[AJ Richardson]

Hey All,

Cap'n Bates recent WWJ article about keeping the wet side down reminded me of a few stories I've read or heard about high water and drastic measures to keep the freight moving. The one I recall most vividly was about the SPRAGUE upbound with loads in a rising river. The boat would not make the vertical clearance at the next bridge, so the captain ordered water pumped in the hull to gain the needed inches to clear the bridge. Was this a more common practice then we would tend to believe? Other stories I remember involve lowering the stacks, whistle, pilothouse gobble-de-gook, to make clearance under bridges. Anyone have any other stories about this. With the Ohio going to flood this weekend in Cincinnati I thought it might be a fun an appropriate topic of discussion. How about the modern towboaters, I know there are stories out there.

Aaron