Click here to return to SHIPPING NEWS
All images copyright SHAWN J. DAKE, 2007
Dake's Passages:
Shawn Dake files this log from DELTA QUEEN: Page TwoClick here for Previous DELTA QUEEN page
A wartime photo of DELTA QUEEN as YFB-56 hangs in the Library.
Continuing LOG OF THE STEAMBOAT DELTA QUEEN,
ALONG SOUTHERN RIVERSBy SHAWN J. DAKE
DAY 3, OCTOBER 10, 2007, SAVANNAH, TENNESSEE, TENNESSE RIVER
Woke up to thick fog along the Tennessee River. As the day warmed, it cleared above but still lay low along the water, making for a beautiful sight. The river was like glass as we slid along its surface. On this trip, our Discovery Guide is Travis Vasconcelos, a true blue steamboat and calliope buff, with great knowledge and talents for both. The Discovery Guides were formerly called Riverlorians which seems to me, a much more appropriate and poetic term. This morning Travis gave an excellent lecture on the history of the DELTA QUEEN and her sister, the DELTA KING. For those that aren't familiar with the fascinating story of these two boats, I'll recap a few of the highlights. Both vessels were planned and constructed between 1924 and 1927 for the California Transportation Company. The steel hull and other components were built in Scotland by William Denny & Brothers shipyard at Dumbarton. After assembly, they were dismantled, the pieces numbered and shipped by freighter to California. There, at Stockton, the boats began to take shape. Four decks of wooden superstructure were added to the reassembled steel. A 28 foot diameter, 19 foot wide paddlewheel weighing 44 tons with 28 buckets was fabricated from soft fir. Destined to travel between the cities of Sacramento and San Francisco, these twins were the most luxurious steamboats on America's river systems. The DELTA QUEEN was constructed at a cost of over $875,000 and was known as the "million dollar boat." She left San Francisco on her maiden voyage, June 2, 1927. After only 13 years on the Sacramento River her commercial career ended on September 29, 1940. During World War II, the DELTA QUEEN was reclassified as a Yard Ferry Boat; YFB-56 being a less glamorous designation than Queen. Along with the DELTA KING and the Southern California steamers CATALINA and CABRILLO, she ferried troops from bases throughout the San Francisco Bay area.
Captain Tom R. Greene purchased the DELTA QUEEN for the Greene Line steamers in 1946.
Following the war, the DELTA KING and DELTA QUEEN were offered up for auction and attracted the attention of Tom Greene, head of the Greene Line steamers, a company going back to 1890, and well-known on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. After tendering an unsuccessful bid for the DELTA KING, Tom Greene successfully purchased the DELTA QUEEN on November 20, 1946 for $46,250. Moving a steamboat from California to the Mississippi River is easier said than done. The flat-bottomed DELTA QUEEN, designed for smooth river passages, embarked on the most harrowing voyage of her long career as the tug OSAGE towed her out into the Pacific Ocean, southward through Central America, becoming the only paddlewheel steamboat to transit the Panama Canal and finally arriving safely at New Orleans. From there, the steamer sailed to her new homeport of Cincinnati, Ohio. The transformation from a California night-boat to a Mississippi luxury steamboat took place at the Dravo Shipyard near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On June 30, 1948 the DELTA QUEEN started her second "maiden voyage" roundtrip from Cincinnati to Cairo, Illinois, beginning a new career carrying vacationers through the rivers of America. Happily, she is still engaged in this career today, continuing a long tradition of genuine steamboat travel. It is a fascinating sensation to be sitting in the Texas Lounge listening to a talk about the DELTA QUEEN's story, while being able to touch that history in the bulkhead or the leather seat right next to you. It's truly amazing to be aboard a boat like this, that still exists, so long after her era has passed.
The Steam Calliope dates back to 1869.
Steam pressure gauge for the calliope.
