Fontain, take this thang!!!

My heart goes out to all you guys who have to slay the bridge dragon every day. Especially the Vicksburg monster. Only I think the correct Clara pronunciation of his name would be "Funtain", with the accent on "tain". What a pair!

The Parkersburg bridge isn't any better...
Never tell a tow pilot that anyone can do his job as you are quickly behind the sticks in the worst stretch of river.

Bob, how would you learn someone to make the Vicksburg Bridge today while headed south? Does Fontain's advice hold true today with a load of empties out front?

Fun with Fontain

How well I recall those amusing times in the DQ pilothouse with Capt. Fontain and dear Miss Clara, who never could seem to understand how locks operated. As we approached a lock, she would always ask her husband, "Now Fontain honey, this time are they gonna lower us down or bring us up?" Fontain would cuss and growl that he had explained this numerous times before, but he'd tell her again -- until the next lock!

We were downbound above Marietta, on the Pittsburgh trip, one very DARK night and Capt. Fontain suddenly turned to me and said, "Keith, I've got to go downstairs a minute, so you take her." As he disappeared down the pilothouse steps his instructions to me were thus: "Hold her on that big K-Mart sign lit up way down there in the bend above the trees and you'll keep her in the middle of the river!"

I've always loved the late Capt. Wamp Poe's story on how to run the Vicksburg Bridge where, at the last minute, as you bear down on a pier, you step back and say, "Lord you take her, I've done all I can do!"

Be careful out there on that BIG river!

Lexie and Frank: Yes to both questions. She did pronounce it "FunTAIN. And Frank, you just have to keep holding on that pier long after you think you should come off, and I still have to make myself do it, which I did not do today - should have held a good bit longer. Went through sideways at 16.5 mph. Not fun.

Fontain Photos

I thought I had a good photograph of Capt. Fontain at the steering levers of the DQ, and wearing one of his trademark jumpsuits, but it must be amongst the boxes of slides, so goodness knows WHERE it might be!

When I think of the Delta Queen and Marietta, I think of the period before the early 1980's. The Kresge's in downtown Marietta closed in the early 1980's and they opened the KMart above Marietta. Yes I know how long ago that was, but I still think of it as recent.

Around that time, the Ohio was high enough that if you looked down Seventh Street toward the Ohio River it appeared that the Delta Queen was going up Pike Street, because she was at the same elevation as the cars.

Andy Burkman Photo

Willie and Buster's Whirlwind Tour of the World - The Seventies

Shipyard's album

What a trip down memory lane if you click on the rest of Shipyard's photos which include the Fontain picture! Thanks for this posting, SS.

Always A Thrill !

Greetings From New Orleans ,
Yes , Bob , its always a THRILL regardless if your on a tow or a ship ! I've been through a few bridges my self , south bound and on a ship , sliding through side ways and worst yet wondering IF and When she would both check up , stop sliding and when to add opposite rudder to lift her stern ! What further makes it so exciting is the fact that YOU know that YOUR the only one there that can do this and come up with a positive solution and result ! Try fully explaining this sensation to some one that has never experienced it before first hand ! Also , try having to go through a bridge south bound where you literally have only a few feet of both vertical and horizontal clearance !
Your right Bob , its not fun but then again if you have done it enough and know just what to expect , I find that it is just not quite so bad ! In fact some times it is a real thrill like a roller coaster ! Furthermore , I think its what makes the difference between a Professional like yourself and an amateur like so many that talk the talk but DON'T walk the walk !!
Once again just come and ride some time !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
NOBRA 70

Bob Reynolds;26123 wrote: Lexie and Frank: Yes to both questions. She did pronounce it "FunTAIN. And Frank, you just have to keep holding on that pier long after you think you should come off, and I still have to make myself do it, which I did not do today - should have held a good bit longer. Went through sideways at 16.5 mph. Not fun.

I can honestly say I probably knew Fontaine and Clara about as well as anyone due to the fact that I just happened to be scheduled with him quite often on both boats and on the DQ the times he ran Master. They were both remarkable characters. He always called her "Pretty". Every once in a while she would look around and say "Funtaine, what are you dewin'? and he'd say Dont you worry about it Pretty, we're fine" and Keith heres a couple pics like you mentioned.

Shipyard Sam;26126 wrote: Willie and Buster's Whirlwind Tour of the World - The Seventies

wow thanks for those Capt. Don. Andy was a pretty cool guy. that was my favorite era when he and Dick and Dave were there. I believe that was the same year I worked for you and visited your place in Ky.

Thanks so much, Mel, for those great photos! That's exactly the way I remember Capt. Fontain. And, now that you mention it, I remember him calling Miss Clara, "Pretty". She was always very kind to me and I fondly recall sitting with her on the pilothouse bench whilst she regaled me with hilarious stories of "adventures" she and Capt. Fontain had on the highways and byways in their big Lincoln Continental!

More Side-Ways Adventures

The only boat I have taken sideways down through a bridge span was the DELTA QUEEN. Captain Art Zimmer was my Pilot. "In them days", we had layovers of several days at Cincinnati, so to bring in additional revenue and allow more people the chance to ride the Queen, Betty booked "Coney Island-style" dinner excursions from the Public Landing to the old Coney Island Park and back.

As the DELTA QUEEN approached the landing at the end of the ride, and with a stiff tailwind blowing downstream, the old gal refused to turn around. A sternwheeler turns best with her tail into the wind, but with the wind coming from the wrong way the DELTA QUEEN just stiffened out broadside at a 90 degrees angle to the wind and flow of the river and refused to go any more.

After a couple of fruitless attempts, Cap'n Art spied a sand bank below the Kentucky pier of the Roebling Suspension Bridge, and as we had the head pointed toward the Southern shore parallel to the bridge, we allowed the DELTA QUEEN to float broadside, down, and under the bridge. As soon as the Queen was below the Suspension Bridge, Art came ahead and stuck the nose of the steamboat into the sand, worked the stern around, backed down, came ahead and made a beeline for the Public Landing where a worried Betty Blake was waiting.

"Cap," she said, "I watched the DELTA QUEEN going down sideways through the bridge, and I was sure something was wrong and got here as quickly as I could."

Cap'n Betty lived high atop Mt. Adams where she had a complete view if the Ohio River, including the Public Landing and John Roebling's engineering marvel, and she could see everything on the river from her perch on the hill.

Ain't it fun to do these sort of things?

Captain " Spontaneous Combustion " !

Greetings From New Orleans ,
I remember Capt. Fontain Johnson well and it was always a real pleasure to work with him ! Not only was he a " Cracker Jack " Pilot but a great story teller as well ! It seems that , good story telling was one of the many prerequisits to be a good Pilot on the steamboats back in the day !
I also recall , Capt. Fontain's nickname given to him by Capt. " Mac " Arthure , which was Capt. " Spontaneous Combustion " ! What a great and very fitting name for this very unique and entertaining individual ! I remember a number of other Pilots that came to the steamboats that would tell me that Capt. Fontain Johnson , during his time , had both made millions of dollars and also had lost millions in a number of maritime related enterprises and he was a real entrepreneur in every sense of the word !
Capt. Fontain was one of the last of a dieing breed of Pilots that would make their presense known in a big way and make life on the steamboats and the river just so much more bearable !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
NOBRA 70