After watching the inauguration at Trinity Church, I walked with a friend along the River. Gelberman, an 85′ debris collection vessel operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers, crunched her way along an ice flow near North Cove. Now a question: anyone know where “Mereczowszczyzna” is and how it relates to this post? (I cannot pronounce the mystery location.)
Gelberman chronological vitals: built at Dravo SteelShip in Arkansas in 1980. Later, that shipyard, now closed, was purchased by J. B. Hunt. ?!?! The stuff on the internet boggles my mind. Below is Gelberman southbound in the Arthur Kill last Friday, the day I took the other snowy fotos.
March 2008 I caught Gelberman in dry dock, getting a new
wheel. Who was Gelberman? Answer below.
He was Chief of the Operations Division of the US Army Corps of Engineers, NY District, a civil engineer, a graduate of Vanderbilt University. Deceased 1973.
Thanks to Lemming for identifying a foto from almost a year ago as USACE survey vessel Dobrin; a search for more info on Dobrin led me to this USACE design center site.
Oh, Mereczowszczyzna is the birthplace of Tadeusz Kościuszko, honored by statues and place names in West Point and many other places, arguably founder of the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Speaking of debris, here’s what a 1000 tons of lumber washing overboard looks like.
All fotos by Will Van Dorp.
tugster: a waterblog 
8 comments
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January 23, 2009 at 10:11 am
bowsprite
hey, Sixth Boro Sleuth and Punster! Very nice photos!!! Now I see: it is a GOOD thing they name bridges after famous people, for how else would I have known the name Kościuszko? Two ships have been named for him: SS Kościuszko, and ORP Generał Tadeusz Kościuszko (a former United States Navy frigate that was transferred to Poland).
Thank YOU, thanks Wikipedia!
January 23, 2009 at 10:35 am
Mage Bailey
Oh, I had the time this morning to follow all your links. Fascinating stuff.
January 24, 2009 at 8:28 am
tugster
thanks to john brown for sending the comment that included a link to the NYTimes whatzit2? story. as i read the paper, i found the Times also wanted to submit their own gelberman foto. here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/24/nyregion/24river.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion bravo to the NYTimes for running sixth boro stories. may they continue!
October 23, 2009 at 11:26 am
junk in the harbor « Bowsprite: A New York Harbor Sketchbook
[…] ACOE vessel responded (rather sure it was the Gelberman.) […]
February 23, 2010 at 10:23 pm
Mike
mereczowszczyzna is in Poland (didn’t see anything on here stating where it is).
My daughter is doing a Historical report on Tadeusz Kościuszko currently (gives oral report tomorrow to school). Was hoping to find out how to pronounce the city prior to her report but not finding much luck 😦
Wonder why we never heard of him when we were going to school. This guy is fascinating and probably one of the most important people to America and it’s future.
Oh well, that’s American schools for ya.
February 23, 2010 at 10:45 pm
tugster
according to my favorite polish speaker . . . mereczowszczyzna . . pronounced sounds a bit like “marriage of shiv chesnut” . . . just say it fast.
January 17, 2013 at 3:40 pm
hsradkid
thanks tugster!! I’m doing a report on Thaddeus and I think that your explanation is as close as I’m going to get to the real thing!
January 17, 2013 at 3:44 pm
tugster
you might try quizzing your audience on how they think to pronounce “mereczowszczyzna” before you utter yr masterful version . . . .