DQ & GCG Pulled From Trash

GCG and DQ pix

Great picture - I don't think I have anything like it, unless it would be a real photo postcard. If this was in April 1948, that would be before the DQ made her first Ohio River trip. It looks as if she's all ready in this, so I'd guess it might be a bit later. Looking forward to more pix from this find. (Quite honestly, when I saw the title, I thought this might be a posting that the MQ had been 'saved' and was going to be rebuilt.)

What a great picture. It must has been taken sometime after 1950 because the DQ has her "top hat" smoke stack extension. Does anyone know eactly what year they put that on the QUEEN?

Between Bridge & GCG

Frank Jones' second pic shows the Cincinnati riverfront between the GORDON C. GREENE, tied up at the Greene Line Wharfboat and the Suspension Bridge during a high water episode ('flood' to you rookies) "sometime after 1950". The barges belong to Cosmos Cement Co., and that was where they were off-loaded of cement towed there by the McBride outfit from Louisville. McBride still has that contract, and, sixty-some-years-later, they make regular trips between L'vile and Rag Town hauling cement in a powdered form. Quite possibly, the cement barges shown in this photograph are the same ones that pass by the Rabbit Hash Shipyard ever-so-often, these days.

The Ohio River looks like it is nearly to the second floors of the buildings in the "bottoms" of Cincinnati. These same buildings can also be seen in the famous F&P daguerrotypes of 1848. Frisbie Machine Works may be in the small building seen over the stern of the lower barge.

Where's Bill Judd and Dale Flick when you need 'em?

The GORDON was laid up in Cincy till she was sold up the river to Portsmouth in 1952. What were the "high water episodes" during the late-winter and spring of that year? My guess is then you'll have your answer.

1952 River Stages

1952
Jan. 46.8'

2 Feb. 59.9'
Mar. 52.0'

Apr. 34.5
May. 24.9
Jun. 28.8
Jul. 14.2
Aug. 12.6
Sep. 12.3
Oct. 12.3
Nov. 13.0
Dec. 21.5

Thanks Jim and Frank for the clues.... February and March of 1952 both saw high water episodes at, or above, the flood stage mark of 52 feet at Cincinnati. So... these pictures could have been taken during either of these months, but counting on human nature, I'm figuring the photographer took his/her shots when the river was at its most dramatic stage... therefore, I'm going with sometime in late January or early February 1952 when the Ohio reached 59.9 feet on the second of February.

*RE: DQ/GCG Pulled from Trash*
Steamboating colleagues:
WOW! and double WOW! when I clicked this morning seeing those photos from Shipyard "Pulled from the trash." I think the above steamboat forensics pretty much nails things down. Tom Schiffer [Cap'n Walnut] is a fine source for the long-gone old buildings along the Public Landing/'Bottoms.' Bill Judd also haunted those regions. The GORDON C. GREENE last log book with final entry by Bob McCann on deposit at the 'Inland Rivers Collection/Cincinnati Room' at the main library would possibly nail the date down. I do know this scene after the flood what I recall when dad yanked me aboard the GORDON laid up to look around while on his duties as safety manager/fire boat protection for the Public Landing. That was a long time ago. Again, we all gasp hearing these horror stories of river materials pitched in the trash often lost forever. At times people are pressed for time, don't know, don't care--or do it out of spite. I've seen it happen again and again.

Busy up here rebuilding our one deep water dock driving pilings, sawing, nailing planks for several days and catching up on .org now. The French traders paddled by this week tossing off supplies and my leather mail pouch containing the June REFLECTOR. All work stopped so I could read. An incredible issue with much appreciated articles, essays, photos from ALL CONTRIBUTORS. I learned more about steam engines in one issue than years from other sources. David and Jon are excellent writers, editors. The DQ calliope history read like a detective story. Keith's fine tribute to Helen Hughes Prater beautifully done with great sentiment. The true stories of old steam engineer John Gibbs just one of his gripping accounts I hope will appear more. Never dreamed David would find a photo of the Str. BIG HORN. The B/W cover photos stunning. Thanks to you ALL.

R. Dale Flick
Summer: Northern shores of mighty Lake Michigan.

Another Treasure Shot

Another river treasure pulled off the trash heap by Mate Jones was this night scene of the sternwheel towboat J. L. BEATTY as seen from Newport, Kentucky; just about where the BELLE OF CINCINNATI docks these days. Obviously, this was one of the many boats the Beatty clan owned and operated in the Cincinnati area, but I am not familiar with it as this picture was probably shot, in 1952, just before the time I first got my feet wet with Ohio River water.

Frank has really found some real finds. The J.L. Beatty shot is at the foot of Columbia St., Newport, Ky. Time frame is after 1950 and before late 1951, because Beatty raised the pilothouse and added the short Texas in 1950 and he sold her to Greene Sand at Louisville in late 1951, became the Martha E. Greene. The !st. J..L Beatty was a "real horse" with two Winton Diesels @ 110 h.p. each !! Diesel electric drive, originally the J.B. Battle of the COE. Beatty's harbor at Newport was called Columbia Harbor after the street and kept its name when moved up river on the Ohio side. I can't help but wonder how many of us that trod on the decks of that boat are left ?