Sunken Ferry Barge at Erie, Pa must move by March 1

[Jeff Thoreson]

From Sunday's Erie Times-News:

Lansdowne's time running out
 
By SARAH HOFIUS
[email protected]
 
In 45 days, the Lansdowne must be gone.

If the rusty vessel is still on the floor of Presque Isle Bay on March 1, the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority could call in a salvage company and then sue the boat's owners for the cost, said Ray Schreckengost, executive director of the Port Authority.

The 324-foot Lansdowne, which was once planned as a floating restaurant, has been sitting on the bottom of the bay at the Sassafras Street Pier since Dec. 25.

The boat's owner, Specialty Restaurants of Anaheim, Calif., has until March 1 -- a deadline that was set before the sinking -- to move the Lansdowne because of the ongoing construction of the bayfront convention center. Specialty pays the Port Authority $1,000 a month rent to dock the boat.

Lakeshore Towing Services had worked for nearly two weeks to raise the vessel, but the damage to the barge was too severe to be repaired with initial attempts.

Schreckengost said he doesn't think the Port Authority will have to sue Specialty, but if it comes to that, the Port Authority would call in a salvage company, get money for what's on board and then sue for the net cost.

He said the two railroad cars on the deck are worth $200,000 each and the scrap metal and steam engine are worth $500,000 to $600,000.

Railroad enthusiasts from across the country have shown interest in preserving the historical railroad cars, and there have been efforts to buy them from Specialty and put them in a museum.

Schreckengost said he has no regrets about letting Specialty dock the Lansdowne at the pier since 1999, even with the current situation, adding, "We're a port, we have vessels docked at our dock."

He also dismissed the idea that the Lansdowne would be an eyesore for another month and a half until it is moved.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Schreckengost said.

Dennis Stahl, a lawyer for Specialty, said the company had no comment on the Lansdowne, other than "We're still seeking to recover it."

The Lansdowne hasn't interrupted the construction of the convention center, said Casey Wells, the executive director of the Erie County Convention Center Authority.

"We're keeping an eye on it,"Wells said.

Wells said even if a salvage company has to access the Lansdowne, they can do so by barge so it would not disrupt convention center construction.

Eric Guerrein, president of Lakeshore Towing Services, said he's in the process of putting together a few proposals for bringing the Lansdowne afloat for Specialty Restaurants.

"Really, in the end it's all up to Specialty Restaurants,"Guerrein said.

The proposals will include solutions such as building a dam around the entire boat and then pumping water out of it, or using airbags to try to lift the barge.