News

LST's visit to Henry canceled

Posted August 31, 2007 11:00 pm

Gary L. Smith and Frank Radosevich II

Continuing flood levels on the Illinois River have forced Landing Ship Tank 325 to cancel its scheduled trip to Henry, ship captain Robert Jornlin said Friday.

As a result, the small Marshall County community will forfeit both the satisfaction of seeing some hard work rewarded and also the economic benefits that might have resulted from a visit of the World War II vessel.

"It's devastating to us," said Tom Davis, a local businessman and City Council member who has co-chaired the Henry LST committee.

But the ship will remain open for tours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Peoria at least through Monday, said co-chairman Bill Greek. He emphasized that Henry's disappointment should not deter the LST's mission of educating about those ships and that era.

"We urge everyone that was planning on coming to Henry to drive the other 30 miles and seize the opportunity to see that ship," Greek said.

A previous schedule had called for the LST to steam upriver Sunday and be open for tours in Henry on Monday and Tuesday. But after consulting with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Peoria Park District, Jornlin said the water level will still prevent the ship from passing beneath railroad and highway bridges.

"It's one of these really crazy things because you shouldn't get a flood this time of year," Jornlin said. "I thought I wouldn't have enough water."

Heavy and fast-moving rains that pounded northern Illinois last week caused bloated creeks and streams to feed Illinois River basins, pushing the water level at Peoria above flood stage.

High water levels farther south where the Illinois dumps into the Mississippi also have slowed currents along the river, leading to a slower recession of flood waters than earlier expected, said Greek.

"We have to bite the bullet. It's just not going down fast enough," Greek said.

The ship's trip to Henry had been planned largely because local LST veteran Lee Hofer had led efforts to raise some $10,000 for the LST's original preservation and restoration, Jornlin said earlier in the week. Hofer expressed disappointment about an earlier delay but could not be immediately reached Friday.

"They built this whole trip around Henry because of what (Hofer and others) did earlier," Greek pointed out.

It's hard to calculate the precise economic impact of losing the ship's visit, Davis said, but it had been expected to attract perhaps 10,000 people. It also was seen as an attraction that would lure first-time visitors who might later come back for other reasons.

"It's very difficult to measure the impact. What would 10,000 people spend in Henry?" he said. "The major impact will be in the long term."

Jornlin, a Vietnam-era Navy veteran from Earlville in LaSalle County,

said the vessel's stop in Peoria has been quite successful. He estimated Friday afternoon nearly 21,000 people have toured the ship since it opened to the public here Aug. 21.

One reason the floating museum needs to leave as close as possible to its original schedule is because of commitments elsewhere, Jornlin has said. But the actual departure time will depend on river conditions.

"I'll only take off when it's safe to take off," Jornlin said. "You can't control it."

For more information on scheduling in Peoria, call 689-3019.

Reach Journal Star reporter Gary L. Smith at (309) 686-3041 or state@pjstar.com and Frank Radosevich II at (309) 686-3142 or fradosevich@pjstar.com.

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