Witness describes barge sinking in Chicago River Posted on October 17, 2014 by Chicago 1 Chicago Chicago News & Search 1 News - 1 eMovies - 1 eMusic - 1 eBooks - 1 Search Search for: John Madsen was watching the construction site from the Lake Street bridge over the Chicago River when he heard a loud, metallic snap. Within minutes, the barge was under water. 1 Chicago Chicago News & Search 1 News - 1 eMovies - 1 eMusic - 1 eBooks - 1 Search Search for: