[youtube]INxDOT2ZYl0[/youtube]
For most people this is one of those YouTube videos that’s simply too much to believe. For me, it’s a part of my local heritage. You see, I live right alongside the Welland Canal, “where the ships climb the mountain.”  Too bad it’s motto isn’t “where the ships kick bridges @#$%s.”
Not too worry — despite the all-engulfing fire, nobody was hurt. Turns out it was the result of a sleepy (I think that’s PR code for drunk, but who can say for sure) bridge operator lowering the bridge too early.
Ever have anything horrific like this happen in your neck of the woods?
Hey Jim! If you want to see the remnants of that ship it’s down here at Lock 1 tied up along the Dry Docks! They aren’t sure what they are going to do with it yet…. I remember that happening. My father has some great pictures of “the morning after”.
Oh man. I remember hearing about that but I had never watched the video before, thanks. I remember hearing the story as the operator was not scheduled to work that night and had indeed been drinking on his time off. Someone cancelled their shift last minute and he was called in, still tipsy. Couldn’t say for sure if that’s the true story, could be just a local rumour.
I remember this crash and went to see it the next day. They were still putting out the fire.
JIM is this your video footage?? I as well live along the welland canal. Of course not on the side where the footage came from because THERE ARE NO HOUSES THERE!!!
Holy shit .. his ship loves a bridge 😉
I really wonder how this can happen ^^
It did happen in my neck of the woods. Back in 1974 a ship called the Steelton knocked the Port Robinson lift bridge into oblivion about 400 yards from my bedroom window.
Bridge 11 in Allanburg still survives, but Bridge 12 in Port Robinson is long gone.
@Dallas — not my footage. Also, I use the term “live right alongside the Welland Canal” pretty loosely. All I meant was that I’m in a city it runs through.
Haven’t seen it happen, but I can tell you that a local bridge between Valleyfield and Ormstown (Quebec, just west of Montreal) has been closed numerous times due to boats crashing into it. Once in the 80’s it was closed for 6+ months for repairs due to the impact. More recently I believe it happened again in 2006…closed the bridge for a couple of months again.