The Steelton is now the C-T-C #1.
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| Kristine Schneider posted Battered front end of the Steelton, after she took out the Port Robinson Bridge on the Welland Canal on August 25, 1974. From my dads pics. Aulden LeBlanc: What shipping Co. owned this vessel? Kristine Schneider It's a bit confusing...https://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/ctcno1.htm |
Kristine Schneider posted three photos with the comment: "Let's Play Bridge. The demise of Bridge 12, The Port Robinson Bridge, after being hit on August 25, 1974, the 600-foot (180 m) ore carrier Steelton. The east tower of the bridge toppled over, while the west tower collapsed in on itself. The bridge span was pushed into the water, severely deformed. The damage to the bridge was estimated as between $15 and $20 million. It was scrapped in its entirety. Photos taken by my dad. I transferred them from slides."
[The comments have a couple of photos of C-T-C #1 by the grain elevator. "heard something about titling issues leaves her in a neverending legal limbo"]
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Wendy Lindberg posted four photos with the comment:
Someone mentioned the ship that hit the bridge in port Robinson in 1974. I have these pictures from it. Not my picturesPosted by….. Captain Alain M. Gindroz it occurred in fog and a miscommunication between the ship and bridge led to this incident. No one was drunk.after this incident all bridges were fitted with radar to exactly determine the location of the approaching ship.
[Some comments confuse this allision with the 2001 Allision with the Allanburg Bridge.]
Alain M. Gindroz: Jonnelle Lake, it occurred in fog and a miscommunication between the ship and bridge led to this incident. No one was drunk.
After this incident all bridges were fitted with radar to exactly determine the location of the approaching ship.
Carl Burkett: Ship was at fault. It passed the limit approach before the bridge was fully raised. In other words, it went through a red light.
Janey Anderson: Alain M. Gindroz thanks Captain Alain - now less end the conjecture on this post.
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After it was fixed.
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| Fred Miller II posted CTC #1, at South Chicago, 1988, while still being used as a storage hull, the former STEELTON, also sailed in 1979 as PIONEER for Cleveland Cliffs. Kyle Herdman: Jacob Northup she was sold for scrap a couple of years ago. Somehow, she’s still there. John Philbin: Probably too ripe to get USCG approval to tow her to a scrapyard. |
I found some more details: "Observers have been wondering how such an accident could possibly occur. Vertical lift bridges on the Welland are equipped with traffic control lights; a red light shows when the bridge is down, a flashing light while the bridge is going up or down, and a green light when the span is fully raised. Seaway regulations provide that a ship may approach a bridge no closer than the Limit of Approach sign (a considerable distance back up the canal) until such time as the green light shows on the bridge. In addition, if a bridge has not begun to rise when a ship passes an even more distant "Whistle" sign on the shore, then the ship is to sound her whistle or establish radio contact to ensure that the bridge will open. A recent press release from the Seaway Authority has indicated that there did not appear to be any mechanical fault with the bridge, but that STEELTON appears to have disregarded both the Whistle and Limit of Approach warnings." [MaritimeHistoryOfTheGreatLakes] Bby 1976 it was decided to start a ferry service. Currently, the ferry service serves only pedestrians and bikers. I wonder if it initially handled vehicles.
Christopher Corey Robinson posted eight photos with the comment: ""
The Port Robinson Ferry ServicesPort Robinson is a small community in the southernmost part of Thorold, Ontario, Canada. The community is divided in half by the Welland Canal, as there is no bridge in the immediate vicinity to connect the two halves of the community. In the summer, a small free ferry for pedestrians and cyclists runs across the canal. In the winter, residents must use the bridge on Highway 20, which results in a 13.3 km (8.3 mi) trip to get to the other side.Bridge St in Port Robinson was originally linked by a vertical lift bridge, numbered as Bridge 12 by the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority.On August 25, 1974, the 600-foot ore carrier Steelton, travelling northbound on the canal, struck and destroyed the bridge.From Wikipedia
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| Brock University A swing bridge over the third Welland canal in Port Robinson, ca. 1914, showing a vessel being towed The fourth Welland Canal was built in 1931 through the community of Port Robinson. As part of that construction, Bridge #12, a lift bridge, was built to connect the two parts of Port Robinson. "The bridge was destroyed and was not rebuilt. A small ferry service was organized to connect the east and west sides of the community, currently known as Bridge-It. Although the destruction of the bridge changed the nature of this small community, many have embraced the change and enjoy the tranquil nature of Port Robinson." |
Port Robinson "was once one of the most populous and bustling little communities in Niagara during the shipbuilding heyday of the early 1800s. was once one of the most populous and bustling little communities in Niagara during the shipbuilding heyday of the early 1800s." [ThoroldToday]
It is interesting that the span did not buckle. I assume that they are designed to withstand gravity, but not lateral forces except for wind. It was the towers that failed. On the right we see the bottom of the east tower, which fell over. The west tower crumpled. The bridgemaster, who was in the control house on top of the span, had an exciting "ride." He was slightly injured.
In the foreground we can clearly see the tower that fell over.
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| Provided by Brock University, Source: Roberta Styran fonds, RG 544, 11.37 Port Robinson bridge after the freighter Steelton struck it, August 25, 1974 Also, the Niagara Falls Public Library via ThoroldToday |
In the foreground we can clearly see the tower that fell over.
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| Provided by Brock University, Source: Orville (Jimmie) Manson fonds, RG 614 Port Robinson bridge the day after the collision with a freighter, August 26, 1974 |
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Kevin Cole posted two photos with the comment: "Two pictures I took in 1974 of the Port Robinson bridge on/in the Welland Canal. The Steelton struck the bridge and destroyed it, shutting down shipping traffic for a couple of weeks and vehicular traffic forever. The bridge was never replaced. The ship went back to Port Colborne for repairs."
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When I saw a ferry service on the map, I was surprised because there are bridges just a mile north and south of this crossing. Then I learned that the "Bridge-it" ferry carries pedestrians and bikes instead of cars.
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| Screenshot @ 0:20 |
This reminds me that one of the advantages of making things handicap accessible is that it also accommodates strollers. After our twins were born, my wife learned where the handicapped accessible entrances were to buildings because we had a side-by-side stroller for the twins. When she realized that our post office didn't have one, she filled out a complaint that a federal building does not comply with a federal law. It took a while, but they did install a ramp for the entrance. But by that time our twins had outgrown their stroller. However, I'm sure others have benefitted from the ramp.
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| ThoroldTourism |
The ferry is part of two "loop" bike paths in the Niagara Falls region.
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| ThoroldTourism-8 |
A photo of another lift bridge on the canal shows what this one used to look like.
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| Google search result for NiagaraWellandCanal |
The 300-ton counterweights was one of the challenges for clearing the canal.
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| nflibrary, D417445 Photograph Raising sections of the Port Robinson Bridge over the Welland River |
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| Ken Morrison commented on Kristine's post The Steelton today, now known as CTC1... |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Ken's comment So that is the ship docked next to the unused Illinois International Port grain elevator on the Calumet River in Chicago, IL. https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4... |
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| CarlzBoats This blog post describes Hercules, the crane that helped clear the wreckage, and he has a link to a blog post about the Steelton. |
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| 2:40 video @ 0:37, cropped [We can see part of the mangled tower on this side of the span. You can't even see a tower when it pans to the other shore.] |
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