Blough article in Lorain Morning Journal today

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Old Sailor

Re: Blough article in Lorain Morning Journal today

Unread post by Old Sailor »

I believe in coincidence but not superstition. I had a fit out of vessel leaving the dock on a friday. I highly regarded superstition held by many crew and officers of our ship as bad luck. As we were only leaving the layup dock and going to the loading dock on the friday, I thought that it was not really the first trip. As I mentioned my concern to the home office of this superstition of the crew, my boss recommended dropping the mooring lines off the dock bollards, Log the departure in the ship's and engine room's Log on the Thursday before, then put the lines back on, and Log as arrival. That should squelch the superstition. Well be left for the fit out dock, which was just across the harbor on friday. Departed the loading dock early on saturday. When we got close to the unloading port a day later. the MG's for the deck winches would not start. The Chief Engineer calls to tell me, the captain, that the reason for the malfunctions was because we left on a friday. Crazy of what?
Guest

Re: Blough article in Lorain Morning Journal today

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I would tend to believe that this ship's career that has now reached 45 years over 5 decades dispels any superstitions of it being a "jinxed ship." Sure it has suffered the occasional incident, including a serious grounding last season, but none that cannot be considered out of the ordinary for a lake ship with as long of a career. The funny thing about most superstitions is that they can be made to fit the circumstances of later events but ignored in other instances. Take for instance the widely reported death of a spectator at the launch of the Edmund Fitzgerald. While this certainly fits into the lore of its subsequent sinking in the minds of many, had it not sank this event would have been a largely forgotten footnote in its history. What about the death of two shipyard workers and the 40 others injured during the premature launch of the Tadoussac (now CSL Tadoussac) in 1969? I have never heard of any rumors of that vessel being jinxed, nor has it seemed to have what could be considered an unlucky career.
Bigboat

Re: Blough article in Lorain Morning Journal today

Unread post by Bigboat »

Superstition is not reality.
Charlie
Posts: 135
Joined: April 19, 2010, 10:32 pm

Re: Blough article in Lorain Morning Journal today

Unread post by Charlie »

As a kid visiting my grandmother in Lorain at the time of the fire, the whole city was hurt and in pain from the fire. Everyone one knew someone that worked at the yard, was a city firefighter or of different company's that came to help.

I don't think any other news even touched the local paper. It's all every one talked about.

the one statement that hit the headlines was someone from the galley that said the boat was jinked, bad omen.

My father worked for a different fleet and he even was worried about anyone that worked on her. worker would not go back on her to gut and repair the engineering department.

It was bad time being there. We cut our visit short because it was not a good time for anyone.

charlie
Old Sailor

Re: Blough article in Lorain Morning Journal today

Unread post by Old Sailor »

I often wonder about a statement my father said after he went to witness the Christening of the Blough at the Amship yard. He said that it took more than one blow of the champagne bottle to break when it was swung against the side of the hull by Mrs. Blough. Then he mentioned that there was old folklore about being bad luck not breaking he bottle on the first try. I was only 14 years old then and now wonder if any witnesses of the event could respond if the bottle breaking was true.
What followed, as they say, was history.
Guest

Re: Blough article in Lorain Morning Journal today

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I found this webpage a few months ago that goes into depth on the fire that occurred aboard the Blough in 1971.

http://www.lorainfire.com/scrapbook/201 ... ger-blough
Ed

Re: Blough article in Lorain Morning Journal today

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Per the ODOT website. The bridge was opened in 1940. The bascule span is 333' and the overall length is 1,052'. According to a retired bridge superintendent, the was concern back in the 1970's as the James R. Barker was being built that the boat was too big to fit thru the bridge. No one apparently thought to take measurements ahead of time and someone had to drop a weighted line from each end of the bridge in the raised position and take measurements to make sure it was wide enough for the boat to fit thru.
Darryl

Re: Blough article in Lorain Morning Journal today

Unread post by Darryl »

With a beam of 105 feet, it would have been very tight going through the Charles Berry Bridge. Was that bridge built before or after the Blough left the shipyard?
Ed

Blough article in Lorain Morning Journal today

Unread post by Ed »

Here is a link to the article about the Roger Blough leaving Lorain 45 years ago today on its first trip.

http://www.morningjournal.com/general-n ... h-turns-45
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