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Article summary by Gary Polson RBBI
Stevedores began unloading 3,000 long tons of corn from the bow of the Bright Field Sunday, the first step to moving the freighter. A crane from the Cooper/T Smith stevedoring firm scouped up the grain from the forward Number 1 hold and dumped it on a nearby barge. (see photo)
The Coast Guard hopes to be able to re-float the vessel by removing 3,000 of the 7,000 long tons of corn in the forward hold, one of seven on the ship, Lt. Cmdr. Doug Blakemore of the Coast Guard said.
As the grain is removed, the ships ballast tanks are being filled with water to avoid undermining the support the ship may be giving the wharf. The corn is being removed because water ballast can be removed much faster. "When we decide to move the vessel, we want ot be able to do it quickly." Blackemore said.
The grain unloading should be completed today (Dec. 23) and a decision on when to move the freighter should be made by Friday," Blakemore said. He also said, "It's seaworthy enough to move to another location in the port."
A minor shifiting of the Riverwalk earlier Sunday did not delay the operation. Workers in the building were evacuated for about an hour when it was discoverd that a support beam inside the building near Cafe Du Monde had shifted slightly about 11am. Workers were allowed back in the building when it was determined the problem was not serious.
Inspectors from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took samples of the grain to see if it had become contaminated. Tests will be completed today.
Dauphin (RBBI Note - from the article it is unclear who Dauphin is) said both the freighter and the cargo are likely to wind up in Japan. "I just don't know whether they'll go together," he said.
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