Museum Ship
In 1968, Inaugural was towed to St. Louis and established as a floating museum. The vessel was designated as a National Historic Landmark on 14 January 1986, as one of two surviving Admirable-class minesweepers used in the Pacific during World War II.
On 1 August 1993, during flooding of the Mississippi River, Inaugural broke loose from her moorings at the Gateway Arch. The ship suffered a breach in her hull, took on water, and rolled on her port side. She sank on the Missouri side of the river, half a mile south of the Poplar Street Bridge. She has since remained in that position, partially submerged.
Plans to salvage the wreck in one piece and restore it were deemed unfeasible. The ship was determined a total loss. Inaugural's Landmark designation was withdrawn on 7 August 2001, because she had ceased to meet the criteria. As of August 2011, she is still sitting where she came to rest and can be seen when the river is at or below average level.
Read more about this topic: USS Inaugural (AM-242)
Famous quotes containing the words museum and/or ship:
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—Hawaiian saying no. 85, ‘lelo No’Eau, collected, translated, and annotated by Mary Kawena Pukui, Bishop Museum Press, Hawaii (1983)
“No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned.... A man in a jail has more room, better food and commonly better company.”
—Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)