Louisville "flood"

Thanks for your concern Cap'n Walnut. It surely was a very dark and scary day -- and here at the pipe organ works our woodshop crew was about to start construction on an "ark"! Other than a white knuckle drive in blinding rain with gusty winds and a 7 hour power outage at my home in New Albany that required some bailing of water from the sump pump, all is, thankfully, OK with me. The worst casualties in the area are the University of Louisville campus and the main building of the Louisville Free Public Library at Fourth and York Streets, where there was some 6 feet of water in the basement. Heating and cooling units are destroyed as are computers, MANY books and other library materials. There's also flooding at Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum is closed, with reports of damage to exhibits.

The Howard Steamboat Museum fared well, all things considered, although the sump pump in the cellar couldn't keep up with the deluge and we ended up with 6+ inches of water down there. After the 1997 flood, when Market Street was under water and it came well up into the yard of the mansion with a foot or so seeping into the cellar, things like the water heater and furnace (which were down in a pit) were placed higher up on "stilts", so all is well. Also had a minor leak in the ceiling of the den, which protrudes somewhat from the main part of the house, but that was due to the overflow of the guttering. Yvonne is OK, but her oldest son parked his car in a low spot in Jeffersonville and it ended up in 4 feet of water!

Travis reported this morning that his power was off until about 1:00 AM but, undaunted, he continued painting the walls of his apartment by candlelight! Also heard from Jo Ann and, after a perilous journey to work, she's OK too.

Appreciate your checking on us. Also had a phone call from Dick and Nancy Prater, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, last evening. They had just come in from working in their garden and were worried when they saw the tv news coverage of Louisville submerged!

Keith, as I recall, the photographic/special collections department at UL is underground. We were just there a couple of weeks ago, and I hate to think what might have happened with all the work that Jim has been doing over there!

Yes, the photo archives at U of L are on the LOWER level of the Ekstrom Library. I phoned them this morning, but there is no answer, as many buildings and departments of the University remain closed. Hopefully, Jim can tell us more later and we'll keep our fingers crossed that the photo collections survived the flooding.

What I saw on the news was a flooded Churchill Downs and very little explanation as to why. The news media, once again, leaves you hanging. An apparent massive flood and they give it 15 seconds. Meanwhile, they continue beating a dead horse with endless reporting on Michael Jackson's death.

Yes, it was a scary ride to work. I ended up getting off the interstate twice before I finally got to work an hour late. One place I got off and felt safe was when I got off downtown Louisville and took refuge under the interstate next to the BELLE of LOUISVILLE. It wasn't the wind - it was the ponding water on the interstate. I waited there until the rain let up. Guess I figured I could always swim over to the BELLE if need be and borrow a life jacket!

Hey all,

I survived the worst the weather had to offer yesterday in many ways. In the dark, as it were...but, survival!

So many people outside of this area may not be aware that most of the Louisville area was swamp land just a couple of hundred of years ago. Many of the creeks and estuaries in this area can't handle the deluge of water we got esterday in that freak occurance. Thus areas like Churchill Downs and other areas you'd think were safe flooded with in minutes.

The news reported over 6" of rain in less than 2 hours in the central downtown area of Louisville. This got our Main Library, most of the University of Louisville campus, and the downtown area totally unprepared for what happened. So far no report on the Ekstrom Library at the University of Louisville...we can only hope and pray!

Since I live in the Highlands neighbourhood (one of the highest points in the city limits of Louisville (the town (not the incorporated area)...the other being Crescent Hill)...there was alot of ponding...but, no flooding. It was the wind in the last storm that got my lights. Something in the 1400 block of Cherokee Road causes us to lose our lights every time there is a wind above 30mph...wish they'd fix that!

What a day to have lived through!!!! As Captain Kevin Mullen appropriately said almost every time the headline was taut on the BELLE OF LOUISVILLE and she was secured to the landing after a cruise...."We cheated death one more time!"

Travis

The photo collection in the U of L Ekstrom Library is priceless. Not only does it include steamboats but almost any other subject you can name. Several years ago, I videotaped many of their photos of Louisville's streetcars and interurban cars for a video we produced called "Streetcars of River City" and spent two full days doing it. I've also bought 8 x 10 copies of some of the railroad and steamboat photos over the years but I just barely scratched the surface of those files. I sure hope the negatives and original prints they have are safe. I think some of the private photo collections that have been donated to the library are in those files as well.
-Jim Herron

Like Moses Parting the Sea .....

First a long line of t-storms dumped a significant quantity of Mother Nature's Purest on our burg, but we feared the strong line of storms coming at us at right angles to the first line. Seventy-MPH winds were forecast and every citizen was warily eyeing the horizon for the approaching behemoth that, thankfully, never arrived.

To everyone's amazement, and relief, the typhoon opened up like Moses parting the Red Sea and went to either side of here, but our neighbors to the South, including Carrolton and Looieville, bore the brunt of the storm, and for that we are saddened.

We hope everything dries out with the warm winds that arrived today and returned August summer temperatures to the Ohio Valley.

