# Shipwreck in Western Kentucky



## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

Yep right here in Western Kentucky.  We had a shipwreck.  Took out two spans of a bridge known as the Eggner's Ferry Bridge.  An important bridge in this area.  This puppy was already past Daveman and headed in my direction!


Here's the slideshow:
ttp://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/Photo-Gallery-Eggners-Ferry-Bridge-collapse--138200619.html?gallery=y&img=1&c=y


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

I guess the captain didn't understand about river stages.


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## Mr. H. (Jan 27, 2012)

Good thing there weren't cars on that bridge.


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

Mr. H. said:


> Good thing there weren't cars on that bridge.



Yeah, it happened at night, and fortunately, the cars that came along saw that the sections were missing and were able to stop in time.  They have checked the water for signs that cars went in, but they most likely would have hit the ship at least on one side.  

This is one of the bridges that goes into Land Between the Lakes.  It crosses the Tennessee River which in its swollen state above the dam in Kentucky Lake.  I live on the lake to the south of where this happened.  

At first, the news reports said it had not been confirmed that the rockets the ship is carrying were actually intended for NASA, but I think that has been verified now.  At least that's what they are telling us!


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## Sarah G (Jan 27, 2012)

Holy crap, that is one sturdy ship.


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## The Infidel (Jan 27, 2012)

Sunshine said:


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Could you imagine driving along and coming to that scene??? 

That is a big fear of mine when crossing big bridges.

What a huge mess.


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

Sarah G said:


> Holy crap, that is one sturdy ship.



Yeah, with all that steel and asphalt lying on it.  It has been through here and under that bridge before. Safely.  Don't know what happened.  The captain must have just not realized what stage the river was.  That's all I can think.  

The Tennessee River is a very entertaining river.  It is a commercial river in addition to being a recreational lake. I see tugboats and barges, paddle wheelers, you name it.  I love the river.  There are two kinds of people in the world.  River people, and everybody else!


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## Sarah G (Jan 27, 2012)

The Infidel said:


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That one picture where the road was cut off is a real nightmare.  Sheesh.


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

Here is a pic someone posted on Facebook of the same ship going safely under the bridge at an earlier time.  Look at the smaller boats in front of it!   Those would be just your usual run abouts!


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

Sarah G said:


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Yeah.  My daughter was at Murray State University when someone torched an 8 story dorm there.  She used to have to cross this bridge to go from Nashville where we lived at the time to school.  After seeing people jumping out of that burning building, she developed a fear of heights and this particular bridge was a problem for her.  And has been ever since.  I sent her an email with the story, but she hasn't answered yet.


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

The Infidel said:


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No, I really can't.  It was by the grace of God that no one drove off it.


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)




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## Sarah G (Jan 27, 2012)

Sunshine said:


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Poor thing.


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

My brother will probably fly over it this weekend.  If I didn't have the lung problem, I'd ask to go.  But I don't think I can fly in a non pressurized plane without getting into trouble.


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## alan1 (Jan 27, 2012)

Sunshine said:


> Sarah G said:
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[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzbLYqxX-Ss]LOTR The Return of the King - Extended Edition - The Finding of the Ring Part 1 - YouTube[/ame]


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

MountainMan said:


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LOL.  There is a legend that there is a cave somewhere in the river I grew up on, which is Clark's River, that has treasure in it dating back to Civil War times.


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## Rat in the Hat (Jan 27, 2012)

Shipwreck...







Not a shipwreck....


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

*Idiot*:  Rat in the Hat  
Vote for the sleazy Rat
Member #23063


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

Details on the cargo ship that hit the bridge:

Details on cargo ship that hit Eggner's Ferry Bridge | WPSD Local 6 - News, Sports, Weather - Paducah KY | Local


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## Rat in the Hat (Jan 27, 2012)

Sunshine said:


> Details on the cargo ship that hit the bridge:
> 
> Details on cargo ship that hit Eggner's Ferry Bridge | WPSD Local 6 - News, Sports, Weather - Paducah KY | Local



Your own link says it is not a shipwreck, moron.


> No fuel tank ruptures or major structural damage reported, and even though the ship is stationary now, it is capable of moving.


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

Rat in the Hat said:


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I see no words that say it was not a shipwreck.  Just because it is capable of moving doesn't mean there wasn't a wreck.  Imbecile.


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

This will have a devastating effect on those who use that bridge every day.  Not to mention the economy of the area, as LBL is where a lot of our campgrounds are located.  

Daveman hasn't weighed in.  His internet may be down because of this.  it has been down in several places all day due to this wreck.


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## Rat in the Hat (Jan 27, 2012)

Sunshine said:


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Look at the picture I posted, imbecette.

The ship is pristine, it's the bridge that's a wreck.

Your thread would have been correct if you titled it "Bridgewreck in Western Kentucky".


