Alexander mackenzie

Here are two photos taken by Capt. Leon Ash of the ALEXANDER MACKENZIE being built at MMC, circa 1939. Leon was long-time Master of the U.S.E. IROQUOIS before going to Union Barge Line and helping them procure the JASON, when it came out the following year. Could be these photos were taken from aboard the IROQUOIS.

ALEXANDER'S info

Found my misplaced towboat directory: 167 x 37.5 x 8.4. Condensing engines 16s, 32s 10 ft. stroke. 2 Foster Wheeler boilers. Original crew has a couple of familiar names: Capt. A.C. Ingersoll Jr and pilot Marquette Lancaster. She worked mostly on the upper Miss and the Illinois. She was dismantled at Port Amherst WV in 1954.
The JASON was built a year later with the same specs and was the last steam sternwheel towboat built new for inland river service, according to F. Way.

Also the ALEXANDER still exists today, partly dismantled as a "workshop/wharfboat". I think it's on the Illinois River near Joliet, but don't quote me! Seems like a photo of her present incarnation was in a Reflector 5 or 6 years ago(?).

Here is another photo taken a few days before Leon's photos showing the new boat on the ways, ready to be launched. (origin of photo unknown, but could be from Keith's collection).

I'm glad that I wasn't the artist who had to paint that long name on both engineroom bulkheads! Ditto for the Julius Fleischmann!

In 1973, aluminum siding was installed on the boiler deck of the Str. BELLE OF LOUISVILLE. The new material covered STEAMER BELLE OF LOUISVILLE - PORT OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY across her stern and had to be relettered. Capt. Doc Hawley, an expert steamboat sign painter, undertook this task in the spring while the BELLE was in winter quarters near McAlpine Locks. I was standing down on the deck of the wharfboat RENOWN as Doc began his task, precariously perched above the paddlewheel. He looked down and said, "Damn! I wish this boat's name was J.S.!"

And approximately how cold was it? Add to that the wind blowing and a chill factor. And the only part of his body that was moving was his painting hand. And the paint was probably stiff as a board. At this point in time he was probably not getting paid near enough.

More on the MACKENZIE, JASON/JONES

At dinner tonight Vi Foley pointed out that Capt. Bill Foley had worked on the ALEXANDER MACKENZIE with both Capts. Ingersoll and Marquette Lancaster.
Also, it isn't well-known that passenger boat Capt. Doc Hawley once worked on the towboat HERBERT. E. JONES(nee JASON), in order to increase his license. He went from the JONES to the DQ in the 1959 season to earn this upgrade. Coincidentally, the JONES was cooled down for the last time on Aug. 1 of that year, which is Doc's birthday.

1959

Now I realize why I did not see the last days of the HEJ... as I was on the AVALON somewhere on the Upper working our way to the Missouri River. Anyone else, on here, ever steamboated on the Missouri? It's become a pretty select club.

Judy Patsch;17623 wrote: At dinner tonight Vi Foley pointed out that Capt. Bill Foley had worked on the ALEXANDER MACKENZIE with both Capts. Ingersoll and Marquette Lancaster.
Also, it isn't well-known that passenger boat Capt. Doc Hawley once worked on the towboat HERBERT. E. JONES(nee JASON), in order to increase his license. He went from the JONES to the DQ in the 1959 season to earn this upgrade. Coincidentally, the JONES was cooled down for the last time on Aug. 1 of that year, which is Doc's birthday.

Judy,

Add to the list of rivermen who worked on the MACKENZIE Capt. Walter Karnath of Winona, long-time UMR trip pilot on the DQ. And in commiseration with Lexie's lament about sign painting during inclement weather, I remember being asked one late fall afternoon to paint KEEP OFF signs on the rungs of the two ladders up to the sundeck roof outside the Master's and Chief's rooms on the DQ. At the time, we were underway SB to Winona, with a good, stiff, cold wind blowing. Cap Wagner wanted the signs painted after several passengers had "investigated" where those ladders led to. I recall seeing an inquisitive face peering up and over his shoulder toward the PH window as the man held on with one arm. And on another occasion, we heard a knock from outside the PH door which led out to the roof! Someone had climbed up the ladder unbeknownst to us and apparently thought this was the only way to gain entrance! Ah, them was the days.

Doc lettering the "JS"

Since Keith's offline till Monday, here's the pix he took of Doc as he prepared to paint: BELLE OF LOUISVILLE Port of Louisville KY on the newly-installed siding. This was taken in March 1973 in winter quarters.
The second pix is in better weather and is a much shorter task. Here Doc is painting the stern sign for the new NATCHEZ in the shipyard at Braithwaite.

In April 1977 I was aboard the Julia Belle Swain for a 5-day trip from Chattanooga to Louisville. I had volunteered to re-paint the three arched signs above the front stairway. We picked up some sign painters enamel in Evansville and I did the job while the boat was underway. I hadn't thought about how much a sternwheeler vibrates but I sure found out in short order! It was cold too! However, persistance and determention won out over adversity and everyone was pleased with the finishd job.

