Chief Earle Haskell and the generator

Thanks Bob, I always remembered you telling me that story but couldnt remember all the details. Was that the time Fred Klein was a watch engineer and the thing flew apart right as the Pax were having lunch? It happened right after I came on watch one day and blew soot out all the AC vents in the Orleans room.

I could hear it winding up and ran back to engine room and Fred was running up the steps of the lower engine room hollering "get the H*## outta here!"

That was the time!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought so, Its one of those incidents you just dont forget. well then it was right at watch change because you always ran the after watch. We were in port but I dont remember where. It should be documented somewhere.

I wish people on this board could hear your imitation of him saying that, in his flat Yankee accent. If you haven't met Bob, he can imitate ANYONE.

Lexie I can hear Bobs impersonation just like it was yesterday. He did a good impression of the UMR Pilot, the short one with the beard, "your just the man I was looking for" who was that?

UMR pilot

Art Zimmer??? Regarding Bob's impersonations, I had to throw myself over my tape recorder here in my mixed neighborhood as I listened to his Howard Tate - I had the recorder by an open window with my teenaged neighbors outside within earshot. Not only did Bob get the speech right, but the coughs were right on too!

Lexie Palmore;19687 wrote: I wish people on this board could hear your imitation of him saying that, in his flat Yankee accent. If you haven't met Bob, he can imitate ANYONE.

That's it! Next year at Marietta, Bob would make an excellent speaker. He could pepper his talk with his recollections of the old timers in their own voices.

One of the the things I look back on from my Steamboat time, was the many and varied talents so many of the people I worked with had. I really did not fully appercate them at the time.
Besides being a fair general hand and having the ability to tick people off, I really do not have other talents.
Capt. Bob's impersonations is a classic example of those type of skills and one of the ways that the spirit of those people carries on.

Thanks Judy it was on the tip of my tongue but I just couldnt get it to register. Art Zimmer!

Amen. I'd love to hear that talk.

We all have little gems on audio and video tape that put together would make a teriffic record of our experiences. But, likely, these will eventually all be lost, and so will a precious piece, or pieces, of steamboat history.

Bob at S&D

That's a good idea Frank, but next year's program is set already - David Tschiggfrie is going to do his AVALON presentation, which many of us were able to view at the Howard Museum River Ramblings a few years ago. I believe David has added to the work since then however.

Judy Patsch;19699 wrote: That's a good idea Frank, but next year's program is set already - David Tschiggfrie is going to do his AVALON presentation.

Even better, maybe Bob can make it to the MOR outing on the DQ in May. I guess maybe we should ask Barb H. first to see if she has a guest speaker lined up yet, and then Bob.

Well, wherever Bob would graciously consent to do his repertoire of imitations, I will be there. Somebody's front porch ?... It wouldn't matter.

SOMEWHERE I have a cassette tape, made in the DQ pilothouse in the wee hours, of Bob doing excellent imitations of Capts. Howard Tate, Harry Louden, Rip Ware, Oren Russell and others. Lex, I recall that you were on watch as pilot and I was watchman -- both of us having difficulty stifling our giggling! Them wuz the days!!!!!!!!!

I need to drag out my tapes and see if they are still playable, and if so, put them on a CD. Those magnetic tapes don't last forever. It is evident those recordings were made in the pilot house, at night, as the radar is humming away in the background. Yes, the DQ pilot house was Comedy Central in the wee hours. It vaz amuzink.

yes please it would be nice to hear some of those old recordings folks. I had some of Rip Ware and Harry Louden and of general radio traffic down in NOLA harbor but they have all disappeared and Capt. Ware threw one tape in the river. I would be more than happy to pay costs to hear those old recordings.