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

Rat in the Hat said:


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The ship cannot be 'pristine' with thousands of pounds of steel and asphalt lying over its bow.






I posted one picture earlier of the ship going through at another time with good clearance.  Try to keep up.


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## alan1 (Jan 27, 2012)

Haha, this shipwreck thing reminded me of something that happened way back in high school.

Me and a buddy were out one night trying to pick up girls and we happened upon a group of four gals that looked like they were trying to get picked up.
So we approach them, and my buddy says, "Hello Dreamboat".  Well, the least attractive gal of the group replies, "Hi, Captain".  Now, my friend ain't the sharpest knife in the drawer, and he wasn't interested in her, so he answers, "I wasn't talking to you, Shipwreck."  
I think she slapped him so hard his firstborn felt it 4 years later.


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## Rat in the Hat (Jan 27, 2012)

Sunshine said:


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Pull the scrap off with a Manitowoc, and it will be on it's way in hours. It may need a few gallons of paint on it's next heavy check, but that's all.

Considering that all ships need painting every year, and yes, that ship is pristine.

It really sucks that KY builds such cheap bridges, but that's the way it goes.


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## percysunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

Sunshine said:


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It is a cow catcher. Lots of trains have them.

ummm ... maybe it is a manatee catcher...


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

MountainMan said:


> Haha, this shipwreck thing reminded me of something that happened way back in high school.
> 
> Me and a buddy were out one night trying to pick up girls and we happened upon a group of four gals that looked like they were trying to get picked up.
> So we approach them, and my buddy says, "Hello Dreamboat".  Well, the least attractive gal of the group replies, "Hi, Captain".  Now, my friend ain't the sharpest knife in the drawer, and he wasn't interested in her, so he answers, "I wasn't talking to you, Shipwreck."
> I think she slapped him so hard his firstborn felt it 4 years later.



Good for her!


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## Rat in the Hat (Jan 27, 2012)

Rat in the Hat said:


> Shipwreck...
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By the way, isn't it amazing how Kentucky's cheap-ass bridge seems to be made from an erector set?


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## Sunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

One more:


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## Baruch Menachem (Jan 27, 2012)

One of the weirder images of the St. Helens explosion is a bunch of houses coming down the Toutle  River and taking out a bridge.


YOu can say that bridge was a home wrecker.


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## percysunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

Sunshine said:


> One more:





Does Kentucky have an Italian community?

Naw....


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## Rat in the Hat (Jan 27, 2012)

Gee, Daddy, I built a bridge. Can I sell it to Kentucky?


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## percysunshine (Jan 27, 2012)

Rat in the Hat said:


> Gee, Daddy, I built a bridge. Can I sell it to Kentucky?



"If the bridge is part of a federal stimulus to nowhere..well, yes son."


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## violet (Jan 27, 2012)

sunshine said:


> yep right here in western kentucky.  We had a shipwreck.  Took out two spans of a bridge known as the eggner's ferry bridge.  An important bridge in this area.  This puppy was already past daveman and headed in my direction!
> 
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> Here's the slideshow:
> Ttp://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/photo-gallery-eggners-ferry-bridge-collapse--138200619.html?gallery=y&img=1&c=y



ooopsie!


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## Big Fitz (Jan 28, 2012)

The captain's gonna be in trouble I think.  If you look at the picture of the ship passing through safely, she's got either enough cargo or ballast to give her a much deeper draft.  You look at the accident pics, and she's riding like she's empty as a bath tub toy, which is what I was thinking when I saw it the first time.  She's drawing what?  5 feet of water? When the earlier pick showed she must have been drawing at least 10-12.  I'm not sure, but I know it's a huge difference.  At the very least, they should have flooded the ballast tanks if they knew, at flood stage (which the captain should also have been aware) you gotta draw deeper.


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## Sunshine (Jan 28, 2012)

percysunshine said:


> The captain's gonna be in trouble I think.  If you look at the picture of the ship passing through safely, she's got either enough cargo or ballast to give her a much deeper draft.  You look at the accident pics, and she's riding like she's empty as a bath tub toy, which is what I was thinking when I saw it the first time.  She's drawing what?  5 feet of water? When the earlier pick showed she must have been drawing at least 10-12.  I'm not sure, but I know it's a huge difference.  At the very least, they should have flooded the ballast tanks if they knew, at flood stage (which the captain should also have been aware) you gotta draw deeper.



 At this point we can only guess why he didn't take more precautions.  But my guess is that most people don't realize that our rivers here can be swollen in January.  They think of swollen rivers with the spring rains.  But there are a variety of factors, not just rainfall, that determine how high the water is going to be.


