DELTA QUEEN

The stern-wheel riverboat Delta Queen travels the Ohio and Kanawha rivers. She occasionally stops in Point Pleasant. In this view she is going up the Kanawha between Point Pleasant and Charleston.

Bridge Across the Ohio

The bridge seen in the distance is across the Ohio River immediately downstream from the mouth of the Kanawha. The bridge was hurriedly constructed after the collapse of the Silver Bridge. The Silver Bridge collapsed December 15,1967 while packed with vehicles of Christmas shoppers and travelers on U.S. Route 35. Forty-six people lost their lives in this tragedy which still haunts Point Pleasant. Thirty-seven vehicles were on the bridge when it collapsed.

The construction of the old bridge was unique and used an eye-bar much like a bicycle chain. Cause of the failure was attributed to failure of an eyebar that had weakened as a result of corrosion. Because of the collaspe of this bridge, the President ordered that all bridges be inspected for corrosion. An example of this eye-bar can be seen at a rest area across the Ohio River near where the bridge once stood.

It was named the "Silver Bridge" because it was the first silver-painted bridge in the country.

Collapse of the Silver Bridge was dramatized in the movie "Mothman Prophecies." In the movie the bridge took much longer to drop than it did in 1967.

Wildlife on the Ohio River

Mason County owes its existence to the Ohio and Kanawha rivers. The Kanawha River bisects the county. Early settlers arrived here from northern states such as Pennsylvania and from the east across the Appalachians from"Old" Virginia by constructing rafts made of logs, loading their possessions and animals on board and floated down the rivers until they reached this place. In the above picture can be seen a flock of geese pausing on a log in the Ohio River. Many waterfowl migrate the length of this river.¨ Some species no longer migrate but hang around here all year.

Also seen in the background is a towboat pushing a tow of barges loaded with coal destined for one of the many electrical power plants along the river. Power plants are situated along the river, as the river is a supply line of coal from the coalfields in the mountains of West Virginia.