Garbage scow
A garbage scow is a large watercraft used to transport refuse and garbage across waterways. It is often in the form of a barge which is towed or otherwise moved by means of tugboats, however many are also self-propelled They are most common on large, coastal cities, such as New York City[1], who may transport collected trash to neighboring ports for disposal or, at time, even illegally dumping the payload at sea.
At times, garbage scows have been used to secretly transport illegal narcotics. In 1948, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported a major bust of narcotics smugglers by United States customs guards and NYC police, with city sanitation workers searching through 20 tons of garbage on a scow in New York Harbor to search for over $1 million in drugs concealed there.[1]
In another case, during the era of prohibition, a garbage scow (also in New York) was used to smuggle 1000 cases of liquor from New York's "rum row".[2]
References
- ^ a b "Hunt for Narcotics Worth $1,500,000 on Garbage Scow". Milwaukee Journal. June 26, 1948. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
- ^ "Garbage Scow Carries Booze". San Jose Evening News. Jul;y 30, 1930. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
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