Topic starter
01/05/2009 3:01 pm
My friend Jay Mohney operates a wonderful site called Steamboat Building In Elizabeth Pa. His collection of pictures and stories of Steamboating on the Monongahela River is without a doubt one of the most extensive riverboat collections to be found on the internet ( or anywhere else ). A major portion of it is dedicated to the daily shipyard activites at the Elizabeth Marine Ways from 1898 to 1925, and utilizing an ancestors journal it covers boat building and repair and is a most unique and thorough look at that aspect of riverboating. One can spend hours here and only see a small part of the total offered. If they gave a Pulitzer Prize for Steamboat sites this would certainly qualify. He has lately added to this work with the addition of this old video of the Elizabeth Steamboat Parade of 1934. Many sternwheel boats can be seen , including the W H Clingerman (which later became the W.P. Snyder) without her wheel. There are no packet boats shown but the kally-ope lovers will be pleased to see several views of one being played ( on the boiler deck of a towboat no less ! ) The quality of the video varies but sit through short periods of roughness, it's worth it! It is 37 minutes long altogether and with my " basic " high speed connection it took about a minute to load so be patient. This link will take you to the page with the video. Scroll down on that page for much background on the occasion, including clippings from the Waterways Journal and other media, many still photos of boats and more. After that the home page is easily found and from there you can tap into the grey and smokey world of Pittsburgh Steamboats, Enjoy ! Please too, tap out a few words of thanks on his guest book page. Thanks Jay, from everyone who loves a paddlewheel !
The celebration of the 100th anniversary of the town of Elizabeth, PA,which includes a Riverboat parade and a Street parade, took place from July 2 to July 4, 1934. The two parades were filmed using the technology of the day, probably a 16mm movie camera. Sometime during the 1990s two Elizabeth men, Al Zadroga and Vinson Volpi, converted this film to video tape and included a narrative description by Mr. Volpi. You will view over twenty minutes of Steamboats, a fantastic sight, and then about fifteen minutes of the street parade with many of the citizens of 1934 Elizabeth identified by the narrator.
03/05/2009 1:28 am
I can't be sure, but I would bet that this video is a contender for the earliest moving picture recording of a steam calliope! I've taken the liberty of cutting together all of the calliope audio and video clips from the 37-minute video into a short 5-minute video available at YouTube - Steam calliope clips - Elizabeth, PA. The narrator claims that the calliope player is either Leroy or Bill Morris. Any idea who these gentlemen might be?
Equally interesting are the various calliope audio recordings that were spliced into the narration. At one point, the recording sounds a lot like Doc's rendition of "Beautiful Dreamer" from side 2 of the 1961 LP album "Here Comes the Showboat." The other instances sound as if there are some makeshift percussion instruments accompanying what sounds like an air calliope. Any thoughts?
A little history on this particular instrument from the video: It was built sometime in the 1920s by the ubiquitous Thomas J. Nichol firm of Cincinnati. The towboat R. J. HESLOP (seen in the video) only carried the calliope for one day, on July 2, 1934 for the Elizabeth, PA Centennial celebration and steamboat parade. The instrument dates back at least five years, when it was originally installed aboard the sixth QUEEN CITY (Way's #4615) sometime between 1926 and 1929. The QUEEN CITY probably carried the instrument through the 1933 season, when the packet became a wharfboat in Pittsburgh. At any rate, the calliope made its way to the tow I. LAMONT HUGHES, which carried this instrument in early 1934 for the "Century Tow." From there, it was installed briefly on the R. J. HESLOP before ending up in the AMERICA circus wagon, which now resides in working order at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI. It is one of the only remaining operable Nichol instruments with tracker action.
04/05/2009 12:13 am
JON;; I think the "Beautiful Dreamer" was from one of Capt. Ways Whistle Blow records, and it was the DELTA QUEEN's CaLLiope with DOC playing,on that record,,..
The one with the makeshift percussion is from a album called "Crazy Margie",
"if memory surves me" ,.. I use to have a copy of it ,untill the Wabash River clamed it,..!