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## percysunshine (Jan 28, 2012)

Sunshine said:


> percysunshine said:
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> > The captain's gonna be in trouble I think.  If you look at the picture of the ship passing through safely, she's got either enough cargo or ballast to give her a much deeper draft.  You look at the accident pics, and she's riding like she's empty as a bath tub toy, which is what I was thinking when I saw it the first time.  She's drawing what?  5 feet of water? When the earlier pick showed she must have been drawing at least 10-12.  I'm not sure, but I know it's a huge difference.  At the very least, they should have flooded the ballast tanks if they knew, at flood stage (which the captain should also have been aware) you gotta draw deeper.
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Unfortunately, I am not a Scottish Braveheart Warrior. Alas, I am only a pig sunning himself in a lawn chair somewhere in the tropics.


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## Sunshine (Jan 28, 2012)

percysunshine said:


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The bridge is over the Tennessee River. It leads to Land Between the Lakes, a federal recreation area.  But more than that it is used by people who commute from one county to another to work.  Those people will now be driving an extra 2 - 3 hours a day to get around this mess.

LBL is a recreation area that is very important to this area's economy and has been for several years now.  The bridges over the TN and Cumberland rivers are important to the tourism industry not just because of the campgrounds in LBL.  What most people don't know is that for 50 years since the feds took that land away from families who had owned it for years to make a 'recreation area' and wildlife preserve, they agreed not to develop it commercially.  So, if campers want to eat out and not cook in their camps they have to cross one or the other of those bridges to get to a restaurant and there are some decent ones in the area.  The ones across the Cumberland would be OK, but the ones which people would get to by crossing this particular bridge may lose a fair amount of business this summer.

Land Between The Lakes


There actually used to be a ferry there, thus the name Eggner's Ferry Bridge.  Ferries still operated on the Mississippi down around Dyersburg TN until just recently.  I am wondering if they might not just open a ferry there until the bridge is repaired or replaced.  It was slated to be replaced, but the work had not yet begun.  And if there was a start date already chosen, I am not aware of it.


I don't know if the bridge is state or federally owned.  But the two highway routes it shares are US 68 and State 80.


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## Mr. H. (Jan 28, 2012)

The legend lives on from from Western Kentucky on down 
Of the big bridge they call Eggner's Ferry 
The river, it is said, never gives up for dead
When the skies of January turn gloomy...


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## Big Fitz (Jan 28, 2012)

Mr. H. said:


> The legend lives on from from Western Kentucky on down
> Of the big bridge they call Eggner's Ferry
> The river, it is said, never gives up for dead
> When the skies of January turn gloomy...


I resemble that parody...


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## Colin (Jan 28, 2012)

Sunshine said:


> Yep right here in Western Kentucky.  We had a shipwreck.  Took out two spans of a bridge known as the Eggner's Ferry Bridge.  An important bridge in this area.  This puppy was already past Daveman and headed in my direction!
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> Here's the slideshow:
> ttp://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/Photo-Gallery-Eggners-Ferry-Bridge-collapse--138200619.html?gallery=y&img=1&c=y



The captain is in for a pasting now that the ship has hit the span!


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## Sunshine (Jan 28, 2012)

Colin said:


> Sunshine said:
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> ...



Yep. And likely the comany he works for too.  I don't know how much they can get out of just due to the fact that the bridge was already slated to be replaced, though.   I'm sure they will give it a try.


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## Colin (Jan 28, 2012)

Sunshine said:


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Yes. As I said, the ship has really hit the span now.


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## violet (Jan 28, 2012)

If there is big boat traffic on that river why did they put in a permanent structure? We are subject to tides where I live and most bridges are Draw Bridges or tower so high above the water it isn't a problem. One of our biggest bridge problems here is on land. A couple times a year some truck driver tries to drive his 18 wheeler under a train tressel or bridge that doesn't have the clearence and rips his rig open like a can of sardines. There are signs posted but for some reason the truck drivers either don't read them or don't believe them.


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## Sunshine (Jan 28, 2012)

violet said:


> If there is big boat traffic on that river why did they put in a permanent structure? We are subject to tides where I live and most bridges are Draw Bridges or tower so high above the water it isn't a problem. One of our biggest bridge problems here is on land. A couple times a year some truck driver tries to drive his 18 wheeler under a train tressel or bridge that doesn't have the clearence and rips his rig open like a can of sardines. There are signs posted but for some reason the truck drivers either don't read them or don't believe them.



Back when they built Barkley Dam in the 60s, they 'raised' both of the bridges to allow taller boats to pass underneath.

Just because a river is a commercial river doesn't mean that there can't be any bridges.  At the time these were built there wasn't anything much on the rivers but tugboats and barges.   An effort has been made to accommodate the larger vessels, but the people who use them need to use a little common sense.


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## Ringel05 (Jan 28, 2012)

Colin said:


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Grooooaaaaannnnnnnn................. Bad pun.  Bad bad pun........


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## Colin (Jan 28, 2012)

Ringel05 said:


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Do you always use anagramatical code for your invites to the pub? ...*Ban nap...add pub bud.*


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