Up on deck, passengers were invited to touch another bit of history by playing the steam calliope, one of only 14 left in the world. The "Steam & Iron Piano" on the DELTA QUEEN was built back in 1869 and later salvaged from the sunken steamboat WATER QUEEN, before ending up in a circus and the hands of a private collector. In 1959, E.J. Quimby purchased the calliope for $3,000 and brought it aboard the DELTA QUEEN. I joined in the fun and picked out a short tune, thereby achieving membership in the order of "Vox Calliopus" and allowing me to play calliope on any river in the world. I have the certificate to prove it. Shortly after noon we passed under the Milo Lemert Bridge and the DELTA QUEEN nudged onto the left bank of the river with a noticeable bump. Once again, the steam winch did its work and we tied off to two trees in what turned out to be the port for Savannah, Tennessee. Several local residents greeted the steamer, some dressed in antebellum costumes.
A replica of Shiloh Church, which lent it's name to one of the largest battles of the Civil War.
Farley Field, where the battle of Shiloh began on April 6, 1862.
The tour today would be a poignant visit to the battlefields of Shiloh National Military Park. Here in 1862, during two days of fierce fighting, 24,000 men would be killed, wounded or missing. Today, the land is peaceful, looking much like it did then, with thick forests opening into grassy meadows. Just as the bus was departing, a beautiful mother deer and fawn romped across a clearing, helping to lift the prevailing aura of sadness that Shiloh still inspires. On the drive back to the steamboat landing, I was able to get some great aerial photos of the DELTA QUEEN from high on the bridge. A local band was at the landing to see us off; their playing of John Prine's song "Paradise" entirely appropriate for the occasion. At 6pm we cast off, sailing into a spectacular sunset over the Tennessee River.
DELTA QUEEN at the Steamboat Landing in Savannah, Tennessee.
Cruising west into the sun on the Tennessee River.
The lingering twilight made it difficult to come back inside, but yet another meal beckoned. I hate to keep saying that each dinner surpassed the previous, but again, this one did. I started with a delicious appetizer of trout and a bowl of corn and crab chowder. A pear salad led to a perfect beef tenderloin steak with shrimp scampi. For dessert I sampled the very sweet bread pudding with raisons, that the DELTA QUEEN is known for. A variation of this dessert is available every evening. There was an entertainment show offered, but this was upstaged by the spectacle outside as the boat passed through the huge Pickwick Lock, the first of many on this cruise. The lock is 600 feet long and this particular one lifted us 55 feet, and into another facet of the river cruising experience.
Deep within the Pickwick Lock.
Another day, another lock. This one the Jaime L. Whitten Lock and Dam.
DAY 4, OCTOBER 11, 2007, CRUISING THE TENNESSEE-TOMBIGBEE WATERWAY
Started the day in a lock, after ending yesterday in one. The Jaime L. Whitten Lock would lower the DELTA QUEEN 84 feet to begin a course down the 234 mile long artificial waterway, popularly known as the Tenn-Tom, connecting the Tennessee and Tombigbee rivers, eventually providing a link all the way to the Gulf of Mexico at Mobile, Alabama, although our course would change before then. The locks of the Tenn-Tom create an elevation change of 341 feet. After a hearty breakfast of hot cakes, sausage and tea, we entered the G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Lock, this one lowering us another 30 feet. This would remain the pattern throughout the next two days; beautiful scenery interspersed with a series of locks and dams constantly lowering the DELTA QUEEN closer to sea level. This morning the Texas Lounge was filled to capacity for the continuation of Discovery Guide Travis presentation on "Our National Treasure: The DELTA QUEEN-Part II." Lecture does not seem to be the correct word to describe his animated style of storytelling. Passengers learned about the more recent history, the last 38 years, in the life of the steamboat they are traveling on. The DELTA QUEEN has gone through a series of operators since Letha Greene sold the Greene Line to Overseas National Airways in 1969, ending 79 years of family ownership. Four years later, the line was renamed the Delta Queen Steamboat Company. Construction had started on an all-steel riverboat, the MISSISSIPPI QUEEN, which would be the first new steamboat built in nearly 50 years, since the DELTA QUEEN herself. Lacking funds to complete the new steamer, the company was again sold, this time to the Coca-Cola Bottling Company. Subsequent owner's included Sam Zell and Bob Lurie whose Chicago-based Equity Group Investments acquired control of the outstanding stock in 1985. After investments that included adding four new boats and American Hawaii Cruises operations in Hawaii, Sam Zell restyled the company into the ill-fated American Classic Voyages. On October 18, 2001, the company declared bankruptcy. Hospitality group, Delaware North, bought the Delta Queen Steamboat Company and restarted operations in May, 2002. Their ownership was short-lived. In April, 2006 the company was sold to Newport Beach based Ambassadors International, Inc. They combined the two riverboats of the American West Steamboat Company with the Delta Queen Steamboat Company to form Majestic America Line. As the DELTA QUEEN continues quietly sailing along America's waterways, it is living steam boating history.
