HIGH MISSISSIPPI STRANDS NAVY SHIP IN CAPE

Ferdinand Reid will take another look at the forecasts for the upper Mississippi River today.

"We're hopeful the river will have crested," said the executive officer of the USS Black Hawk, a naval minesweeper that is docked at Cape Girardeau.

The river stage at St. Louis was at 25.4 feet Thursday, too high for the Black Hawk to clear a couple of bridges in the St. Louis area.

The river forecast was in favor of the Black Hawk Thursday, calling for a drop of one-tenth foot Thursday night and another seven-tenths for a 24.6 reading Saturday.

The ship, a 188-foot-long, 36-foot-wide MHC 51 (Osprey) class, docked in Cape Girardeau last week, and was scheduled to embark for St. Louis Thursday.

"We had to wait for a another river outlook Friday," said Reid.

Meanwhile, a pair of racing queens are keeping check on the river at Cape Girardeau, where the Mississippi Queen and the Delta Queen are scheduled to dock Monday in a "break" from the Great Steamboat Race from New Orleans to St. Louis.

The USS Black Hawk is cruising the Mississippi to promote greater awareness of the Navy's capabilities in the land-locked Midwest and serve as a recruiting tool.

"This is the first time the Navy has organized a tour on the Mississippi. We wanted to show off the ship to places that don't normally get to see Navy vessels," said Brad Smith, commanding officer of the ship. "It's also been helpful in recruiting because we can make good, solid contact."

Cape Girardeau is the fifth stop on the Black Hawk tour, which began June 2 in Baton Rouge, La. The ship will go as far north as St. Louis through and then back down the river to New Orleans where the tour will end July 21.

The Mississippi River has risen almost four feet here since the Black Hawk docked last week. The river went from 27.5 to 31.4 feet on the Cape Girardeau gauge. The 31.4-foot river stage Thursday was only six-tenths shy of the flood stage at Cape Girardeau.

The Mississippi here is expected to crest at 33 feet Saturday morning.

The queens will dock at Riverfront Park Monday about 8 a.m.

Four dockings are scheduled here next week, starting Monday with the Mississippi Queen and Delta Queen. Passengers from the two boats will present the annual Captain Foghorn Follies at Courthouse Park Pavilion at 10 a.m. Monday, competing for prizes and the designation of the boat with the most talent.

Two more dockings are scheduled next week. The River Explorer of the River Barge Excursion Line will dock at Riverfront Park about 3 a.m. Wednesday, and on Thursday the American Queen of the Delta Queen Steamboat Co. will make an unscheduled stop at Cape Girardeau from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, the saga of the Black Hawk depends on the river stages at St. Louis.

"With the extra rain we've had this week, we don't know what the situation will be for the St. Louis visit," said Reid. "But right now we cant get into the St. Louis area because of the rising waters."

The Black Hawk can't get under the Jefferson Barracks or Poplar Street bridges.

At one time, crew members of the Black Hawk were considered to provide the color guard for the St. Louis-Cincinnati baseball game Tuesday, but the Navy has made other arrangements.

The Black Hawk, if the river permits, will dock near the Arch in downtown St. Louis, where tours will be given.