bad news for the Admiral

Once again, another historic riverboats disappears from our world. I hope she doesn't go the same way as the PRESIDENT did. That would just be a shame. I'm just glad I got to see her at the levee in St. Louis before she was taken away.

Big new complex planned!

Bubba, haven't you heard? Because the relocation of the PRESIDENT was such a success, the ADMIRAL will join her older sister, becoming a supermarket adjacent to the Hotel PRESIDENT. To make the complex even more exciting, the GOLDENROD Movie Theatre will be adjacent to the Hotel PREZ on her other side. Knowing that hotel guests will want something to do after grocery shopping and watching a movie, the last Illinois gambling license will be awarded to MALO To The Bone Gaming, Inc, who will bring the former CASINO ROCK ISLAND to the site as a casino, and her restaurant boat the EFFIE AFTON, nee MATEUR, as a 5 star dining establishment. And the piece d'restance (sp.): a 30 ft. wide, 4 ft. deep trench will be dug and filled with water, on which the steamer JULIA BELLE SWAIN will circle continuously, offering 1 hour excursions on the perimeter of this complex. Tentative complex name: Steamboat Heaven - er, Haven.

Judy, that sounds like an amazing place...NOT!!! Hey, maybe they could buy the AQ and make an on-site Wal-Mart out of her. ugh...

Now, that sounds like real entertainment. I'd drive from Google, Kansas to St. Tickle Me Elmo for that!

Speaking of the PRESIDENT, I just turned to the National Geographics channel and caught the last 10 minutes of the "Monster Moves" program that was all about the PRESIDENT's move. Wish I had caught the whole show. I'm sure they will re-run it sometime.

A few years ago I got an email from the "Monster Moves" producers. They were searching for a large boat move to film, and it just so happened that I had been in contact with the owner of the PRESIDENT, who was planning on moving the boat to central Illinois, so I put them in touch.

Monster Moves show

I wish I had seen that... they contacted me for pictures. I sent them some from her various stages of her career. I wonder if they used any? What station was that on?

The "NatGeo" channel, or National Geographics channel. If you happen to have DirecTV, it's channel 276.

Here is a link to the National Geographics channel's web page for the PRESIDENT's move:
PRESIDENT's Move

You can catch this episode again on Thursday March 18th, at 4 PM, on the National Geographics channel.

Each week seems to bring more bad news for old boats! Thanks, Pete, for the links to articles, especially the collection of ADMIRAL photos in her glory days. Another upcoming program idea: Capt. Jim and Annie Blum doing a presentation on working aboard the ADMIRAL. Goodness knows that Capt. Jim has "tons" of slides! At the rate things are going, soon all we're going to have are photographic images - and faded memories. I say faded because many of us with those memories are getting older!

I saw all but a few minutes of it. It was depressing. The way she was hacked up will make it really difficult to put her back together. If there was any effort to mark pieces for relocation and realignment, it was not shown or visble. Looked to me like all that is left is a bunch of really big pieces of scrap metal. Yeah, you could piece together something, but it will probably be cheaper to build a boat from scratch. Good chance that's why she's still scattered all over the real estate a year later.

Just a reminder that today (Thursday) at 4 PM Eastern is the scheduled episode of "Monster Moves" on the National Geographics channel featuring the demolition of the Str. PRESIDENT.

I just set my DVR to record it, 2:00pm mountain time. Channel 186 on Dish. Thanks for the heads up.

Sounds just exactly like something you would find in Vegas, and probably nowhere else on earth. Yeah, baby!

Thanks. I've got my DVR set too. We've got some decent weather to be working outside, before more snow this weekend, so I'll watch it tonight.