Topic starter
04/12/2008 2:35 am
This was mentioned in the great MQ memories thread, which is getting pretty long, so I've started a specific DQ one.
Before the bathroomless rooms were torn out and combined with others, and when there was a Skid Row on the Cabin Deck - the Officers Quarters were on the Forward Sundeck. Here is the diagram and a picture of the doorway leading into the area. Today that doorway is part of a passenger room, among other changes. If you look closely at the picture, you can see the MATE nameplate on the first door, to which Bob and Mel were referring. This is on the starboard side. To the right of the entrance was the Master's room. On the port side the corresponding room was the Chief Engineer's. Forward of these two rooms were the showers and toilets, a location wellknown on occasion in the Texas Lounge directly beneath. You can see in the deck plan the stairs which went up into the pilothouse - the only entrance, no exterior steps in those days. The big square thing in the middle of the hallway is the smokestack. Aft are 8 rooms: 2 for pilots and other assorted officers. Ted was referring to one of these as his residence while Purser. I recall Vic Tooker being up there after Skid Row disappeared.
One other interesting item in the deck plan: note the MEN and WOMEN bathrooms directly aft of the OQ - those were still there on my first trip in 1973. On my second trip in 1974 I was in room 314, which had been the MEN public bathroom the previous year - and it was the smallest of the cheapest rooms, another story for another time on that!
Topic starter
04/12/2008 2:51 am
More DQ Officer Quarters
Here are the Skid Row OQ, on the Cabin Deck stern. This deck plan is from 1960. By my first trip in 1973, these rooms had been combined with 132,140,141,142, and 143 and made into passenger rooms in Skid Row.
In 1973, there were still 6 rooms that had no bathrooms: 131 and 130, our first rooms; 117,118,119,120 on this diagram. But note that directly across the entranceway from 131 was the WOMEN's public bathroom, which had showers in it; likewise the MEN across the lounge.
You can see SOUVENIR at the edge - the Souvenir stand was in the room forward of the midship doorway on the starboard side (now 110 I think). The current gift shop was the Hostess Office in 1960(a barber shop in California days).
04/12/2008 2:52 am
Judy, at the very front of the Sundeck, the very front 'curved window' areas, what would now be the other side of where the eagle resides, it looks from your floor plan like two small non-shower bathrooms...Crew exclusive rooms of comfort maybe?
Cool stuff, by the way...thanks.
Topic starter
04/12/2008 2:55 am
Yes, the officers' bathrooms/showers were in the very front, but the wider curved area was the window for the Captain and the Chief's rooms. They had their own toilet, didn't they?
04/12/2008 2:59 am
So after all the renovations to make sure all had a three peice bathroom, the total passenger count of the DQ must of taken a huge hit, I presume...
The Betty Blake was probably a lot busier in those days...same with the Orleans.
Keep 'em coming...So cool....
04/12/2008 3:05 am
And am I seeing that on the Cabin Deck in those days, quite a few of the rooms you entered from the deck not the Lounge? Funny as I can see no evidence of previous outside doors on the Cabin deck...yet on the Sun Deck you can see all kinds of previous chenanagans...
The big windows were always above these outside doors to these Cabin Deck cabins back in those days? I guess I could Google this and look myself. Or did they sorta copy the other windows, added new ones, when they redid the rooms and took out the doors to the deck, made them look like a continuous band of windows like today?...It's funny, as you can see quite clearly the stained glass windows they replaced in the Texas Lounge when they took out the smoker's exhaust fans on the port side, beautiful job of trying to copy antiquity by the way. But on the Cabin Deck, they all look 'original'.
Great stuff, bring it on...feeds the soul...
04/12/2008 7:09 am
No I dont think the Captain and Cheif had bathrooms either as I recall Judy. And I remember Mom Tooker living down the hall. Oh and the Watchmens room was up there too. The smoke stack always makes me think of a traffic circle. The most interesting room was the Carpenters on the aft main deck Starbord side in the engine room. I remember when Bill Gatzke and Bill Kelly shared that room.
04/12/2008 4:10 pm
Thanks, Judy, great stuff! My encounter with this berthing area was in 1989 ( can't remember when they did away with this berthing area)... the bunks were so narrow and short that I ( always a bit corpulent) almost had "overhang" issues re the width... and Venetta Hollifield, who occasionally relieved as HM slept with her feel elevated over the sink, she wad aboyt 6' 2"... Barbara Burch, like Goldilocks, was " just right" to fit.
Topic starter
04/12/2008 5:11 pm
Small rooms
Keith:I remember Capt. Charlie Fehlig's wife telling us that one time when he was pilot and she stayed in the room too, that he had told her to move over, and her reply was:"Cap, the stern's on the wall!"
