Topic starter
18/09/2006 1:26 pm
Franz: Great photo of the BIG roof bell from the GORDON C. GREENE! And, yes, I have rung it, much like Leonie did the roof bell from the steam towboat DUFFY at the Howard Museum! The bell from the GCG originally was on the Eagle Packet Company sidewheeler GREY EAGLE, which was destroyed in the 1917-18 ice gorge at Paducah, KY. Eagle Packet Company also lost their big sidewheeler ALTON and sternwheeler PEORIA, all of which had been taken to "The Duck's Nest" where it was presumed the wooden hulled vessels would be protected and safe from the ice. Later, the roof bell and whistle from the GREY EAGLE were salvaged from the river and Capt. Buck Leyhe had them installed on their brand new steamer CAPE GIRARDEAU in 1923, the last packet ever built at the Howard Shipyard in Jeffersonville, IN. When the boat was sold to Greene Line in 1935, the whistle and bell were included and later removed from the boat after retirement in 1952. The whistle is now part of the Ohio River Museum collection at Marietta, OH., and was loaned for a brief time to the MISSISSIPPI QUEEN back in her early days. For some years the bell resided aboard the Johnston party boat boat CHAPERON, built on the hull of the former steam towboat SUTER and which had been renamed by Capt. J.W. Menke during the brief time he owned her as a companion to the SHOWBOAT GOLDENROD at St. Louis. It's fitting that the big and historic roof bell still does service aboard a fine boat like the BELLE OF CINCINNATI.
18/09/2006 7:43 pm
Hi Keith,
Thanks for the additional information on the GCG roof bell now on the Belle of Cincinnati. This picture brought to mind for me a 3 chime whistle that I built for the Belle nearly 5 plus years ago that was sold to Captain Bernstein for use on the boat, and never has seen service. I don't know where that whistle is today,maybe it's holding an office door open or something, but definetly not on the boat where it should be. I was on a cruise on the BOC's sister boat Mark Twain recently and was informed that the Belle's hydraulically run sternwheel is no longer operable and will not be fixed. This is sure sad news as I thought that the wheel "helping" really added to the big boats charm. She now will look similar to the Colonel while underway with the wheel chained down a la American Queen. Just thought I'd share that news about the boat, but I am very happy to see that the GCG's roof bell remains in service.
Aaron
18/09/2006 10:28 pm
AJ, can you tell me more about the MARK TWAIN, twin to the BELLE OF CINCI? Which one of the boats was it? Those are some of the finest diesel sternwheelers ever built, in my book. My favorite was originally the one that was at Peoria -- it was 20 feet longer than the rest. Last I saw that boat it was at Alton, IL.
What is the problem with the wheel's propulsion on the BofC? Did they have a Haaglund drive or something else?
18/09/2006 10:37 pm
Please go to the attached link for many of the BB Riverboat's fleet of boats. Too bad Cap'n Al didn't but the BoC's sister-boat, the DIAMOND LADY instead of the EMERALD LADY. though the EL was in better shape than the DL, after being laid up and neglected after retiring from the gamlin' boat trade, the DL had better "vibes". Stepping aboard her had the same feeling as did going aboard the DQ, but without the wonderful aromas of steam and heavy oil.
http://groups.msn.com/WillieandBustersWhirlwindTouroftheWorld/belleofcincinnati.msnw?Page=1
18/09/2006 11:37 pm
Cap, I know about BB's MARK TWAIN. Is this the boat AJ was referring to? The way it was phrased, I thought he had been aboard a sister Atlantic Marine boat, one of the LADY boats used in the gambling trade....this is why I wondered which one it was -- thought one had been renamed and placed in the excursion trade, and wondered which it was. Was I wrong, or was he on one of the LADY boats renamed?
19/09/2006 12:03 am
Bob: The MarK Twain of BB's is the small Dubuque built boat, 150 passengers. Not one of the "Lady" boats. The Belle of Cincinnat's hydraulic motors are Sunstrand units. That wheel will turn again. As to Capt. Don's thoughts on the two boats, the Emerald Lady was by far the best of the two in November of 1998 when I was involved in the purchase. A year later Jack Gilbert, the man who designed all those boats told me I had made the right choice.
19/09/2006 12:54 pm
Hi Cap'n Bob,
Sorry for the confussion there. I meant sister boats in the sense that the BB Fleet are all sisters, not like the DQ and DK are sisters. Should have clarified that. I sure hope Cap'n Bill is right and that they will fix those hydraulics. It certainly adds charm to the fine lines of the BOC. And you are right about the old Par-a-dice too. She was my favorite out of the three.
Hope to catch you on the river sometime!
Aaron Richardson