THE CAHABA INCIDENT
by Kelly Bennette
Symphonic Band Series
GRADE 3 - Medium Easy
The Cahaba Incident by Kelly Bennette takes the listener through an amazing event that happened on the Tombigbee River.
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In April of 1978, a tugboat named the MV Cahaba was pushing barges on the Tombigbee River in Alabama. The water level was high and the currents were very swift. When the captain blew the horn to alert the lift bridge operator, the bridge began to raise, but was not fast enough as the currents were pushing the boat and barges very fast. The Cahaba released her barges and hit the lift bridge and turned about until her starboard side was against the bridge. The current pushed so hard against the boat that it was sucked under the bridge and pushed through until it emerged on the other side. She came back up with one engine still running with a slight list to port.
The Cahaba Incident chronicles these events. You can even hear in this piece the captain blowing his horn at the bridge operator!
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