Published: September 04, 2008 01:39 pm         

Rebuilding a playground

Fire destroys hours of hard work and dedication

DELPHI — Hours of hard work were destroyed when a playground canal boat was set on fire early Sunday at Canal Park in Delphi.

The boat nearly burned to the ground. The bow, side stairs and a yellow plastic slide were the only parts to remain after the fire was extinguished.

The 14-foot wide by 72-foot long canal boat was nearly finished, needing only some bright colored-paint and shutters added to its walls.

Wabash and Erie Canal Association President Dan McCain said insurance representatives were scheduled to look over the boat today. He said the group planned to clear away the ashes on Friday morning.

The playground was a project the group of volunteers had been excited to finish after six months of hard work.

Most of the workers are retired. On average, five to 10 people show up to work three mornings a week.

“That gave us a lot strength and energy,” he said. “That’s how the boat got here.”

The volunteers worked on the boat in 20-foot sections, starting with the front.

“It’s like a big magnet,” McCain said before the boat had been vandalized. “It draws kids and adults. They will play on it for hours.”

During construction, McCain said, many children and adults had stopped by to check on the boat’s progress.

The boat was in front of the museum and was surrounded by pieces of blue recycled tires resembling water.

Inside the boat, there were hideaways and runways. Monkey bars, two plastic slides and a spy glass were also installed to add a variety of activities.

McCain called the boat “a lot of fun.”

“It was a lot of fun to build, too,” he said.

The boat offered visitors a vision of what an 1850s canal boat looked like.

“You leave the 2000s and go back to the 1850s,” he said.

The organization takes pride in everything it has done at the park, McCain said.

Volunteers are also working on completing a mule barn. Construction has already begun and should be finished before winter. The other current project is a floating canal boat, which received a grant to help construction.

The fire is a setback, McCain said, but he hopes the community will be able to rebuild the boat even better than before.

Denise Massie can be reached at (574) 732-5151 or via e-mail at denise.massie@pharostribune.com



Want to help?

Donations may be mailed to Wabash and Erie Canal Inc., 50 Redwood Court, Lafayette IN 47905. The telephone number is (765) 564-6572.