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Where the Ohio Begins
Kodak EasyShare Z981. Looking under the Fort Duquesne Bridge at river traffic at the head of the Ohio, with recreational boats and a barge train.
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The Towboat M. J. Monahan
The towboat M. J. Monahan pushes a big train of coal barges up the Mon. Yes, “towboat” is the correct name for such boats on American rivers, even though they obviously push.
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Barge Train on the Mon
Father Pitt took this picture in November of 2000 from the Smithfield Street Bridge.
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Early-Morning Skyline
A new day dawns in the city. Below, with bonus coal barge.
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Barge Train on the Mon
Click on the picture to enlarge it. The Monongahela is still very much a working river, and barge trains like this are a common sight. This one is empty and going upstream. Somewhere up there these barges will be filled with coal and come back downstream with their loads.
The boat that pushes the barges from behind is called, defying common sense, a towboat (corrected from “tug,” thanks to the helpful comment of a kind reader). Working on the barge trains is a dangerous business, but river culture has its own romance, with strong traditions passed on through the generations that most of us who spend our days on dry land know nothing about.
