From a secret CIA mission to clearing the Baltimore bridge — meet 'Chessy' the crane
![Left: The Glomar Explorer in 1975. Right: The Chesapeake 1000 crane in 2024.](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2024/04/04/two-images-92e1d47358e84fa4ed1fbe73cdf332f359be4af3.jpg)
There aren't many cranes that have a storied history like the Chesapeake 1000 — nicknamed "Chessy" — which has been brought in to clear Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge.
![](https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=1242887913)