DELTA QUEEN TRIVIA win the Snickers bar

RE: Why glass domes were removed.
Hi, Jim Blum & steamboating colleagues:
This a most interesting 'thread' and glad it was posted. In addition to Capt. Tom Greene being "irked" with the ornamental glass domes on the DQ [Fred Way's words and speech] there were more solid marketing needs in the minds of the Greene family. Capt. Tom was planning for the future in sales, marketing and public relations. The term 'Steamboat' never exsited in the early promotions and brochures. 'SS DELTA QUEEN...A MODERN RIVER LINER" etc. were employed along with "steamer." The GREENE LINE was eager to appeal to the growing market. One glance at the sleek 'liner' stack installed on the boat for a time bearing the 'G' is an indication. It was a business but Capt. Tom was just as 'hooked' during his life as we all are 'hooked' today. Tom used that great term "Steamboatiana" several times in personal letters.

The glass domes were removed to provide space above for new baths to meet the market. Consult your deck plans to view this work done at DRAVO. Two phone calls last night to 'those who were there then' elicited the comment that, "We can't recall now actually seeing any glass skylight over the former dining room aft of the purser office...but will dig out 1947/'48 photos to check." Again, hard to say what alterations were made over the former dining room by RIVER LINES or the U.S. Navy.

Another seek and search quest is out to possibly narrow down the stained glass company doing the work for the DK/DQ. The style in the 1920s was restrained and not overly ornate. Naturally all leaded with warm, subdued colors accented in white and irovy. Light domes and clerestory skylights were common on steamboats/steamships for years. Last ones I recall were the high clerestory cabin windows on the old Great Lakes ship SOUTH AMERICA and as a kid on one of the OLD BAY LINE night steamers between Norfolk and Baltimore. Many of the big, new blue water ships have false domes illuminated artifically from behind. More on this in time..hopefully. Well, what do I know?

Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River.

According to Bob McCann, Charles T. Campbell (who was probably the father of modern day river transportation) visited the DQ when she was on the ways at Dravo and commented that the boat was not modern enough for todays travelers (1947). He proposed that he would finance a new tourist boat which Tom Greene could lease. I believe that Tom Greene was worried and that's why he emphasied "modern", gracious, air-conditioned, steam ship.
Photo: from the Ohio River Handbook....the DQ leaving Dravo on it's way back to Cincy. I really thought the stage mast and boom where put on at Dravo but apparently not. Look at how bare the pilothouse roof is.

from liner to steamboat

And I'll bet Charles T. Campbell had more money than Tom Greene to invest in such a luxury liner. Interesting isn't it though, that even back then the attempt to 'glorify' was made - and it was the 'hokiness'/ informal/ downhome/whateveryouwanttocallit aspect that drew the crowds and devoted repeaters. Luckily, Tom and Letha Greene had the good sense to recognize this and gave the passengers what they wanted, not 7 swans a swimming on a 1000 thread sheet and a refusal to change the image even if it sank the ships!

In light of this thread's title, I notice that you can still see evidence of the skylights on the roof, and there are apparently three. Jim, you are certainly right about the pilothouse roof, and indeed the entire sun deck roof! Those old California lifeboats are still on the bow of the boat, too. Having come out of the shipyard many times on many boats, I know what a headache the mate and deck crew had to get everything cleaned up, unwanted stuff thrown away, etc. I remember reading that there was a great deal of work done at Cinci, too, after the boat got back to the wharfboat.

Windows on the World.

I notice that the dining room still had all of its windows!

Wesley

A couple interesting things I noticed in that photo. Some of the original solid railing is still hangin on at the prow, and is that the original flag mast at the stem? Maybe stored during the tow from CA and just put back on until arrival at Cincy? What entrigues me most though is the visor around the upper edge of the pilothouse. I have been told this was a Capt. Wagoner addition, but its clearly visible in this photo? Was it later removed and he added it back again? Then if you look closely on the main deck just forward of the superstructure below the rounded section that was added at Dravo, there appears to be lifeboats shoved in there. Is this her original lifeboats being taken back to cincy? Does anyone have an idea what happened to them?

Those windows were filled in around 1983...

RE: 'Temporary' jackstaff on DQ's bow in 1948.
Hi, Phillip & steamboating colleagues:
Your observations RE: 'jackstaff' on the DQ's bow and the other staff at the stern are on the money. In California days C.T. Co. had installed a smaller jackstaff [Which varied over the years] on the bow along with two high slightly raked masts on the top deck roof and the one at the stern. No doubt those staff would have presented problems during high water here if they'd remained way up on high. During W.W. II the U.S. Navy retained the one staff just behind the pilothouse as a radio beacon aboard. On Pg. 92 of Capt. Fred Way's 'Saga of the DELTA QUEEN' you get a glimpse of that staff with cross arms during the Panama Canal transit. In New Orleans the crew removed it and stored down below. On Pg. 106 of Fred's 'Saga' you see the staff mounted in the socket flying the flags of "eight nations" the DQ passed on her classic trip.

After renovations at DRAVO the company temporarily mounted that staff again for use. When the new steel swinging stage and boom was in place there was way to use it as the stage had to swing. It was stored for years in the old GREENE LINE wharfboat here back by the former paint locker. When things began to 'change' with the company Capt. Doc Hawley, via Letha Greene, gave me that same staff before things were junked and lost. There sentiments were, "You better get it now before something happens." It was still painted Navy gray with reminents of the radio wires. Took a truck and three of us to cart to the house. Length with socket on the DQ's roof was about 32 ft. It was sanded, painted and set in a concrete sleeve base in front of our family home flying Old Glory until I moved to my present residence. In time I offered it to the OHS/Ohio River Museum in Marietta where the cost was provided to have it mounted on the W.P. SNYDER where it remains to this day. Again the jackstaff was hauled down to the DQ by truck at the Public Landing here for a free ride to Marietta courtesy of Patti Young, then working in public relations. Jeffery Spear and John Briley, OHS curator/manager, had it hauled up to the museum for later mounting. I provided a brass plate with the history of the staff but it was later removed as a few visitors were 'fiddling' with the small screws to pry it off. I have that brass plate here over my desk now. I'd posted some of this some time back but hope readers don't mind it appearing again. Well, what do I know?

Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River.

RE: 'Typos' on the above:
Well, 'type in haste, repent in leisure.' Fighting desk work here and didn't notice the silly typos in the above [i.e.'their' in place of 'there' etc.]. I'll should have used 'spell check' along with keener eyes...'senior moment.'

Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River.

Great stuff Dale! Glad you did repost it as I hadn't seen it! When I finally make it up to Marietta I'll have to check that out too! Now about that visor? and those lifeboats? Any ideas where they ended up?

The picture that Jim posted...

I notice that the four funnel ventilators haven't been installed yet, when? And I'm not seeing a whole bunch of light masts either.

I posted this picture that Keith sent me a while ago, the comparisons are interesting. This is the DQ in 1958...notice that the pilothouse window is the new double wide model. And notice that the ventilators are now there. And one starboard side life boat has vanished but it does look like the subsequent lengthening of the outside railing of the Texas deck to only hold one lifeboat has been done yet. And still no light masts.

And Franz, if you're monitoring, a question...Why is it that I can't post the same picture twice on the forum. In order to post this picture here I had to delete it from the previous post where I originally showed it...I even tried to rename the image file, hoping that I could "fool" the software. No dice.