04/05/2009 12:23 am
Dave, would this be the Margie Meinert LP called "Crazy Calliope Music" that I've heard about? Discogs.com says it was recorded in 1957 on the 1895 Wurlitzer Steam Calliope. I'd like to get a hold of a copy!
04/05/2009 12:28 am
YEP ,,, thats the one ,,, that CaLLiope is supose to be in Sarasota somewhere ,... Steam,,??? i don't know ,,....!
04/05/2009 1:57 am
Jon,
I just read your post, went to look, and I have that LP. I bought it probably in 1959, when I was "starved" for calliope music. Now I have plenty of calliope music from familiar boats so I would be very happy to give this to you if I can figure out how to get it there safely. Or I could convert it and send you a CD. Which is best for you?
04/05/2009 3:41 am
Crazy Calliope record
That Margie Meinert was a stalwart on WOC TV in Davenport in the 1950s. She played organ on a local show called "Trip the Trio". A pianist and vocalist completed the trio and viewers sent in songs that they hoped stumped them. That album is here in my collection too, skips a bit from overuse I think.
04/05/2009 3:48 am
O M G Pat ;; I would Love a copy in CD if you could do one for me,,?!?!?
PLEASE P.M. me or email at,, [email protected]
As i said in a preavious post, mine got lost in a Wabash River flood, and MOM chucked IT,,!!!
THANKS ,,,Dave ,,,.....
04/05/2009 11:32 am
Dave
I'll be happy to do that for you and anyone else who is interested. I just sent you an email message.
06/05/2009 8:45 pm
Judy Patsch;16849 wrote: That Margie Meinert was a stalwart on WOC TV in Davenport in the 1950s. She played organ on a local show called "Trip the Trio". A pianist and vocalist completed the trio and viewers sent in songs that they hoped stumped them. That album is here in my collection too, skips a bit from overuse I think.
Judy,
There's one more connection of Margie Meinert and WOC-TV in addition to the one you mention. Her recording of "Waitin' for the Robt. E. Lee" that is heard on the Meinert calliope album is exactly the same one which played in the background of Cap'n Ken's (and also Cap'n Ernie's) Cartoon Showboat on WOC-TV in the 50s and 60s. It accompanied the film of the AVALON arriving at the Quad Cities which aired at the top of the program and at the end. I'll never forget that calliope music -- I'm positive this is it. Good memories.
Topic starter
22/09/2009 8:25 am
Thought I would add this from a gentleman who may be known to some regulars on here, His memories seem to me to be worth sharing . He left these words on the site where the steamboat video is posted :
Name: Francis Grimm
Date: 2009-07-31
Comment:
I just wanted to thank you for presenting the tapes of the Steamboat Parade at Elizabeth Pa. in 1934. I was especially thrilled to see the many shots of the Wm. LARIMER JONES. My Dad worked at Howards when she was built, and worked as a steamfitter installing her engines and boilers. Also worked on her sister the TITAN. My uncle Bill Grimm also worked for the Howards, and was dating Ruth Howard at the time of her tragic death. He retired from Jeff Boat after 30 yrs. service. My uncle Walter Grimm was a pilot & captain on the river for some 25/30 years. Was long time captain of the Mv. SOHIOAN, towing oil products for Standard Oil Co. I remember seeing the Jones & the Titan when my Dad took me and my brother there when I was 5yrs. old. I will be 84 yrs. old on July 23 2009.
I would also like to add, that my Dad got permission to take me and my brother Richard, on an initial trial trip of the TITAN. We were on the top deck and had gone only a few miles up the river, when she developed an over heated wheel shaft bearing journal, and had to be shut down. We drifted with the current until a Howard work boat came out and towed us back to the yards. This event could probably still be found in some of the old Howard records. I can also remember my dad taking us up in the pilot house of the Howard built towboat, MARK TWAIN. I once had a picture of us, taken on her fantail next to her wheel. If I can ever find it I will post it for all to see. I can still see the beautiful lettering of her name, shaded in gold leaf.