Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 February 1908 — BUMPS A HOLE IN ITS STERN, [ARTICLE]

BUMPS A HOLE IN ITS STERN,

Monticello Journal: The big Sternberg dredge, working on what is know as the Eli Hoagland ditch, now about three antToneT half miles • southeast of Monon, sank in 16 feet of water Sunday morning but is now good as new and it will soon be in operation again. The ditch behind the dredge was frozen over with a six-inch crust of ice which extended back to the starting place of the dredge, a distance of about two miles. In order to clean up or rather go back and dig out any loose sand which might have caved or run back in the ditch, it was endeavored to back the dredge against this heavy ice. The dredge was backed a distance of about 200 feet and the crews then went to the cabins for dinner. When they returned the dredge was found setting on the bottom of the ditch, the rear< end of the boat in about 16 feet of water. The ice had cut two holes in the rear end of the boat, each 3 feet in length and not over 8 inches in width, through the 8 inch timber of which the hull was constructed. The ice acted upon the heavy lumber as a knife against paper, cutting the holes aB neat and smooth as if a carpenter had done the job with a view to neatness. The holes were temporarly patched and the water was pumped out of the hull of the boat within a very few hours. The dredge, which has been known as the Rankin dredge, is the largest in Indiana and the loss to C. H. Sternberg & Sons through lost time and damage done to the boat was considerable.