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All images copyright SHAWN J. DAKE, 2007
Dake's Passages:
Shawn Dake files this log from DELTA QUEEN: Page One
LOG OF THE STEAMBOAT DELTA QUEEN,
ALONG SOUTHERN RIVERSBy SHAWN J. DAKE
The DELTA QUEEN is a symbol of America. That rather grand opening statement does not overstate the singular importance of this wonderful old riverboat. The last authentic wooden-structure steamboat, carrying overnight passengers, rightfully deserves her place as a National Historic Landmark, a designation which she has held since 1989. However, superlatives about her significance and longevity, as the DELTA QUEEN approaches her 81st birthday, tell only part of the story. The nearly universal sentiment among both passengers and crew is that being aboard the DELTA QUEEN is like being part of a family. The boat feels like home with its comfortable surroundings of wood, brass, stained glass and antique furnishings. If you have ever had the good fortune to fall in love at first sight, that is the feeling that comes over you in the first moments aboard. With some initial trepidation you come across the landing stage onto the bow, enter through a pair of old oak doors highlighted by the letters "D" and "Q" in stained glass and up a wood and brass staircase into a world in which you would love to stay for as long as is possible. Forever, perhaps? In the space of a few steps, you have left the world of the 21st Century with all its worry and uncertainty, and gone back in time to 1927. And it is a peaceful and cozy place to be.
DAY ONE, OCTOBER 8, 2007, NASHVILLE TENNESSE, CUMBERLAND RIVER
Stairway to Heaven, DELTA QUEEN's forward staircase.
My story of the DELTA QUEEN begins on a very hot, autumn day in Nashville, Tennessee. Across the Cumberland River is the massive fortress of LP Field, home of the Tennessee Titans football team. On the near shore, just below a log replica of historic Fort Nashborough and the skyscrapers of modern Nashville, rests a diminutive steamboat.
The old and new meet in downtown Nashville.
My first impression of the DELTA QUEEN is that she is much smaller than expected. In comparison to the cruise ships that I'm used to, she is downright tiny. With the paddlewheel included, the DELTA QUEEN is 285 feet long. The distance across her cambered decks is 60 feet. With a shallow draft of just 9 feet, and a flat bottom, the steamer is able to navigate several of the smaller American rivers, as we will be doing on this voyage. Today, the gross registered tonnage is recorded at 3,360, but prior to the addition in 1990 of a new, wider, outer hull around the original steel, her gross tonnage was only 1,650 tons. Original net tonnage was 589. Once settled in onboard, the size of the boat seems to grow, just as her ambiance grows on you as well. Embarkation is a smooth, painless process, consisting of simply showing a picture identification. The cruise ticket is handed in at the purser's office, where a quick photo is snapped and a cruise card issued along with your dining table assignment. Rather than wait on a dock, passengers are allowed to come aboard beginning at noon and relax in the lounges or enjoy a light buffet lunch until their staterooms are available at 3pm. Urns of lemonade and ice tea were a welcome refreshment after the heat outside. While most passengers chose to strike up easy conversations with newfound friends, I decided to explore the vessel I had waited so long to see.
The Grand Staircase is the impressive centerpiece of the DELTA QUEEN.
The Purser's Office retains its completely original 1927 look.
Pat Taylor behind the original notions counter, runs the gift shop, in what once was the barber shop.
An original dining room door moved a few yards into the gift Shop.
In 1927, this area was the dining room. Today it contains Deluxe Staterooms and the forward part of the Betty Blake Library.
The magnificent grand staircase connecting the Forward Cabin Lounge with the Texas Lounge has always been the focal point of the boat. Brass fronted steps, wooden walls and banisters, filigreed railings, overhung by a crystal chandelier all vie for the eye's attention. At the sweeping base of the stairs, the completely original purser's office occupies the port side, while to starboard is the gift shop and counter, which once served as a barber shop. Just aft, in what was the original dining room and social hall, the central area is now known as the Betty Blake Library. Along the sides are 22 deluxe staterooms, each bearing the name of a state in addition to the room number, hence the riverboat origin of the name "State Rooms." On the DELTA QUEEN today, there are seven categories of staterooms ranging from compact bunk bedded rooms to fairly spacious suites. The largest, #307 and #308 on the Sun Deck were created from the original Chief Engineer's and Captain's cabins respectively.
Vista Suite #307 was once the Chief Engineer's domicile.
The opposite extreme, a minimum grade, upper and lower Berth room on the Sun Deck.
Cabin Deck #116, the Florida Stateroom.
Texas Deck #218, my home away from home.
Facing outboard, entrance to Texas Deck #218.
I could not have been happier with my accommodations right in the middle of the Texas Deck, #218 on the starboard side. This mostly original cabin opens onto the deck through a narrow wooden door with a pair of windows on either side. The windows can slide down to open, or be covered by wooden shutters for privacy at night. The aft wall is of natural wood while the forward one opposite is painted white. Two brass fixtures in the ceiling, with adjustable slides, control the ventilation. There is an old wooden dresser, but no closets. Clothing can be hung from a Pullman type rack on the wall. Two antique, but superbly comfortable, high twin beds are on either side of a door to the rather spacious toilet and shower. Since this room would not have had private facilities as built, there is a step up of nearly a foot to enter the bathroom. I later learned these were built into the space that was once a dome over the social hall below. For once, I'm glad not to be tall, as at 5ft 8in my head touched the ceiling in the shower.
The paddlewheel starts to turn, as the voyage begins.
Horizontal smokestack, hinged to pass under bridges.
