Elwell Ferry
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Elwell Ferry is a cable ferry located on the Cape Fear River in Bladen County, North Carolina, USA. The ferry connects the communities of Kelly, North Carolina and Carver's Creek, North Carolina. The ferry is operated by a contractor for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The ferry is on Elwell Ferry Road between NC Highway 53 and NC Highway 87. It is one of three remaining cable ferries left in operation in North Carolina. The others are the Parker's Ferry and Sans Souci Ferry.
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[edit] History
The ferry first started in 1905 by the Russ family [1] . As there were no bridges crossing the river at the time nearby, the family approached Bladen County officials and were granted authority to operate a ferry on the river[1]. Operation of the ferry is done by the North Carolina Department of Transportation since the 1930s[citation needed]. The ferry is not considered part of the state ferry system which operates ferries along the immediate North Carolina coast[citation needed]. The NC cable ferries are considered inland ferries and are operated by regional DOT divisional offices instead of the North Carloina DOT Ferry Division.
[edit] Operations
The ferry differs from most ferries in that it is literally driven, or one could say guided, by a steel cable that is stretched across the river. The cable is secured on each end of the river by steel posts and as the ferry crosses the river, the force of the boat, with the help of rollers on the side of the boat, pulls the normally submerged cable out of the water. The cable is permanently secured to the ferry and prevents the boat from straying off course in normal river currents. The ferry only carries two cars at its maximum and does not operate in high water conditions or storms for the threat of the cable snapping in treacherous conditions is too great. Persons wanting to ride the ferry that happen to be on the opposite side of the river than the ferry must blow their horn to summon the ferry. The ferry is free of charge. The ferry operates almost everyday except in days of bad weather or high water.
[edit] The Ferry
As with most cable ferries the early ferry was originally made of wood. The ferry is now a steel barge-like vessel. Off to one side of the boat is an "engine room" where the operator sits and controls the boat's engine, which actually sits outside beside the room. The ferry is powered by a diesel engine. The operator must know when to let off the throttle, since the ferry has no brakes] or onboard steering device. Since 1967 the ferry has been a steel vessel.
[edit] Disaster
Still a mystery to this day is what happened on March 1, 1942. On the morning of that day the ferry exploded killing the ferryman, who was expecting to retire in the summer. With increased Nazi U-Boat activity off the North Carolina coast, many believe that German soldiers sneaked up the river during the night and planted explosives on the boat. That theory was never confirmed and investigators believe that something sparked gasoline vapors in the hull of the boat. It may never be known what caused the explosion.
[edit] Slipping Vehicles
Several cars and trucks have slipped out of gear and fallen into the river in the history of the ferry. Since the requirement of using wheel chucks the threat has been almost eliminated. The problem seemed to be worse with vehicles with manual transmissions.
[edit] Deaths
Only four deaths have been reported at the ferry since 1942. In 1967 two men committed suicide by jumping off the ferry and in 1994 two men were killed trying to push an oversize vehicle on to the ferry.
[edit] Replacement
Many have worried over the years that the ferry might be replaced by a bridge. DOT officials have constantly said that the ferry will likely never be replaced with a bridge since a bridge over this river would cost millions of dollars in an already stretched state budget. The road that the ferry serves is also considered a secondary road which carries mainly local traffic and probably would not warrant the justification of building a multi million dollar bridge.
