THEBES RAILROAD BRIDGE WITHSTANDS MANY HITS

THEBES, Ill. -- The Thebes railroad bridge across the Mississippi River was called the "steel marvel" when it opened in 1905.

The 3,807-foot structure became a boon to north Scott County, but it proved to be a treacherous obstacle to towboats, especially those heading downstream in high water.

The exact date that the first river vessel struck one of the span's piers isn't known, but one historian said it probably happened during its construction.

The bridge, considered an engineering feat when it was built, has withstood floods, tornadoes and numerous hits by steamboats and towboats since its dedication on May 25, 1905. The latest accident came Tuesday when a 20-barge tow smacked a pier, sinking three barges and damaging three others. It forced closure of a five-mile stretch of river downstream from Thebes. The Coast Guard reopened the river Wednesday morning after all of the barges that sank had been located.

At that point, more than 40 tows were awaiting word to pass. Southbound traffic, one tow at a time, was permitted through first, with northbound traffic following.

Officials say it appears high, swift water -- not a towboat pilots' strike -- was to blame for the accident and one Monday night at Alton, Ill., when a towboat struck a wall at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam. Both pilots were properly licensed by the Coast Guard.

Four towboats have been involved in accidents along the Mississippi between Missouri and Illinois since Friday. A towboat with 15 barges struck a railroad bridge near Hannibal, Mo., on Friday, and on Saturday more than 2,300 people were rescued from the President casino on the Admiral at St. Louis after it was knocked loose by runaway barges. The Thebes accident involved the southbound towboat Peter Fanchi.

The Mississippi is slightly above flood stage and running fast, said Coast Guard Lt. Tom Tarrants at Paducah, Ky. He said a preliminary review indicated the towboat's pilot could not have prevented the accident. "It just looks like he got caught up in strong currents and couldn't correct," said Tarrants.

Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Billy Powell of the Paducah office said the pilot had more than 10 years of experience. A piece of driftwood caught in the rudder, creating a steering problem, he said.

Coast Guard officials say the bridge passage can be treacherous to southbound towboats because current pushes tows sideways toward the right side of the river. As a result, towboats use their engines at nearly full power to maintain the right speed and overcome the current.

C.W. "Woody" Rushing of Cape Girardeau, a retired pilot who has navigated towboats through the area many times, said of downstream tows: "By the time you get around Gray's Point you're looking at the bridge. The current is not pushing you through the bridge, it's pushing you at an angle to the bridge. If you're not careful, your front barge will hit the left pier toward the Illinois side. And if you miss that one your back barges may hit the right pier."

Rushing said the big difference at the Cape Girardeau bridge a short distance upstream is that the current pushes a tow through the bridge. "But at Thebes the current is pushing you at an angle," he said.

In March 1993 two tows struck the bridge within a 24-hour period. Strong currents and brisk winds are believed to have caused the accidents, which closed the Mississippi to traffic for several hours.

In December 1992, a 25-barge tow struck a bridge pier. One of the barges overturned and sank in about 60 feet of water 1,000 feet south of the bridge. Three others floated downstream toward Commerce and were recovered. The river was closed to traffic several hours.