Mystry of the Skylights

In Tom Greene's letter to Fred Way describing the DQ after his first visit to the boat, Tom said there were two skylights in the "social hall" (aft cabin) but in his description of the dining room he didn't mention a skylight. Seems to me if there was, indeed, a third skylight in the dining room he would have mentioned it.
By the time the boat got to the Ohio River, the taperstries were in bad shape, dirty, rotten, and unusable according to Bob McCann. Bob and other people I've talked to who were there at the time were not as impressed with the skylights as we seem to be today.

*Not "impressed with slylights*
Steamboating colleagues:
Jim, how right you are RE: "...other people who were there..not as impressed with the skylights as we seem to be today." Little did we think this thread discussion would produce such memories and comments. Pgs. 10/11 of Fred Way's 'The Saga of the DELTA QUEEN,' shows the one aft cabin skylight--or what's left of it being dismantled with the tapestries at the one end. The allegorical rendering of a pastoral scene reminds me of period paintings by French artist Fragonard--or even English of the 18th century era.

Capt. Tom Greene's vision for the DQ following renovation/moderinzation 1947/1948, was decidedly non "steamboat" in terms. Capt. Tom had all the interior wood panels, fixtures, stained glass painted over in that popular near Granny Smith apple green. Just look at the first sleek, modern stack he had built on to understand his more modern approach to steamer travel. As discussed here, "steamer" was the term for quite a time in all of the GREENE LINE ads, brochures, promotions. It was GREENE LINE STEAMERS and not GREENE LINE STEAMBOATS on the huge roof of the GL wharfboat, letter stock, envelopes and business forms. Until I nail it down, I 'thnk' I heard that even Mrs. Letha Greene, along with some lady friends, got together to cut, hem the drapes for the forward cabin windows. Gordon, Tom, Jane my remember with more certainty. Betty Blake, and others, focused on the term "steamboat" in promoting the nostalgia and appeal to the mass travel market years later.

For years all inside decks were linoleum without carpeting. Aft Cabin was furnished simply with those writing desks, chairs with little writing lights. At the aft end was that long leather sofa, remember? You could hear the click of heels on the linoleum all hours of the day and night. Each morning a cabin attendant swept, mopped, waxed, buffed all to a high gloss. The full carpeting came years later with veteran GL hands and passengers grousing about that. "Now, when are they going to carpet the boilers?" I heard more than once. No, the dated Art Deco glass domes with tapestries didn't fit the new vision or changing times.

The fine wood [iron bark], and possibly some of the other mahogany, came about as a near fluke when the boats were being built. Ole Jim Burns received a phone call one day to his office from a colleague. A freighter from the Philipines had arrived in San Francisco with a load of fine wood. The contractor had defaulted on the shipment and they wanted it off their hands and fast. Jim high tailed it to the ship to see the wood in question and picked it up for a song--a fraction of its orignal price. Remainder of the spuperstructure was hammered together with fine cedar etc. from the West Coast.

Jim Burns invited a group of fine craftsmen from Scotland to journey here to do the work under the direction of Louie Cinnamon. A number of those men, once the DK/DQ finished, never returned to Scotland remaining in California to work. Jim Burns always had great hospitality with the door of his home open. One or two of these men when they aged were taken under Jim's care even living in the Burns home until they passed on.

In its peek years the 'California Transportation Company' was fush with profits. Capt. Anderson was driven to and from his office by a chauffeur. Other high honchos were provided with autos for use. John Burns said, at one time, his dad had two complimentary autos parked in the garage at home. Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati

DQ Skylights?

Bob and other people I've talked to who were there at the time were not as impressed with the skylights as we seem to be today.

For me the mystery and fascination surrounds the fact that one or both of the skylights may exist somewhere, and if so where? It is that hope that "someone" has a picture or the last clue to tracking down the answer. (I have been working on genealogy and have that same interest in researching some of the more obscure branches of the family tree.)

Now about the original stack of the DK that is used as a garden shed somewhere along the Sacramento delta......

Wesley,

Here is a link (if it comes through correct) of a picture of the DELTA KING smokestack, it says its in Isleton, Ca.

Panoramio - Photo of Smokestack from the old Delta King paddlewheeler

DK Stack

Kevin -

Aha - thanks for finding that photo. I've seen it before and remember wondering if the lettering is original to the boat or added later?

Wesley

*DK stack/Antioch, Calif. photos*
Hi, Wesley and Kevin:
Thanks for the great photos with link posted above. Appears the fabled DQ/DK stained glass skylights will haunt us all for a long time. Again, "possession is reputed to be 9/10ths of the law" and whomever, wherever still has those ellusive glass domes are not only keeping mum but not budging where any inquiries are concerned. I don't think any of us have time for such games. Again, with recent legal cases, more than a few have been brought up short legally where certain marine salvage cases in both fresh and salt water are concerned. This all part of the continuing 'Saga of the DELTA QUEEN.'