Outside the paddlewheel began slowly turning as the engines warmed up an hour prior to departure. Promptly at 6pm the DELTA QUEEN pulled away from the dock and turned around in the river. The hinged smokestack was lowered to facilitate passing under the first of many bridges we would encounter during the voyage. Aft on the Sun Deck, the famous steam calliope played a series of upbeat tunes through its collection of 32 steam whistles. An exciting atmosphere prevailed on this warm night as the boat began making its way down the Cumberland River. The big city of Nashville quickly gave way to more rural scenes along the riverbank, as the first day turned to night. Before long it was time to head down to dinner. I had wisely chosen the later of the two sittings, so as not to miss being on deck for departures. Early sitting is at 5:45pm, while the main dining begins at 7:15pm. Dinner is served in the Orleans Room located on the lowest passenger level, the Main Deck. This space was originally the cargo deck when the DELTA QUEEN was built. Tonight's dinner was the first of many fine meals I would enjoy onboard. Among an excellent selection of dishes, I chose to start with an appetizer of Pacific grilled shrimp on a skewer. This was followed by a delicious salad with light raspberry dressing, goat cheese and hazelnuts. For my entree I enjoyed seared salmon over potatoes. To top it all off, dessert consisted of praline pecan ice cream and a wonderful slice of cheesecake. Before leaving home, I had heard mixed reports about the food onboard, but throughout the trip it remained at consistently high quality, rivaling that found on other luxury cruise lines. After dinner, the Orleans Room is transformed into a showroom. Tonight's entertainment would be a welcome aboard show titled "Away We Go" and featuring all three of the entertainers along with the four-piece band. Afterwards I took a walk outside along the decks and conjured images of what it must have been like on the DELTA QUEEN when she was a night-boat on California's Sacramento River in the 1920's and 1930's. I went back to my stateroom for a good night's sleep; as happy as I have ever been after a first day aboard.
DAY 2, OCTOBER 9, 2007, DOVER, TENNESSEE, CUMBERLAND RIVER
Big wheel keeps on turning, DELTA QUEEN keeps on churning into the night.
Settling into the daily routine aboard the DELTA QUEEN comes quite easily. From the moment you open your cabin door in the morning, you are out on deck, in touch with nature. The sounds of birds along the shore and the paddlewheel churning are a wonderful way to greet the day. Down to the Orleans Room for breakfast which can be ordered from a menu or selected from an extensive buffet. About 8 o'clock this morning the DELTA QUEEN made a sharp turn to port and nudged herself up to the muddy river bank. Steam poured out of the sides of the bow as the capstan turned and the boom positioned the landing stage. Deck hands rushed ashore to tie the boat up to nearby trees. A grassy hill in a clearing would be the steamboat landing today at the little town of Dover, Tennessee.
First Mate, Ed, helps direct landing operations. Widened section of the hull is clearly visible.
Union gunboats sailed up the Cumberland River to face the Cannons of Fort Donelson.
The Dover Hotel, site of the Confederate's "Unconditional Surrender" to General U. S. Grant.
Passengers trooped ashore to take part in one of two shore excursions offered, the "Land Between The Lakes" or the "Fort Donelson National Military Park." I selected the latter, which takes visitors through a battlefield that was a turning point in the Civil War. The fort was a Confederate earthworks with cannons directed toward the Cumberland River from which six Union gunboats made their approach. Although initially beaten back both by land and on the river, the Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant eventually prevailed. On February 16, 1862, Grant earned a nickname by demanding "Unconditional Surrender" of the Confederate troops, then under the command of Simon B. Buckner. On this cruise, purchasing shore excursions is essential if one wants to do any touring. In these small towns and at riverbank landing sites there is no other means of transportation available.
DELTA QUEEN tied to the trees at Dover, Tennessee.
A trail of humps, as DELTA QUEEN steams past Fort Donelson.
The "Castle On The Cumberland" but you wouldn't want to live there.
At 12:30pm, the DELTA QUEEN drew in her lines and began paddling downriver, passing under the big guns of Fort Donelson, giving a perspective much the same as it must have been from the ironclads, 145 years earlier. It is fascinating to stand at the stern and watch the paddlewheel produce a trail of "camel humps" on the water. By afternoon, the river widened into Lake Barkley as we entered the state of Kentucky. Off to starboard, we passed the "Castle On The Cumberland," an impressive structure that in reality is the Kentucky State Penitentiary. There is always something interesting to see outside, but on the interior of the DELTA QUEEN activities continue. Today featured a shore tour talk followed by a "Discovery Guide Presentation" and a Captain's Tea which provided the first chance to get acquainted with our Captain, Larry Wilkinson. Every afternoon there is music and cocktails available in the Texas Lounge. By nightfall, the DELTA QUEEN was transiting a man-made waterway, used as a shortcut to the Tennessee River. Tonight's dinner surpassed even the very fine meal of last evening. I went with an all-seafood theme starting with Coconut shrimp with mango sauce, followed by a salad with spicy jumbo prawns, and for the main course a delicious lobster tail. Dessert was served in a tall glass filled with chocolate mousse and raspberries. As usual, Showtime followed dinner with a performance titled "River Of Song" with singers Velda Avis Jones and Eric James Hadley accompanied by the Bobby Durham quartet. After the 9:15pm nightly show, there is a small "Moonlight Buffet" served at 10:15pm in the Forward Cabin Lounge. With an already full stomach and tonight's theme of more Seafood, I could not face another bite. For night owls, entertainment continues with dancing in the Orleans Room and cocktails available in the Texas Lounge. For the majority of DELTA QUEEN passengers, they seem to prefer a policy of "early to bed, early to rise" and I saw no reason to contradict them.
End of Page One
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