Like Travis, I live on top of a hill. I WAS obliged to sweep the water from the front porch after the storm. My 5" rain gauge spilled over, so I do not know how much fell in our back yard. Now that I have an emergency generator the lights didn't even blink - like carrying an umbrella to ward off elephants!

Good News...the photo archives at UofL were untouched by the flood! All the photos and negatives are safe and sound. The archives are in the basement but there is a sub-basement underneath which did get a little seepage, but no damage.
As for myself, my sump pump did a heculian job of keeping my basement dry. Had the power gone out, I would be inviting everyone over for a subterranian swiming party.
The rain was strange....most of it fell in the downtown area in a line straight from the river through UofL and on south to Churchill Downs. My rain guage showed just over 3 1/2 inches while Alan Bates, who lives just a mile and a half further in town, said his 5" rain guage overflowed.

Jim: Great news indeed! Hard to figger how a sub basement would "stay dry" when the basement got flooded but that's sure good news. Great news about you, too. Any news from Kenny and the boat? Cap'n Walnut

I was on Belle when the storms went through and she weathered it all with no problems. The second storm caught my eye more than the first because the wind looked more brisk. That wind had the river knocking on our door as hard as I've seen, and I was EXTREMELY grateful NOT to be sailing in it. From my perspective, I would much rather handle the Belle in the rain than the wind. Pilots might differ with me on that, though.

Dan,

all of us who worked on the Belle from deck to engineroom to pilothouse had more respect for wind than rain. Even though she is easy to handle and will do her best (providing the pilot does it her way!) there are stringent limitations to what she can do.
In a wind the best thing to do is choke a good, stout willow, providing one is available. If not, back her into the wind on a double gong and watch the chairs sail overboard.

As an engineer I can't say much about the effects of rain as I am often tucked between two steam engines, so such soggy sentiments I'll leave to the deck department. I had the pleasure during my first season to see the Belle get caught in the middle of both blinding rain and howling wind. It wasn't even 4 in the afternoon, but the darkening sky made it more akin to a moonlight cruise. We had the good fortune of Capt. Charlie Decker's piloting skills on that occasion as he backed her into the wind midstream around Jeffboat. From that day on I have developed a great admiration for the likes of Capt. Decker, who always handled the Belle with great finesse in any condition. Even the movement of the telegraph maintained a smooth, steady rhythm; anticipating the Belle's next step. The analogy may be trite, but it was certainly like watching a dance between two old partners.

How poetic. Makes me smile this morning just thinking about the old timer's and their skills without all the up to date equipment....

Dan: At the tag end of the Belle's "engine room caper" some three years ago (fall of 2006, methinks), I had the good fortune to sit the lazy bench to a nice piece of Cap'n Decker's piloting. It was an otherwise lazy afternoon cruise when the mate took the pilot house steps about three or four at a time and announced that there was: "a man down (pax), and not responding". We were approaching Zorn Ave at the time and Charlie handled the crisis like he probably did everything else...calmly, professionally and with an all-in-a-day's-work attitude. He became one of my instant heroes. He set the Belle to "treading water" in mid-stream while I went out on the roof to tell him what he could not possibly see that was going on down at the engine room door on the starbboard side as the harbor police safely took the poor fellow and his wife off in mid-stream. Never did find out what happened to the passenger. Is Charlie still an active pilot for the Belle? Cap'n Walnut.

Charlie "retired" from the Belle a few seasons ago on race day. He still makes frequent visits, though. He'll be in full dress uniform when he visits on race day and often spends his time in the engine room, especially if Chief Culp pays us a visit. One of my favorite pictures was snapped by our photographer the first or second season I had my license, with Chief Culp, Capt.Decker, myself, and Capt Bill Ray.

Not only was it a treat to have "old timers" Capt. Mike Fitzgerald in the pilothouse and Chief Kenny Howe in the engine room on Sunday, July 19th when a small contingent of river rats enjoyed the afternoon cruise on the BELLE, but a nice surprise to find Capt. Charlie Decker aboard as well. Very unassuming, he spent most of the cruise on the Texas deck with several family members. Always a pleasure to chat with Capt. Charlie, truly a riverman of the highest order!

Speaking of Capt. Bill Ray, he made a "whirlwind" visit to the pipe organ works yesterday, en route to a banjo symposium at Frankfort. Bill now works as a historic interpreter at the Daniel Boone Home and Boonesville Village in Defiance, Missouri, which includes over a dozen 19th century buildings. Peace Chapel, the site of many weddings, contains a 28 stop pipe organ, so Bill's several years with us at Miller Pipe Organ enable him to play and repair it if the need arises! He is preparing a series of classes and programs, similar to RIVER RAMBLINGS, and an upcoming one will feature early music. Click on Daniel Boone Home & Boonesfield Village - Lindenwood University and take a look! Bill and Becky (and beagle dog Bridget) now reside at St. Charles. Capt. Bill sends best regards to his many friends on the river!

Oh, how I miss Captain Ray in the pilothouse of the BELLE OF LOUISVILLE!

Capt. Bill and Becky - and "The Big Muddy String Band" - are also MUCH missed for their musical gifts at Howard Steamboat Museum events and elsewhere. People don't come any finer!