Door to stateroom #340 recognizes a famous former occupant.
Jimmy Carter slept here. Stateroom #340 on Sun Deck.
A corner of Superior Outside Stateroom #340 facing aft.
Many famous people have chosen to travel aboard. Perhaps the biggest publicity boost came when the President of the United States and his family made took a cruise. In August, 1979, Jimmy Carter occupied stateroom #340 aft on the Sun Deck above the paddlewheel. This was one of two original deluxe rooms during the California era. For this voyage the DELTA QUEEN used the code name "Steamboat One." In 1986, British royalty was represented by Princess Margaret, who sailed in stateroom #119, aft on the Cabin Deck, today one of four Category "A" Vista Suites. Even the waters we are currently sailing represent a connection to DELTA QUEEN history. Although usually thought of as a Mississippi and Ohio riverboat, the DELTA QUEEN has offered trips on a wide variety of inland rivers, first cruising on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in 1992. A clanging triangle announced one of the most fun events of the cruise, an "Old Fashioned Picnic Lunch" in the dining room. Waiters scurried along rows of tables covered with red and white checkered tablecloths serving our family-style feast. Fried catfish, chicken, barbecued ribs, corn on the cob, cornbread, pumpkin and pecan pie washed down with fresh lemonade or ice tea made for a delicious, if overly-filling meal. This full day of river cruising actually kept passengers as busy as any day in port. Brilliant sunshine made it a great day to be outdoors. On the bow of the Texas Deck, a party for repeat passengers was open to everyone. Free Mai Tai's, (an interesting choice of beverage since we are in the state of Mississippi,) and banjo music set the mood.
Past passenger party on the forward Texas Deck.
Jill Iliel a passenger from 1940 returns to the DELTA QUEEN and is put to work swabbing the decks. Photo credit Lindsey Wight.
Passengers aboard this cruise seem to be a very loyal group as evidenced by both the number of previous cruises taken and the number of years they've been doing it. One gentleman began sailing with Greene Line Steamers in 1938 aboard the GORDON C. GREENE. Another woman, Jill Eliel, had sailed aboard the DELTA QUEEN on one of the boat's last California voyages in 1940. She was 16 years old when she went with a girlfriend and her family from Sacramento to San Francisco. Now 83, she initially did not realize that this was the same boat she had traveled on in her youth. When you think about it, it is a miracle that the DELTA QUEEN is still sailing on another waterway, far from her birthplace, and still going strong after 80 years of service. Throughout the rest of the day, we continued on a southward course through a series of locks and dams, often sharing space with large yachts that were relocating to Florida for the winter. At dinner, the overeating binge continued with asparagus soup, followed by clams and scallops, an entree of lamb in mustard sauce with mint jelly and a dessert of German Chocolate cake. After dinner, it was back outdoors to the Texas Deck for a lesson in navigating steamboats at night. The DELTA QUEEN's high-powered searchlights illuminated the river banks. As if the timing was planned, a very large barge tow came around the bend and went to the far shore so DELTA QUEEN could pass safely. A light fog on the water rose vertically in columns, looking like ghostly apparitions. Another evening musical performance and then it was off to bed and dreams of river days, past and present.
