Exactly 50 years ago today…
January 27, 1956 – The rotting hulk of the old ship Jose Gaspar catches fire in the Hillsborough River near the Hillsborough Avenue Bridge, apparently from flames spread from the torch of a welder who had been cutting metal from the ship’s superstructure.
Courtesy of the Tampa Bay History Center
David Dowling
3 years ago
I walked up on Hillsborough Ave bridge and took B/W pixs of it.. Had piece of the old wood at one time but it’s gone by the way side now.. After the fire a steel hull vessel was purchased I believe.. The boat docked for a long time down at the foot of Platt St. bridge..