After the remaining contents of the sunken barge were emptied onto another barge using a clamshell crane, the recovery of the sunken barge entered a new phase last week. Apparently, the attempt to patch it was unsuccessful or more gaping holes were discovered below the waterline. Our Glasco correspondent Dock S. was on the scene at Magdalen Island to check out the barge recovery effort turned scrap-metal salvage. He sent photos with this note:
“Remember the old Dave Clark Five song “Bits & Pieces”? Patch job unsuccessful. That’s a sharpened I-beam [shown in the photos suspended from the crane]. They’ll be at it for a couple of days. For the tug fans, that’s the Sarah Ann, crane barge is Newark Bay, hopper barge is Witte, & the victim is was the Tim.”
Well, they’ve been at it for a week now aside from Memorial Day holiday, repeatedly dropping the I-beam for hours each day to bust apart the barge. The bits and pieces are scooped up to be hauled away.