Heading to the Michigan lake house on shores of mighty Lake Michigan tomorrow until after Labor Day. More in time from up north.

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati

I can verify that the King's stack, is indeed, still on the levee on the north side of Isleton being used as a storage shed. I check it out every time I'm in the area!
S'
David D.
PS All I had ever heard of the skylights talked about two, not three. Hmmmm.

Does the DELTA KING still have it's skylights? If so we could put an end to this mystery since they were Mike&Ike boats.

I don't think i see any skylights on him

I don't think i see any skylights on him.

The Delta King cabin decks were greatly modified internally in the hotel conversion. The light shaft areas were/are used for utilities, air ducting, etc., much as they are on the DQ. One of my friends was one of the lead carpenters on the restoration, I will ask him if the skylights were in place when they started. It is doubtful, as much of the boat had been stripped by that time. The ornate grand stair railings, for instance, were long gone. Many of the leaded upper windows came back to the boat from "current owners' once the restoration began. The gentleman using the stack for his storage shed refused to sell it to the DK, so they had to spend considerable money replicating it; as they had to do for the wheel. The skylights may have fallen victim to the Alaska Aluminum mining dorm days--they likely let in a lot of cold!
I believe the boilers and the stack were removed when she was in storage near Rio Vista (which might explain the stack being in Isleton--they aren't very far apart). But, that is just conjecture on my part!
BTW, when the carpenters were hired for the restoration, the first thing "thrown out" of their tool boxes was the Carpenter's square--"You won't need this for this job--nothing is square on this boat!"

I found some good photos of the Delta King and with different views of him.

https://wiki.cincinnatilibrary.org/index.php/Delta_King

*DK's Alaska career*
Hi, David & Steamboating colleagues:
The DK's Alaska career as a 'barracks boat' interesting to review. Several reasons why the DK was chartered for that work: 1. Need for worker dorm facilities. 2. DK's boilers provided both steam and hot water for the boat itself and shore facilities.

I'm now way up here north at the lake house and don't have my hands on my files back in Cincinnati. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC did a spread years ago featuring the DK during her service for KATMAI ALUMINUM. Basically they fired her boilers up for all they were worth to maintain heat inside. Pictures then showed the stained glass upper window panels were still in place. Much interior cabin appeared to have been painted that nebulous institutional gray/green color. Incidentally, though both the DK/DQ were built as identical "peas in a pod," there were some variations with the QUEEN due to the financial squeeze the 'California Transportation Co.' had in completing the dual DELTA boat project with 'Denny Bros.' in Dumbarton, Scotland. The QUEEN came out on the short end in some finishing work--but don't ask where as it was pretty subtle. From the get go, the KING was designated the company flagship.

Present owners/operators of the DELTA KING Hotel in Sacramento gave a fine presentation at the May SSHSA 'ShiPosium II' on the QUEEN MARY in Long Beach. Their program mentioned how much the boat had been vandalized, stripped of fittings etc. even before she sank. The DK operation there going well with their promotion, sales, PR efforts being just in the general California region and not nationally. Again they kicked off their PowerPoint program with, "Steamboats are not for sissies."

R. Dale Flick
Shores of Lake Michigan

Photo of the skylight

There's a photo of a skylight from long ago at this link: . You can find it in this article: DELTA KING Sacremento California | MaritimeMatters | Cruise ship news and ocean liner history. Personally, I think that they are interesting, but look out of place on a steamboat like the Delta Queen or King. But, there must have been some theory behind their origin.

*Your great DK photos*
Hi, Darin & Steamboating colleagues:
Many thanks for your thread of fascinating DK photos, post cards, ephemera. One of the most comprehensive I've seen in years. Read the earlier discussion threads on this site and you'll learn of the DK/DQ skylights and "theory behind their origin." Both DELTA boats were 'the last hurrah' in big steamboat building in those years. Times changing fast with old Jim Burns both warning, cautioning the company to not build the twin vessels. 'California Transportation Co.' then riding high, flush with cash--for a time at least. Capt. Anderson, high honcho of C.T. Co., countered Jim with strong words and moved on pulling out all stops. In retrospect the boats really had only some 12 years of commercial service. Surviving letters, business accounts I have of the bitter end not pretty to read. 'Seasonal' operation was considered for a time following the drastic drop in freight scooped up by trucks and decline of passengers in the off season. The two boats just too big with high operating expenses to lay up part of the year out there with crew often drifting away to other full time jobs. Increasing labor costs, wage expectations another factor in the formula.

The DK restoration/rehab program incredible in scope, expense, materials expended. Sure, the interior cabin spaces etc. vastly altered for the present hotel operation. 'Purist' grouse about that similar to what has had to be done to certain interiors on the present QUEEN MARY Hotel in Long Beach. Question is: What are you going to do to bring all up to date with increased revenue yield? Restoration and preservation in marine vessels often a Catch-22 proposition. Good photos, thanks again. Well, what do I know?

R. Dale Flick
Summer: Northern shores of Lake Michigan