DELTA QUEEN in Clay County, Mississippi.
Mississippi State Flag flies from the mast and kingpost.
DAY 5, OCTOBER 12, 2007, PORT OF CLAY COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI
Talk about waking up and not knowing where you are. The Majestic America Line brochure says today's call is Waverley Plantation; the daily program says Columbus, Mississippi; and outside the reality is we are tied next to a barge by a rather derelict looking field, dotted with rusting cranes and old equipment. Just ahead is a grain dock bearing the rather clever name "Tom Soya Grain Company" and identifying this as the Port Of Clay. The other two destination titles are not entirely wrong. It is just that they are rather distant from the boat and require a shore excursion or shuttle respectively. It matters not to me, as I've decided to take a day off from touring and stay on board, photographing the DELTA QUEEN while the majority of passengers are ashore. I start off with the Pilot House. While underway, this area remains off-limits, but on port days, tours are offered.
The Pilot House of the DELTA QUEEN.
The kitchen? No the Pilot House looking aft.
The roof of the boat; correct terms on a river steamer.
Of all the wonderful things on the DELTA QUEEN, the Pilot House is the only minor disappointment. I expected to see the big wheel that once was there, only to find that it had been removed more than a half century ago. The four rudders are steered by what amounts to a stick control. There are also bow and stern thrusters. Windows have been changed and the overall look is a combination of wheelhouse and kitchen, with a microwave oven, toaster and sink. A stereo played music by Ozzy Osbourne and The Who; not exactly riverboat sounds. Still, the view from up there was great. Open bridge wings project on either side allowing unobstructed panoramas fore and aft.
Two views of the Texas Lounge looking forward and aft.
A portion of the Forward Cabin Lounge looking aft.
The Betty Blake Library. Note the ceiling where domes once rose over the aft Social Hall.
The Orleans Room. Once the cargo deck but now the dining room. Note the hardwood, Ironbark deck.
As I descended from on high, I stopped off for photos in each of the steamboat's four major public rooms: The Texas Lounge, the Forward Cabin Lounge, the Betty Blake Library and the Orleans Room. The latter is located on the lowest passenger level, now called Main Deck, in the former Cargo Deck area. The aft end of this deck is given over to the galley, a crew mess and the engine room which is open for passenger visits. That became my next destination.
Proud builders and original California Transportation Company gauges in the engine room.
Engine room, portside looking aft.
The engine room is a mix of the old and the new.
Upper and lower levels of the engine room facing forward.
Upon entering, the eye is drawn to the aft bulkhead where a wood and brass plaque reads "Engines Built 1925 By C.H. Evans & Co. San Francisco. Three beautiful brass gauges are inscribed with "DELTA QUEEN, California Transportation Co." Most of the Queen's steam engine actually came from Scotland, although the Charles H. Evans Co. is credited with the design and installation once they got to California. The two water tube boilers are located far forward of the engine space and were bought new, but from World War I surplus dating back to 1919. The DELTA QUEEN's engines are horizontal cross compound steam, with a high pressure cylinder of 26 inch diameter and a low pressure cylinder of 52 inch diameter, developing 2,000 horsepower. The 10 foot stroke drives a 10 ton Pitman Arm with a length of 40 feet, turning the 44 ton paddlewheel. Part of the machinery from the DELTA KING lives on aboard its twin sister. In 1954, a piston rod broke and lodged in the high-pressure cylinder, nearly ending the career of the DELTA QUEEN. When the engines were removed from the DELTA KING, fortunately, Fulton's Shipyard at Antioch, California preserved the parts, which were purchased by the Greene Line. In 1980, when the DELTA QUEEN broke her steel paddle-wheel shaft the original from the DELTA KING was available as a replacement, and still remains turning today.
The paddlewheel shaft of the DELTA KING lives on aboard twin sister DELTA QUEEN.
Steam capstan on the bow.
Friendly greetings in the State Of Mississippi.