Among my souvenirs and river treasures is a well worn log book from the Str. ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, a gift in 1968 to Capt. Doc Hawley from Capt. Walter Karnath -- and a gift to me from Doc in 1998. The log is for the years 1941-42 and contains the typical entries of a working towboat with weather, river stages, diagrams of tows, crew, etc. A fascinating look at the day to day activities aboard the MACKENIZIE.

Photos:
(1) ALEXANDER MACKENZIE passing La Crosse, Wisconsin.
(2) Capt. C.S. "Rip" Ware (left) and Capt. & Mrs. Walter Karnath on DQ at Winona - June, 1979 - Photo by Judy Patsch.

Alexander Mackenzie can be viewed at this link on google...wait for the street view to pop up.
<Joliet, IL - Google Maps
625,-95.677068&sspn=43.934478,69.082031&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Joliet,+Will,+Illinois
&ll=41.533929,-88.082746&spn=0.004923,0.012521&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=41.533689,-
88.08284&panoid=liqPpVptbwoqBH9N0zC2dw&cbp=12,322.59,,0,-8.33>

I went to Alexander Mackenzie when looking for a job out of highschool in about 1973, Mississippi Barge Lines used her/him as their office...all the doors still had the oval door knobs on them.

Hello:
Were the boilers water tube or fire tube? How far could the boat go before it needed coal? Were the boilers automatic stoker?

question did the Mackenzie always blow such black smoke or had the photographer ask the engineer / or fireman for some smoke. As for Missouri River steamboat men those that are left are few maybe some off the corps dredges. Bob Sage in Brownville, Ne. may have visited some corps boats as a kid. There is one fellow in Washington , Mo. who may still be alive. I was Curator on the Dredge Captain Meriwether Lewis but we never fire her water tube Foster Wheeler boilers. In fact I helped pump the last of her bunker C off. I ran the transfer pump on air from the starboard to port tanks. Had to re gasket that steam engine to do it.
ut riverrat

Norman Hilman

I had the great honor of serving aboard the Delta Queen with Captain Norman Hilman, the long time Captain of the Mack! The stories he had,along with my very good friend who tought me the Upper, Bill Foley, my miserable life was blessed to have lived and learned in the presence of these wonderful rivermen,talented, experienced pilots, careful, but stern teachers,some of the most beautiful human beings I have ever known! Thank you, my friends!

Capt. "Sam", I was aboard the Delta Queen on her trip up the Missouri back about 88? Adrian Hargrove and I believe John Davitt were pilots, we only went as far as St. Charles, (about 32 miles) 32 too far for the old Delta Queen, any higher water, she couldn't have shoved up river, we only made about 3 mph up bound, any lower on the gauge and we couldn't have made it, the old DQ with her near 9 foot draft drug across a few bars on the way up and out... As I recall our top downbound speed out of St. Charles was 22 mph, had to run her full hard ahead to out run the current to maintain steerage, kind of scary on a little river with the most damn wood and rock dikes I have ever seen!

Machinery on "Lewis"

Mr. Jones - you must've done nice work on the transfer pump gaskets, because I ran that same pump on air from time-to-time in 1987-88.

Carl Jones;19890 wrote: I was Curator on the Dredge Captain Meriwether Lewis but we never fire her water tube Foster Wheeler boilers. In fact I helped pump the last of her bunker C off. I ran the transfer pump on air from the starboard to port tanks. Had to re gasket that steam engine to do it.
ut riverrat

Alexander Mackenzie at Joliet 1-2010

Here is the Alexander Mackenzie on the waterway in Joliet, IL in January of 2010

Hold on here!! So the AM still exists? I didn't know that. Anyone have a brief synopsis of how it got to where is it is today and its current disposition? Is she afloat or hauled ashore? Interior gutted or no? Machinery?

Historic Aerial Photos

There is a company on the web that has historic aerial photos. Alex Mackenzie appears in a 1963 aerial photo. I believe she is in an old power plant raceway or part of the I&M canal.

Don't recall any more where I acquired this print of a watercolor, but always liked it. Pictured are the ALEXANDER MACKENZIE and the Streckfus excursion steamer SAINT PAUL, probably on the Upper Mississippi.

Shipyard Sam;17624 wrote: Now I realize why I did not see the last days of the HEJ... as I was on the AVALON somewhere on the Upper working our way to the Missouri River. Anyone else, on here, ever steamboated on the Missouri? It's become a pretty select club.

Shipyard,

Check your e-mail as I've sent you two newspaper clippings that you might find interesting.

Joliet Marine and Drydock Inc. owns and operates the Joliet Marine & Drydock Landing in the Port of Joliet to moor and repair floating equipment and barges and to moor its floating dry dock. At the head of the slip is permanently moored the office boat Alexander McKenzie, and a 450-ton floating dry dock is moored next to the office boat. Another 200-ton floating dry dock is moored at the outer end of the slip. The Port of Joliet's Marine & Drydock Landing has berthing space of 335 meters (1100 feet) NPE.