Bruno: Interesting comment about the passenger count - I don't know what the Greene Line's original certificate allowed, presumably someone on here will know that. But as I count in the 1960 configuration with 2 per room, it would have been 196. When I rode, it was 192 I think. Now there were some rooms in which 3 were allowed, such as 209 with the wide lower berth in the 1970s and 80s which would figure into that 192. I'll post the entire deck plans for all 3 decks in 1960 when I get back from church this afternoon. You'll see the Texas and Sun didn't change much, other than the Officers Quarters being removed.
Topic starter
04/12/2008 8:59 pm
1960 deck plans
Here are the deck plans for all 3 decks, which unfortunately don't come out as well when scanning the whole deck, but you can get the gist I think. The Texas Deck has been the least changed over the years, very little change in fact.
Topic starter
04/12/2008 9:05 pm
demise of Skid Row
The Skid Row rooms were eliminated in the winter of 1983, for the '84 season. 4 suites replaced the 8 or so bunk bedded rooms. That was also the time the bathroomless rooms were eliminated. The bulkheads were removed and the adjoining rooms were enlarged. All of these changes were on the Cabin Deck. That was the time I knew my days were done, as my rate went from $105 in '83 to $240 in '84, and I luckily fell into a job on the NATCHEZ instead... also, someone mentioned Bill Gatsky and Bill Kelley's room in the Engine Room: for the Carter trip, the public communications machinery was set up in room 315, port side Sundeck at top of stairs. But the top secret stuff was set up in their room - don't know where they ended up for that trip.
04/12/2008 9:42 pm
Yeah that was me Judy, the Bill's room was just really neat cause you were right there on the water. the windows were great.
04/12/2008 9:45 pm
Hey anybody out there ever been on the wheel of either boat when it moved by accident?
05/12/2008 2:45 am
Accidently on Purpose
No one should have been on either wheel unless the paddlewheels were tied correctly so they wouldn't move "by accident". If the wheel is tied right it shouldn't move, but no amount of ties will keep the paddlewheel from moving if someone "accidently" opens the throttle to the engines. That is why the person-in-charge of the wheel detail always puts a MAN IN THE WHEEL sign on the throttle and removes it after the work's done on the back end.
Quite simply, NO, I have never been in any paddlewheel when it was moved accidently or otherwise, and that is why I am still around to reply to Mel's query. My list of paddlewheelers that I skampered around in their wheels goes back a long ways, but as John Hartford so aptly put it:
"I'm still here..."
Where did I hear about the steamboat mate who had his deckhands tie their heavy wrenchs to their wrists and then accidently give the engine throttle a quick burst of steam? Didn't happen on the QUEENs, but I think it was one of the old time Pilots, on one of them, who related the tale.
05/12/2008 3:35 am
Hey all,
Did anyone else notice the former Souviniers and sundries location on the Cabin Deck midship on the stb'd side?
Virginia Bennett once told me todays steamboatique was a storage room in her day and later became the Hostesses Office. In the 70's when I was first aboard her, the Gift Shop was in the same place as todays Steamboatique. The Steamboatique counter was earlier in the opening to todays shop.
When looking over these deck plans Judy was so nice to scan for us, remember the boat when in California carried over 300 overnight passengers in the staterooms on the boat we know of and others for men only in the bow area (below decks).
One has to conclude yesterdays passenger was smaller than todays passenger. Cause the bunk space was considerably less back then.
Judy, I think the DQ's pax compliment was 192 when I was first aboard her. Today it is 174 if all bunks are filled.
~Travis~
05/12/2008 5:45 am
Yes Travis it was 192 back in the 80's
05/12/2008 3:15 pm
On one of my first trips on the DQ, I had a cabin deck room, seems it was 115, that was very small. But, I was hardly in it, staying up half the night out on deck or exploring the boat, so's not to miss anything!
When I was a watchman, I resided up in the Officers Quarters on the port side. Mom Tooker was next door and Vic was across the hall from her. Facilities were up forward, under the pilothouse. I liked that set-up, with the stairs to the pilothouse inside.
In the early days of the DQ, the gift shop was run by Ms. Happy Briscoe. She also played the piano and often "sat in" with the entertainment in The Orleans Room. So popular with passengers was Happy that there were postcards available of her behind the souvenir shop counter. I have one of those cards, but will have to locate it in my archives.
In 1966, the gift shop was run by steamboat artist/buffette Dorothea Frye, who took the job for a season as a favor to her good friend, Mrs. Letha C. Greene. Herewith are two photos of Dorothea behind the counter.
Topic starter
05/12/2008 3:50 pm
Souvenir/gift shop
Yes, I pointed that souvenir shop out in one of my postings...If you look closely at one of the scans, you can see part of the word SOUVENIR on the right edge. This is right in front of the stand, which is now 110. It shows on the full deck scan, as does the HOSTESS OFFICE where today's Gift shop is. And remember, the Gift Shop was enclosed until sometime in the '90s I think. You stood at the counter and had the purser bring you items on display to look over.
