 Photos by Gigi Pilcher - Text by Dick Kauffman June 22, 2003
The main body of divers of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stationed at Fort Shafter, Hawaii arrived in Ketchikan on May 3, 2003. According to information provided by one of the divers, the team was only able to raise the barge approximately one foot from the bottom of the Narrows. He said the barge was a rusted piece of metal and would spring leaks when air was pumped into the chambers. Each time they soldered a metal plate over a weak rusted area that had sprung a leak and began pumping air again, another leak would appear. The effort was discontinued on Wednesday, June 18th, after it was determined that in order to raise the barge, the whole bottom of the barge would have to be refitted with new metal plating.
Photo by Gigi Pilcher - Wednesday, June 18, 2003  Photo by Gigi Pilcher - Wednesday, June 18, 2003  Photo by Gigi Pilcher - Wednesday, June 18, 2003  Making final preparations for leaving Ketchikan on Thursday, June 19th... Photo by Gigi Pilcher - Wednesday, June 18, 2003  Making final preparations for leaving Ketchikan on Thursday, June 19th... Photo by Gigi Pilcher - Wednesday, June 18, 2003  Photo by Gigi Pilcher - Wednesday, June 18, 2003  Photo by Gigi Pilcher - Wednesday, June 18, 2003 Related Feature Story:
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