Bridge Lowered On Lady Washington

PASCO

The masts and rigging of the tall ship Lady Washington were damaged when a railroad bridge on the Columbia River was lowered on top of the tall ship.

"The ship was within 50 feet of the bridge when they heard the bridge whistle blow, and they were unable to stop in time," said Tori Kovach, chairman of the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport in Aberdeen.

"The masts and rigging are a tangled mess, but no one was hurt," he said.

The ship was on a goodwill, fundraising voyage on the Columbia River. It returned to Pasco after the accident.

The Lady Washington is a 112-foot replica of a tall ship that sailed from Boston to the Northwest more than 200 years ago. The original was the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe and the first American ship to visit Japan.