As for the DELTA KING, the boat is a hotel, restaurant and entertainment complex at Sacramento, California, beautifully restored, but without engines. Just before I left the extraordinary museum that is the engine room of the DELTA QUEEN, a call came down saying the Captain wanted plenty of steam. It seemed a strange request as it would be several hours before the boat sailed. As I walked outside the melodic sound of the steam whistle began blowing and blowing and did not stop. It turned out the DELTA QUEEN was sounding a mournful tribute to a frequent and popular river traveler who had passed away. What a wonderful way to be remembered, and another example of how much the passengers and crew of the DELTA QUEEN become family. Having a little extra time on my hands, I went ashore for a walk up old Mississippi Highway 50, in the heart of the south. Saw an amusing Halloween decoration reading "Happy Fall Y'all" and felt at home, in this place so different from where I come from. At noon, the DELTA QUEEN pushed off the bottom of the muddy riverbank and began steaming again. I enjoyed my light lunch of a fried oyster and shrimp "Poor Boy" sandwich and slice of Key Lime Pie. The afternoon passed quietly, sailing slowly between banks lined with pretty green trees. Passed through another set of locks named for Senator John C. Stennis. The afternoon lecture titled "Eyes Along The River" was a timely presentation on birds and wildlife, by my next door cabin neighbor Jim Williams. Jim is a steamboat fan that has served as a naturalist, riverlorian and is a staunch supporter of efforts to save the DELTA QUEEN. His talk was put to practical use soon after, as we were passing through some very scenic stretches of the waterway, filled with birds; osprey, heron, egrets, white pelicans and buzzards among others. It was a hot day, but on the shaded bow of the Cabin Deck it stayed comfortable. I made myself at home on the wooden swing suspended from the deck above, and sipped rum and cokes while trying to read, but the ever changing scenery was too pleasantly distracting to get very far. We passed a beautiful campground and later a houseboat anchored amongst the trees. This is billed as a "Fall Foliage Cruise" but with drought conditions across the south, until today few autumn colors were visible.
A bit of fall color along the Tenn-Tom Waterway.
Swingers and Rockers enjoying the scenery.
High and dry; paddlewheel steamboat MONTGOMERY near the Tom Bevill Lock and Dam in Alabama.
Somewhere along this section, the DELTA QUEEN passed the state line from Mississippi into Alabama. Approaching the Tom Bevill Lock and Dam the steam paddle-wheeler MONTGOMERY was visible off to port. Although raised on blocks out of the water, this old steam dredge is reportedly fully operational. A modern interpretation of an antebellum-style building stood beside it. The Tom Bevill Lock is one of the prettiest we have gone through, and also one of the last we will see on the Tenn-Tom Waterway. The spillway of the dam was releasing lots of water. As we lowered down, the bollards the DELTA QUEEN ties up to, float down with the boat, squeaking along their concrete tracks. As the giant gates opened a new panorama of river appeared, highlighted by the setting sun. Once the sun was gone, the evening cooled off quickly. It was time to come inside, relax in the cabin and catch up with the logbook entries before dinner. The dictionary definition of gastronomy is "the art or science of good eating." Once again I continued my studies with a feast of cold sirloin and grated olives as an appetizer, followed by a tasty spinach and duck salad. The main course was an unusual marinated and fried Cornish game hen. Strawberry shortcake and vanilla ice cream made a fine dessert.
Cruise Director Mike Gentry on banjo, backed by Discovery Guide, Travis and bartender Mark.
Cruise Director, Mike Gentry put on a great show tonight with his banjo playing and sing-a-longs that really got the audience's toes a-tappin' and hands a-clappin'. Away from the crowd, I walked around all three decks and watched the paddlewheel for awhile. The stars shown in the clear night, then suddenly fog shrouded the DELTA QUEEN in an eerie and mysterious haze. It was a night to experience the many moods of the river.
End of Page Two
Click here for Page ThreeAll images copyright SHAWN J. DAKE, 2007
Click here to return to SHIPPING NEWS
