shocked

  Woke up this morning to the news that the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore collapsed after a container ship crashed into one of the supports. That news has dominated the news as well it should. Few details are known at this time. I'm assuming the Pilot was aboard the ship. If that is the case one would have to think something happened to the steering gear system aboard that vessel. Steering gear is something I am quite familiar with due to my naval career. I was an engineer and am well aware of how all that operates. Still hard me to fathom that it would happen and cause the ship to be that off-course. You can't turn quickly and so your heading shouldn't be at the support system for the bridge but rather in the center of the channel. But no details are known at this time.

 There has been a loss of life with people driving vehicles on that bridge and as I understand it there were maintenance workers on the bridge as well. Everyone on the ship appears to be ok. Beyond the immediate tragic events the impact on the port of Baltimore will be far reaching. Baltimore is a major shipping port both incoming and outgoing. That channel will not be clear for traffic for quite some time I would imagine. Another bridge will have to be designed and built. That won't happen quickly either. This will have a long-term impact.

 This is one of those events that will be remembered for a very long time. I usually write about something that is on my mind or something I remember. This morning my thoughts are filled with this tragic event. It is difficult to imagine a bridge of that size collapsing in that fashion. That is something you see in war movies not on social media. And that is where I first saw that, on a web camera. There are several videos of that happening in real time. My thoughts are filled with the magnitude of it all. All we can do is offer our prayers for everyone. I'm in shock. No other way to describe my feelings.