Weekly News Summary For November 9–15, 2009:
Repairs on the damaged lock gates for the 1,200-foot main chamber of Markland Locks & Dam on the Ohio River will not be completed until April, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman Carol Labashosky announced on November 4.
The main chamber has been closed since a 250-ton miter gate fell into the water September 27. That gate and its pins are now being examined at the bottom of the dewatered lock chamber, and will be lifted from the bottom November 10 for further repairs.
High water could cause further delays. The Ohio River is currently at about 24 feet, and engineers told Kentucky TV station WLWT.com that if it rises a few more feet, the main lock chamber will have to be flooded again to avoid pressure on the bulkhead currently keeping the water out.
A 15-barge tow broke up after apparently striking the McArthur Railroad bridge at Mile 177.5 in downtown St. Louis on October 31 at about 11:30 a.m. Thirteen barges floated free, while one barge became wedged against a pier of the railroad bridge and another sank, according to an October 31 press release by the Coast Guard. The barges had been loaded with coal at a Hall Street loading facility.
The loose coal barges, some of which drifted three or four miles downstream, were rounded up by 1:10 p.m., with the help of local towboats, and tied up along the bank.
One of the barges is wedged against a pier on the railroad bridge on the left descending bank of the river, partially submerged and collecting debris, according to U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Rob McCaskey of Sector Upper Mississippi. The other is on the right descending bank, a hundred feet beyond the bridge, completely submerged but to the right of the navigation channel. Both barges have been marked with lights and flags to warn navigators.
High water and currents have prevented any salvage operation from commencing, but marine salvage firm Okie Moore is monitoring the situation daily, said McCaskey.
The U.S. Coast Guard shut down 111 miles of the Ouachita River to all recreational and commercial traffic, from Mile 221 near the Louisiana and Arkansas border, to Mile 110 near Columbia, La.
The river rose to 46.7 feet in Monroe, more than six feet above the 40-foot flood stage, according to NewsStar.com.
“This is the highest the water level has been on the Ouachita River since 1991,” said Capt. Michael Gardiner, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River, in a November 4 press release.
Tensas Basin executive director John Stringer told NewsStar.com that the Kansas City Southern railroad bridge connecting Monroe and West Monroe couldn’t open to let river traffic through, because its gear box was submerged….
Bill Dyer of Paducah, Ky., 71, former president of Tennessee Valley Towing, died November 5 of cancer.
Dyer was a Paducah river industry stalwart who was always a strong advocate for the inland waterways system, and was respected for his knowledge of navigation regulations and legislation.
The Dyer family’s river history dates back to the early 20th century, when his ancestors operated sternwheel towboats and mussel-shell harvesting boats along the Tennessee River. Bill Dyer went to work on the river in the mid-1950s, working summers on the sternwheel towboat Stanley Petter, transporting mussel shells to button factories in Paducah.
After more than two decades in the family business, he formed Tennessee Valley Towing in 1981….
Blessey Marine Services christened a 2,000 hp. towboat built by Sneed Shipbuilding on October 21, naming it the mv. Wayne T Mosley. The event was a celebration, but less so for the 2,000 hp. boat tied to the New Orleans riverfront than for the life of the boat’s namesake. Most christenings celebrate both the arrival of a new vessel and honor its namesake, but this event was much more geared toward the latter. After all, Capt. Wayne Mosley, an experienced mariner and a 14-year veteran of Blessey Marine, was ill with cancer and the prognosis was bad.
Sadly, Mosley passed away just two days later, but not before being honored by his employer, his colleagues and his friends. Words of admiration, friendship and love were repeated often during the celebration. Following an introduction by Walter Blessey, chairman and chief executive officer of Blessey Marine Services, several friends of Mosley stood at the podium and shared their stories. Capts. Lance Dragon, Wayne Wood, Curtis Christian, Charles Jones, George Mickey and Joe Morrison all spoke of their relationship with Mosley.
Following the words of endearment, Mitch Jones took to the stand. Formerly with Blessey Marine, Jones is now part owner of Sneed Shipbuilding. Sneed Shipbuilding is busy building another boat for Blessey as well as a high pressure barge. Clark Todd, president of Blessey, followed, speaking mainly to Capt. Mosley’s 10-year-old son, Seth. Todd, the father of a young son himself, complimented Capt. Mosley and his wife Sarah for doing a fine job as parents. Seth’s manners are a reflection of his parents’ character, said Todd.
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