ON THE GULF OF MEXICO (AP) - A 100-ton concrete-and-steel box has plunged toward a blown-out well at the bottom of the sea in a first-of-its-kind attempt to stop most of the gushing crude fouling the Gulf of Mexico. The quest took on added urgency as oil reached several barrier islands off the Louisiana coast, many of them fragile animal habitats. Several birds were spotted diving into the oily, pinkish-brown water, and dead jellyfish washed up on the uninhabited islands.
Meanwhile, a radar image showed that oil was extending west to fishing areas around the Mississippi Delta. The image, taken Wednesday night by a Canadian satellite, showed an extension resembling a finger reaching out from the main patch, imaging expert Hans Graber of the University of Miami said Friday.
