MQ, ADMIRAL hulls

Surviving Hulls

Here in the east the hull of the walking-beam Str POTOMAC (nee ALBANY) was used as a barge for many years hauling pulpwood in West Point, VA. In recent years the barge was grounded and served as a planter of sorts, much like one of the Greene boats (Chris Greene?) beached along the inland waterways.

Wesley

Hey Judy,

Your post reminded me that on one of my many drives past the Cincy waterfront recently I noticed BB Riverboats had reconfigured their dock. Absent from view was the hull of the Wakerobin. I wonder if it has finally been sent up the river for scrap. Next time I am in Newport I will stop and confirm that it's not their anymore.

Aaron

CHRIS GREENE hull/planter

Yes Wesley, it is the hull of the CHRIS GREENE that has become a planter on the Kentucky shoreline just upriver from Cincinnati. After the TOM's hull useful days were done, the owner brought her ashore alongside the CHRIS before he cut her up. Keith and I happened to be in the neighborhood and got to climb around her just days before her end. Here's the thread we posted when that occurred: http://www.steamboats.org/forum/steamboats-history/3503-chris-greene-hull.html

I was down in Paducah to look at some barges and notice a long hull at Bailey's scrap yard and was the hull of the Admiral and they were in the process of cutting her up and pulling her up the hill

Where is the location of Bailey's scrap yard? River, mile, etc.

Bailey is on the Tennessee at mile 14.1

A sad confirmation

Sadly it is confirmed that what Bob saw was the ADMIRAL's hull being cut up -only a small section of the stern is left to do...

Hulls of Late, Great Steamboats

With the demise of the MISSISSIPPI QUEEN, ADMIRAL, MARY WOODS No. 2, and WAKEROBIN, I wonder what has become of the hull of the BECKY THATCHER, formerly the Str. MISSISSIPPI. At last report, several months ago, the hull was still submerged in the Ohio at Pittsburgh, but the towing knees, capstan, and part of the sternwheel were showing.

Anybody up that way know the status and/or have any photos to share????

*RE: Str. MISSISSIPPI*

Hi, Keith,
Good questions RE: the Str. MISSISSIPPI following her winter sinking, wreckage being hauled out etc. I also wondered the same but don't know the latest news. Cap n' Bill Judd checks .org almost daily when not out on a marine survey job. I'm certain he's heard and knows more as he's frequently up that way on job having his sources of information.

Congrats on your new office at the Howard! Looking forward in time to a visit down there to catch up. Can't think of a better person for the position than you. Cheers!

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

Keith: According to my source, as Dale put it, the hull, wheel etc of the Becky Thatcher is still in the water and I guess the salvage person has just abandoned the project. I have not been to Neville Island lately so I have not personally laid eyes on the mess.

Thanks!

Thanks, Capt. Bill, for the information. I had a telephone conversation with the Coast Guard officer in charge of the investigation and he basically said the same thing. The once grand steamboat, pride of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, deserves a decent funeral!

IF and WHEN they do scrap her beautiful Howard built hull, that pretty capstan on her forecastle should go to the Point Pleasant River Museum, which already has the brass top from it (installed at Ayer & Lord in 1926) as well as her pilotwheel, both of which are prominently displayed.

Speaking of capstans, Chief Kenny and I were lamenting today that we have NONE at the Howard Museum and could use one, especially as a marker for the driveway to the new Collections Management building!

Capstan available?

The NATCHEZ bought only one of the two MQ stern capstans - maybe the other one is still there, want me to put it in my carryon luggage this NOLA trip?????

I live about 30 minutes from where the Thatcher went down. I'll going to try to make room in my schedule to head there to get some photos and post them.

Thanks, Mike! The boat has now been sunk over a year, but there's been very little "coverage" in the way of images and information. Despite the fact that we are rapidly losing what few vintage vessels we have, their sinkings, dismantlings, etc., are a part of river history and deserve to be documented.

I have heard that, after the superstructure of the BECKY was demolished and scooped from the river, the pieces and parts were dumped in a local landfill. If anybody knew the location, they possibly could have obtained some "souvenirs" of various kinds and perhaps even the pilothouse lazy bench, which was on the main deck at the time of the sinking. Who knows, maybe it's still trapped there with the hull! Like the MQ, there have even been rumors that the hull of the BECKY is to be raised and used as a barge. Who knows???

Your "steamboat sleuthing" and assistance will be much appreciated!

Now that Admiral's hull is gone, can anyone tell us about the hull of the car ferry Pelican. I know that at some point in the mid or late 70's it was here in St. Louis. In that time frame, I spent quite a bit of time around the Streckfus little boats and remember that it was down in the area just below either McArthur or Poplar St. bridge. It still had tracks on it as I recall and had railings around the wheel wells. Capt. Jim, do you remember if you saw it?

PELICAN Hull Alive in '75

Dan: I saw the PELICAN hull in the St. Louis harbor in May of 1975. The river was high and the hull was tied up above the Veteran's Bridge. The PRESIDENT was alongside the Streckfus wharfboat and the BECKY THATCHER (just recently sold to the Ohio River Showboat Drama group at Marietta, Ohio) was being prepared to be towed on her journey down the Mississippi and up the Ohio. Also moored just above the Eads Bridge was the former steamer MINNESOTA of the Drs. Mayo fame. It languished around the St. Louis waterfront for some years, finally sinking during the winter of 1978 as the COTTON BLOSSOM restaurant boat, at the lower end of the levee.

Anyway, it's likely that I snapped a photo of the hull and I'll check my photo archives and negatives. I'm sure Jim can provide more information and undoubtedly has some slides in his VAST collection!

I remember the Pelican Hull at the upper end of St Louis Fuel, just below the MacArthur Bridge. I think Jack Churner was just husbanding it for someone; don't think he purchased himself. I don't know where it went or exactly when. I remember asking him some years later and he claimed not to know. Wish I did know. Over the years I made several inquires thither & yon to no satisfaction.

One more question I have about the hulls of the Admiral & President is where, in what City were the ribs rolled----they both bear the rolling marks of CARNEGIE USA.

Maybe Dan Owen can enlighten us.

Now a question for Sir A. Bates.......since there were many different physical characteristics to the ribs how were they each rolled and then marked so the yard building a hull could lay them out in the proper order & if as one might assume these Carnegie steel ribs were manufactured in or around Pittsburgh how were they shipped to Dubuque?....rail. barge....? For the Steamers Cincinnati & Louisville the question is less germane possibly.

Sept 1, SS Admiral Picture

For whatever it is worth, this taken Sept 1, 2011..... (See attachment)

The Wakerobins hull has been cut up for scrap. BB spent a lot of $ to foam it but it was still determine to commit suicide. A lot of the Wakerobin is still preserved at the Lock#34 Chilo, Ohio museum. The engines, lots of guages, pilothouse stuff, stateroom doors and lots of neat stuff. Many thanks to Capt. Jim Blum for his donations.

PELICAN hull at St. Louis

Thanks, Capt. Bill, for the update on the hull of the late, great Str. WAKEROBIN. Too bad the old gal was relegated to the scrapper's torch, but at least she lives on in memories and memorabilia. Just this past Sunday Mickey Frye presented me with a box of "steamboat stuff", some of it artifacts from the WAKEROBIN.

I searched my files and found a negative, somewhat faded, of the Str. PELICAN. I took this image on May 10, 1975 at St. Louis, just above the Veteran's Bridge.