05/12/2008 4:05 pm
Back in the 50's the advertised passenger capacity was 200, which I believe was the capacity when she began operating on the Ohio in 1947.
My room in the old officers quarters was the last room on the port side which was located next to the lady's bathroom. The stall door was bolted on the bulkhead next to my bunk and that door must have had one hell of a spring on it because all night long women would come out of the bathroom stall, swing the door wide open then let it go. That stall door would slam three times against the stop....slam, slam, slam. It rattled my bunk everytime.
Yes, in the old days the souvineer stand was located in a parlor room off the main cabin. It was run by "Happy" Briscoe an older lady who would play the piano at might while Harmon Mize tickled the keys on the Hamnond organ. Happy was a veteran of the old Eagle Packet boats and she was aboard the GOLDEN EAGLE when it hit the dike and sank in 1944. She said that Capt. Buck Lehy aged 40 years watching his beloved boat go down that terrible night.
Topic starter
05/12/2008 5:59 pm
a better deck plan scan, and Happy Briscoe
Here is a clearer scan of the forward section of the Cabin Deck in 1960, showing the Souvenir Stand and Hostess Office. Also the postcard to which Keith referred, of Happy Briscoe in the Souvenir Stand (110). Keith is of course at work and unable to access his files today, while I lounge leisurely in retirement with my filepiles accessible... I have a couple of 78s I bought on Ebay featuring Happy, Harmon, and Mary Greene Cleary. A couple of songs which come to mind are: Down in the Paw Paw Patch and City Skyscrapers.
05/12/2008 7:16 pm
Another outside door to the Cabin Deck in the background and yes there it is in the plan...
It looks like the back end of the Betty Blake got narrower when the new Cabin Deck staterooms were built?
And I take it with the moving of the Souvenir stand (morphing into the Steamboatique?) the Hostess's job was eliminated?...duties absorbed by...the cruise director?
And I think this picture scan answers my earlier question about the windows on the rebuilds...
Thanks for the scans, Judy
05/12/2008 9:27 pm
Yeh, Mel, Been there, done that, in regards to the wheel moving while mate and hands adorned,happened several times, and yes, even though tied with 2 1/4 8 strand I saw it broke, even with the man in the wheel sign in place! (Sans, oiler removed sign from throttle to polish brass, forgot to put it back, myself and kevin Dunn to a fast ride to the river! Rode the wheel more than once, most proud of when Craig Hall, Buford Wilkinson and Greg Hawkins and I replaced 24 boards and 8 wheel arms in 17 hours in the freezing rain at Davenport after hitting the rock ledge at Le Clair southbound and driving the port rudder up through the wheel.Inspiring, devoted, driven and focused young men on the wheel.
05/12/2008 9:55 pm
Pax count allowed dropped to 174 in 83/84 when skid row was eliminated, but the company was never bound by "pax count". Management always interperted to count as "the maximum persons allowed and would quite often adjust the crew member levels accordingly, IE if not enough passengers, send crew members home, or if many passengers booked, send crew home, (always staying within the COI in regards to required crew, and required manned stations, which according to the station bill only required 24 stations, which as I recall, on an Inland water vessel did not require every fire station to be manned, (at least while I was aboard!)For several years, there was an attempt, in my opinion, to by- pass the required number of crew by saying that the entertainers where not "Members of the crew, but "contract employees" not designated or required by the COI.
We did always, I must stress, man all stations as required by the COI. and always did. (Captain JB any comments?)
Topic starter
05/12/2008 10:31 pm
DQ wheel rebuild
Capt Mike;14544 wrote: Yeh, most proud of when Craig Hall, Buford Wilkinson and Greg Hawkins and I replaced 24 boards and 8 wheel arms in 17 hours in the freezing rain at Davenport after hitting the rock ledge at Le Clair southbound and driving the port rudder up through the wheel.Inspiring, devoted, driven and focused young men on the wheel.
The 5 foot piece of bucketboard standing behind me, which I take to my talks, is from that day. I was around for a good portion of the day and was amazed to see how rapidly you guys got it rebuilt. I believe I handed my cellphone to you to speak with Capt. Gabe, who was home in Colorado, to tell him of the progress. I think that's the only time I saw the DQ wheel with some unpainted boards. That was quite a piece of work, and I believe you left about 8 PM, only a few hours later than scheduled. And that was the last UMR trip that DD worked too, I believe....
05/12/2008 11:48 pm
I seem also to recall that Souvenir stand as being labelled "casino" at one time, waaaaaaayyy back. I had been told there were slot machines there, but cannot remember if they were "real" or paid off in some sort of scrip. Anyone know anything?
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