Out of the Frying Pan

Adventures of Elwood & Mike - Part 2

Just when you thought you heard it all (you asked for it!)

The Adventures of Elwood & Mike PART 2 yep!

Well, we will start this off by going back to the Ohio River for a little more description of our playground. Back in the 30’s, the Ohio River breached its banks, destroying properties, homes, and took with it quite a few lives. So after the waters receded, the town decided they needed a flood wall.

And what a beauty it is – at the top of the embankment stands this Great Wall of Ohio, seven feet into the ground, eighteen feet tall, two feet thick, reinforced steel and concrete with one huge flood gate system made of solid steel. The gate stayed open all the time except when they needed to test it and do general maintenance. The wall even had a boat ramp, a picnic area, and bathrooms.

Yes sir, they were proud of their wall and didn’t like anyone messing with it, either.

One day, Elwood and I were walking on the top of the wall... What?!

If they didn’t want us up there on the top, then they shouldn’t have put built-in rungs like a ladder up the side! As I was saying, we were walking on the flood wall toward the Ironton Russell Bridge, when we came upon what everyone called the guard shack. It was a small building, about 25’ x 25’ and inside was a Park Ranger that monitored a ham radio so if there was a problem with the bridge or in the water around the bridge, he could contact the proper authorities and be there as quick as a flash himself.

One interesting feature of this building was that there were no windows, except a real small one in the bathroom. I wondered back then, if the Park Ranger was supposed to guard the bridge, how did he see out, duh.

The guard shack was situated right below where the bridge made a sharp turn. From up high on that wall, as we approached the building, we noticed people on the bridge and heard the sound of sirens coming. That was when we saw it – someone had remodeled the building. Sticking out of the roof of the guard shack was the backside of a car. It was an older car, sedan type. Wasn’t sure what make because the front was somewhere inside the building. Luckily no one was seriously hurt, but the driver had a broken nose and collar bone and was knocked out. For the people inside the building, the only damage was to their shorts.

Elwood and I sat down on the wall to watch the show. We had a great view, police everywhere, fire trucks, even a crane to pull the car out of the guard shack roof. Finally a police officer came over below where we were sitting and Elwood hollered down and asked the officer what had happened. He told us he didn’t know for sure, but he did know that the Kentucky police were chasing the guy who was in the car. Then it must have struck him that we were sitting on top of the city’s beloved wall because he snapped at us, “What are you two doing up there?”

Elwood, with his quick wit answered, “Our dad put us up here, he’s a volunteer, he’s over there somewhere.”

The officer said, “Okay, but be careful not to fall off,” and went back to join the commotion. Now I know the officer had a lot on his mind, but how tall would our dad have to be to put us up there?

We sat there on that wall and watched until it was over. They pulled the car out of the roof and barricaded the part of the bridge where the car had missed that sharp turn, crashed through the guardrail, and sailed right into the top of the guard shack. They even had a guy already up there cutting and rewelding. It was getting kind of late and the fun seemed to be over, so we started heading home, each our separate ways.

And then something dawned on me about the bridge itself.

Instead of going home, I went to the library. What I found out that day would send Elwood and I on quite an adventure, one more dangerous than most of our adventures.

I’ll be back tomorrow to share what I found.