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3. Marine News - cont'd. Yet another marine institution has come to a sudden end in 1994. Just last issue, we mentioned how pleased we were that the Erie Navigation Company's cement-carrying, barge canal motorship DAY PECKINPAUGH was in service again this year, and we expressed the hope that she would remain in operation, on her run from Oswego to Rome, New York, for many years. Unfortunately, h o w ever, that issue of "Scanner" was not even in the hands of our members when word came that the PECKINPAUGH was being retired from the route she had served for Erie since 1962. In fact, the PECKINPAUGH sailed from Oswego on Sunday, September 4th, with her last cargo of cement for Rome and returned, light, on the 6th. Local residents turned out in force all along the route to observe the final passages of this, the last of the canal barges in ser vice and the last commercial freight vessel operating on the New York State canal system. DAY PECKINPAUGH made her historic last voyage under the command of longtime master, Capt. Olav Kaldefoss. On Wednesday, September 7th, he headed the PECKINPAUGH out of Oswego, bound for Erie Navigation's home port of Erie, Pennsylvania, where the ship will be held until it is decided what is to become of her. The retirement of the PECKINPAUGH has been caused not by any problem with the ship herself, but simply because the cement that formed her cargoes can be transported from Oswego to Rome much more economically by trucks. While naturally we would hope that some active trade might be found for the 73year-old vessel, we doubt that such will be the case. It would be most a p propriate indeed if a way could be found to preserve the PECKINPAUGH somewhere along the canals that she was built to run, and on which she served so well for almost three-quarters of a century. In the Mid-Summer issue, while speaking of the new livery adopted by the ships of the fleet of the Oglebay Norton Company, we indicated that we were not aware of the river-class self-unloaders PAUL THAYER or WILLIAM R. ROESCH having operated during 1994. Several members have written to correct our r e port, confirming that both vessels have been very much in service throughout the season. We regret this inadvertent error. Last issue, we reported details of some of the numerous marine accidents that have taken place in the St. Mary's River and vicinity in 1994. Not long after those words appeared in print, however, yet another serious grounding occurred. At about 3: 30 a. m. on Sunday, September 11th, the Liberian-regis tered salty DOCEGULF, downbound with a cargo of barley, missed the turn above the Rock Cut in the West Neebish Channel and ran aground only 100 yards from the Neebish Island ferry dock on the Barbeau side of the channel. DOCEGULF buried her bow eight feet deep in the muddy river bottom, and at least 150 feet of the ship's length was mired in the muck. The Purvis Marine Ltd. tug ANGLIAN LADY was dispatched to the scene with the lightering barge PML SALVAGER, and the barge began to clam barley out of the stranded vessel's forward section. At first, no downbound traffic was allowed to pass the wreck site, causing eleven ships to go to anchor from Lake Nicolet as far upstream as Waiska Bay in the upper river, but these vessels were cleared past the scene on Monday, September 12. Smaller ships were sent past the wreck first, and only after it was confirmed that their passage did not disturb DOCEGULF or PML SALVAGER, were the large ROGER BLOUGH, STEWART J. CORT and EDWIN H. GOTT allowed to use the Rock Cut. Purvis tugs were finally able to refloat DOCEGULF during the afternoon of Tuesday, September 13th. The Northwestern Michigan College Great Lakes Maritime Academy has acquired a boat which will be used for the active training of the Academy's deck and engine students. She is named NORTHWESTERN, and she arrived at Traverse City, Michigan, on her delivery voyage from Baltimore on September 19th. The 80-foot boat is a former U . S. Navy training vessel and latterly was used as a mine hunter. Operation and maintenance costs of NORTHWESTERN will be paid through special grants from the U . S. Maritime Administration, which will own the boat for three years until she is officially transferred into the ownership of the Academy.