The crane was doing a fine job on the Stono River bridge. That is, until it broke. That's right, broke. The crew foreman was quoted as saying, "We was doin' great 'till the crane broke."

If the crane had broke and fell the other way all that would have happened was a big splash, a small tidalwave, and some scared fish. Instead, it hit the bridge. It hit hard too. It tore a hole in it. Closed it down.

"I reckon we oughta close her down afore someone falls in. What with the crane broke an all, we'd have no way to get them out a the river", the foreman told the engineers.

The Stono bridge is one of two ways off the island. It's one of two ways onto the island too. Now there's only one. Being a state maintained bridge it should be repaired and reopened in a year or so. Maybe.

"Can't say as I rightly know to be real honest", the foreman was quoted as saying.

Another problem is that there were boats upriver and the bridge can't be opened. They are stuck there. They have plenty of water, of course, but food might be a problem. Not so much as availability since it is a river and it is full of fish. The problem is bait. The fish aren't going to volunteer to be caught and fried.

Onlookers are getting out of hand. That means the police have to be there to , uh, police the crowd. Softdrink vendors and pickpockets, who are the same people doing the same thing, are making a killing.

Another of the many problems is that to repair the bridge requires a crane. The crane they have is broken. They haven't figured that one out yet. They can't bring in another crane because they only had the one.

"Well, dang, who'd a thought a crane would break? Reckons we got to fix the crane first. Have to study on that a bit", the foreman said.

The people living on the island want to take their chances on driving across. The State Lottery Commission is considering that. They want to work out the odds and the prize. they need the prize large enough to be an incentive but the odds have to be in their favor at the same time. They are going to do a study on it.

"Shoot, I'd be the first one to buy one a them", the foreman said.