifty years to discover that it is gone. In the meantime two and a half generations of guardsmen will have paychecks with no work required. Alan Bates
Re: Photo Center Enjoy all the photos submitted. Would like to have Jesse Lybarger contact me. Ron Richardson
Re: The Patron Saint of… I don’t want to get into a “My Saint is better than yours” contest with Ann Mills from Ministry on the River, but while growing up on the river in Cincinnati, the nuns always told us the patron saint of boatmen was St. Brendon. I looked it up on the Internet and found the following: St. Brendon, 460-577: He was a priest, monk and founder of the Clonfert Monastery. He was a missionary to Wales. He traveled extensively by boat among the islands around Ireland and there is an account of a 7-year journey he made to “the promised land”. It is believed, (and proved possible in the 1970’s) that he and his crew reached North America centuries before the Vikings. He is the patron saint of Sailors, Boatmen, Mariners, Watermen, and whales. I really enjoy the newsletter. Thanks for putting it together. Bonnie Buerk (Editor’s note: The more opinions the merrier. This kind of exchange either confirms what we think we know, offers other ideas on the matter, or changes history as we think we know it.)
Re: More About The Saint Please do not use my name for this but St. Brendon has always been the patron saint of sailors and mariners. I remember being very young after starting to work on the boats and looking for a patron saint to pray to. Very rarely does one see anything on St. Brendon, but if I remember [correctly] he was from Ireland and was a sailor himself. As for me, I always pray to St. Rose Philippine Duchesne. She was a Religious Sister of the Sacred Heart RCSJ who traveled on the Mississippi River between her convents in LA and MO. Her sisters still operate the Academy of Sacred Heart on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans and the Madam’s school in St. Louis out in Ladue, I think. Can’t think of the name of the school, but it is the all girl’s school that is very pricey! If you want to put this in anonymously, that is fine but please do not put my name. I always enjoy your column. Take good care, and I am hoping to see you at the Towboat Festival [at Grafton] but it is not looking good right now. I am just swamped!!!
Boat Photo Center
 Twenty-one views for your enjoyment. They include three of the Bruce D at work with the Mississippi Queen by Jeff Yates; the Rose Marie from Eric M. Johnson; the Issaquena by John Miller; the Steven Joseph, Doug Roberts, Ocie Clark and two each of the Titletown USA and Craig E. Philip from Joe Brown; the John Roberts, Ralphe C. Plagge, and two of the buoy tender Sangamon from Charles A. Perrin; three of the Mv. Vulcan from Brent Maletic; and the Sally Archer with 30 barges from Ed Rahe. They include, also, a good picture of the National Gateway, posted by Dan Owen. Click here to see the latest pictures.
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The Book Beat
New Self-Publishing Book Coming Our announcement about the forthcoming book “$elf-Publish for Profit” (by avoiding the booby traps) has caught the eyes of some observers who wondered what the release-date retail price would be. The retail price will be $19.50 plus S&H. That price will kick in the day the book is released, which give you plenty of time to order a copy at the reduced price. From now until then, as we announced last week, we will offer the book at $15 plus S&H, which represents a $4.50 discount or a 23 percent savings on your money in just two or three months. It is our belief that an author can save himself literally thousands of dollars by avoiding publishing mistakes that many have already made, and we cite cases to prove it. By avoiding difficulties an author can stay in control of his/her own financial destiny by being in charge of the new book from beginning to end. “$elf-publish for Profit” is written by Jack R. Simpson and based upon 50 years of journalism and publishing experience. The book presently is in the hands of the editors. It is expected to go to the printers in a matter of weeks. To reserve your copy of “$elf-Publish for Profit” and save $4.50 just pay for your copy in advance so that when the books arrive, yours will be among the first shipped. You can send a check payable to Little River Books to 2175 Huntington Dr., Florissant, Mo., 63033-1227. The amount should include one $5 S&H fee and $15 for each book you order. You can also phone the author at 314/921-4419 and order by using your MasterCard or Visa. Make sure we know where to send it. Books at Reduced Prices Sometimes publishers increase wholesale prices beyond the limit to which we are willing to go. When that happens, we reduce the prices of the books we have on hand to make them more affordable. Two books we have in mind today are both invaluable sources of information and belong in the library of every serious river historian.  One is “Road To The Sea: The Story of James B. Eads and the Mississippi River” by Florence Dorsey.360 pages. 5 illustrations. Also contains notes and bibliography. Soft cover. 5.5 by 8.5 in. The Mississippi was discovered by Marquette in 1673 and spanned by James B. Eads in 1874. In his prolific career as an inventor intimately linked to the Mississippi, Eads founded diving salvage companies, designed turrets for Civil War ironclads, and—perhaps more spectacularly—built the first bridge that connected the eastern and western halves of the country, previously divided by the Great River. Compiled from voluminous writings and utterances of James B. Eads, from government documents relating to his projects and the many controversies over them, and from magazine and newspaper accounts of his professional and social activities, among other sources, Road To The Sea is a definitive work on James B. Eads and his amazing accomplishments. Usually same-day shipping!
List Price: $40.00 Our Price: $33.00 (2 in stock) You Save: $7.00 (17.5%)  The other is “Master of the Mississippi”, the story of Henry Miller Schreve. 312 pages. 4 illustrations. Soft cover. 8.5 by 5.5 in. Contains bibliography and index. Master of the Mississippi is the story of Henry Miller Schreve, who taught the Mississippi River to fetch and carry for the nation. The book is compiled from letters written by Shreve, journals kept by his father and brother, and letters by members of the Shreve family. It also includes records and descriptions of journeys into the Mississippi, Ohio, and Red River countries, as well as histories of various sections and time periods of the Mississippi Valley. History, legend, and folklore have always been the author’s chief interests, and a long period of research has preceded the publication of Master of the Mississippi. Usually same-day shipping!
List Price: $25.00 Our Price: $22.00 You Save: $3.00 (12%)
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Tow Talkin'
May 29, 2006 By Kathy Flippo  Here it is the end of May and finally the Coast Guard has gotten around to putting a red buoy on the end of the first wing dam above our railroad bridge. I guess the original one went out with the ice but I sure don’t remember for sure, as I just realized a couple months ago that it wasn’t there. The Mv. Scioto came up and set the new buoy.
The Mv. Scioto’s home is the Coast Guard station in Keokuk, Iowa. She was built by Gibbs Corporation of Jacksonville, Florida, in 1962 and is 60- by 21 feet, with a pair of Cat’s providing 750 horsepower. Our regular buoy boat is the Mv. Wyaconda out of the Dubuque Coast Guard station. She’s been up and down our…to continue reading click here. See you on the Web, Jack Little River Books jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com Don't forget to visit our web site! |
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