36" water main across the river

[digger242j]

Here's a series of pictures of a 36" concrete water main being installed across the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh. The pictures are dated between 8/30 and 9/17, 1963. My father was with the Water Department. At the time I was a month shy of my ninth birthday. He took me to the job one day and I was actually able to go out on the crane barge. Heck, It would be still interesting to be able to go out there today!

The first photo show two cranes, and another barge with a stiffleg derrick. Another barge holds the load of pipe. The sheet piling visible in front of the darker colored crane is where the pipe reaches the riverbank.

 

[digger242j]

Second picture is of the same scene, but from slightly upstream, (or is it downstream?)

 

[digger242j]

Notice that there's no tugboat or anything attached to the barge full of pipe. The lighter colored crane has turned about 90 degrees away from the photographer though.

 

[digger242j]

Pipe is being lowered into the water. The Light colored crane has turned 180 degrees now, and the barge full of pipe is now on the far side of it. Take a close look at the previous photo and you can just make out the cable from the crane, running at an angle to the front of the pipe barge. They were using the crane to tow the barge back and forth.

 

[digger242j]

Previous photos were all taken on 9/10. This one was taken on 9/17. Notice that the pipe barge is almost empty.

 

[digger242j]

A pic of the darker colored crane, taken on 9/17. I'm not sure what it's doing.

 

[digger242j]

The pipe was connected underwater by divers using the old brass helmeted diving suits, with air supplied from the surface. The guy seated in the chair near the top of the ladder is the diver.

Another thing, and I don't know how well it'll show up online--at the time most hardhats were of the full brim type. The guy on the barge, right above the tip of the rowboat appears to be wearing the more modern style most of us favor these days. I hadn't thought about it since the day I was out there, but I remember one guy--he had apparently taken a hammer or pliers or something and removed most of the brim from the sides and back of his hardhat, and left only the part in front. I (and remember, I was only 9), was amazed that a guy would abuse his hardhat like that!

 

[digger242j]

Note the spacious operator's station. I wonder if it had AC and a stereo?

 

[digger242j]

Last one. The guy rowing the boat, that's my old man.

 

[paulsoccodato]

digger, great pics!

 

[liebherr1160]

Yeah ...hey this is a great thread ..much to be seen and learned here .....Awesome pics

 

[alleyoop]

that one crain is asteam pot very cool alley

 

[bear]

Thanks for sharing Digger. Those are nice pics. How much time did you get to spend there?

 

[digger242j]

Oh, it was only a matter of getting to go to work with Dad on occasion. On that job, I think I was only there the one time. But I was a kid and as you can tell, it made a really big impression.

 

[95zIV]

Digger,

In your second picture you can really see the cables from the crane to the side of the barge. The guy in the picture with your dad has a partial brim hat on too.

 

[willie59]

May be using the clam in pic #6, he's got the sand barge next to him. I was wondering if that was a steam unit as well with the big pipe at the rear of it. Cool pics digger.

 

[digger242j]

The guy in the picture with your dad has a partial brim hat on too.

Yeah, he does, doesn't he? Obviously I wasn't there that day, or I'd have been in the boat too. It's funny what snippets of things you really remember from so long ago, and the guy with the self modified hardhat really stands out in my memory.

May be using the clam in pic #6, he's got the sand barge next to him. I was wondering if that was a steam unit as well with the big pipe at the rear of it.

You're probably right, ATCO. I was looking at them again this morning, and noticed that.

There is, or has been, a barge mounted unit that looks real similar to these that's still sometimes seen in the Pittsburgh area. I don't know if it's possible it could be the same one or not. The one I'm thinking of, I'm told, has a big air compressor that runs it now, as the boiler no longer functions.

There used to be a whole lot more of these kind of pictures around my parent's house, but Mom probably tossed most of them out, sometime between Dad's passing and when she sold the house. I looked for them when she was moving, and couldn't find any of them.

 

[pbean]

Neat pics Thanks for sharing

 

[captcws]

Thanks Digger those are really great pictures, I wasn't in the business at that time but did the same thing for about 25 years and was THE DIVER as well as the contractor, great memories!

 

[captcws]

Thanks Digger those are really great pictures, I wasn't in the business at that time but did the same thing for about 25 years and was THE DIVER as well as the contractor, great memories! Nothing like fumbling around in the dark and cold of a river bottom,LOL!:notworthy