LIMITED RIVER TRAFFIC RESUMES; GUARDSMEN AND COAST GUARD PULL OUT SOME PERSONNEL

For the first time since it was closed in early July, the Mississippi River was opened Sunday afternoon for limited commercial use between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill., but on a highly restricted basis.

U.S. Coast Guard officials in St. Louis and Paducah, Ky., reopened the river after running five groups of barges four downstream and one upstream to test the waters of the still swollen river.

Two towboats pushing 12 barges each passed through Cape Girardeau Sunday afternoon on their way to Cairo, Ill.

"It was a highly controlled test," said Petty Officer Don Hall, public information officer for the Commander Coast Guard Forces in Paducah, Ky. "There were Coast Guard officials on the barges which headed south from St. Louis on Saturday."

Barges will be allowed to travel only downriver through the channel between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill. Vessels which are cleared to transit must adhere to several restrictions, including size, speed and cargo.

Northbound commercial traffic will be allowed in the St. Louis area between East Alton, Ill., and the Jefferson Barracks Bridge.

Restricted northbound traffic on the rest of the river could resume as early as today.

News of the opening was a sign of hope for the more than 2,200 fleeted barges moored in the Ohio River from Metropolis to Cairo and on the Mississippi River from Cairo to Hickman, Ky. They have been stranded for nearly two months.

"The sheer number of barges waiting to move north gives us an indication of the kind of river traffic we'll face when it reopens," Hall said. "Barge traffic will require continued management for at least another several weeks."

Coast Guard officials will continue discussions on river conditions today in St. Louis.

In Cape Girardeau, Coast Guard officials bid a fond farewell to the residents of Allenville Sunday, leaving behind a symbol of their affection for the city.

During the worst of the flood, the city of Allenville was completely cut off from the rest of Cape Girardeau County by floodwaters. Coast Guardsmen made daily trips into the area, bringing relief supplies and checking on residents.

Late last week, floodwaters receded enough to safely reopen county roads leading in and out of Allenville.

"We got pretty attached to the residents of Allenville," said Coast Guard Chief Ed Schafer. "They're good people."

To show their appreciation for the warm reception they received from Allenville residents, Coast Guardsmen stationed in Cape Girardeau "dropped in" at the city hall to present residents with a flag.

"It was kind of our way of saying goodbye and good luck," Schafer said.

In turn, residents of Allenville presented Coast Guard members with a montage of clippings from local newspapers and photographs to commemorate their stay in the area.

Schafer said he was unsure when Coast Guard forces will be pulled out of the area completely.

"I'm not really looking forward to leaving," Schafer said. "There's a lot of good people here."

The Illinois National Guard's Southern Task Force the Anna-Jonesboro contingent is scheduled to move out of the area today.

Area residents wishing to wave goodbye can do so at the Choate Mental Health Center in Anna, Ill., between 8 and 9 a.m. today, or along the convoy route shortly thereafter.

The Guard convoy will be escorted by members of the Anna police and the Union County Sheriff's Department along Main Street to the Anna four-way stop. The convoy will then turn east on Route 146 and proceed to Illinois 57 north.

At the height of the flood-fighting activities, close to 300 Guardsmen were stationed in Anna.

Lt. Colonel Phil McKenna, current commander of the unit, expressed his personal thanks Sunday to residents of Union and Alexander counties for making his troops feel welcome in the area.

"Southern Illinois hospitality, including hundreds of peach pies and cobblers, cookies, cakes, barbecue and smiles, made flood-fighting stresses more bearable," McKenna said. "It also made new friendships that must now part."