BARGE MISHAPS CLOSE THE CHANNEL; TOWBOATS STRIKE BRIDGE AT THEBES

THEBES, Ill. -- A river near flood stage, strong currents and brisk winds are believed to have caused two barge accidents that closed the Mississippi River channel for several hours both Saturday and Sunday.

Two towboats, each pushing more than 20 barges, struck the Thebes railroad bridge in separate accidents, dislodging several barges and sinking two.

Sunday afternoon, salvage crews worked to round up loose barges after a southbound towboat pushing 29 barges struck the bridge pier. A barge carrying coal sunk to the bottom of the channel.

As the loose barges drifted down river, some came to rest on dikes and sandbars about a mile and a half downstream from the bridge. Salvage crews chased after others, running them ashore with towboats.

A spokesman for the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Paducah said the tow collided with the bridge about 5:45 p.m. Sunday, causing several barges to break loose. By 7:45, salvage workers had closed the channel from mile 40 to mile 45 of the Upper Mississippi River.

At 6:10 p.m. Sunday, the original safety zone closing of the river was canceled but a new one was put in its place because the current was so strong, the spokesman said.

The Coast Guard will allow northbound ships to pass, but southbound vessels will not be given the green light until more of the barges are cleared from the channel and the current slows.

"The current is pushing the barges into the bridge," the Coast Guard spokesman said.

Salvage crews determined that the second sunken barge is 37 feet below the surface, and poses no immediate threat to passing ships.

Crews pushed the scattered barges up on sandbars and on dikes Sunday, clearing passage for northbound boats. The Coast Guard said it will be several days before all of the barges are cleared from the river.

"We have to determine whether or not the barges were damaged when they ran ashore," the spokesman said. "The water's too high right now to determine much of anything."

The other accident occurred at 2 p.m. Saturday, when another southbound towboat pushing 25 barges struck the bridge. Twenty-one of the barges broke loose and scattered down river.

A barge carrying stone sank shortly after the impact. Workers had managed to clear most of the runaway barges before the second towboat struck the bridge.

Crews still hope to recover both sunken vessels when the river stage drops. Neither tugboat was pushing any hazardous materials.

"(Extrication of sunken vessels) is a real complicated process; it could take days," the spokesman said. "We can't do anything until the river stage drops."

The bridge sustained no visible damage from either collision and was being used by trains Sunday afternoon.

The Thebes railroad bridge has been the scene of numerous barge accidents since it was built at the turn of the century.

On Dec. 22, 1992, a barge loaded with corn struck the bridge pier and sank in 60 feet of water about 1,000 feet downstream.

Officials have said the bridge passage can be treacherous to southbound towboats because the swift current pushes the barge sideways toward the right descending side of the river and bridge pier. As a result, towboats use their engines at nearly full power to maintain the right speed - around 12 knots - to overcome the swift current as the barge tow passes under the bridge.