Thank you, sir. It's a natural.
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/news/nation/9306322.htm
Posted on Tue, Aug. 03, 2004
Runaway Barge Sinks in Mississippi River
JIM SUHR
Associated Press
ST. LOUIS - A runaway grain barge hit one of the Mississippi River's busiest crossings and sank, forcing the Coast Guard to close a two-mile stretch of the river Monday while the agency decided how to deal with the submerged vessel.
The barge was among 15 that broke away late Sunday from a towboat and floated down the river, with an unknown number hitting the Poplar Street Bridge, the Coast Guard said.
Highway officials later determined that the bridge, which carries three interstates across the river, was safe and it was never closed, officials said.
Five other towboats rounded up the remaining 14 barges, the Coast Guard said. There were no injuries.
The Coast Guard reopened the river to northbound traffic late Monday. Officials expect to allow southbound traffic to use the channel during daylight hours only on Tuesday.
By Monday morning, crews pinpointed the sunken barge on the Missouri side of the river and marked the location with a lighted orange-and-white buoy. It could take days for a salvage crew to set up a crane to retrieve the barge, Coast Guard Lt. Bill Clark said.
The Coast Guard sent test tows through the channel Monday to ensure that it was passable. The agency said only one tow at a time will be allowed to pass.
The Poplar Street Bridge is the largest in St. Louis and one of the nation's busiest Mississippi River crossings, carrying more than 120,000 vehicles a day.