Paul Underwood

I, too, was a Mate working for Captain Paul Underwood, but on the DELTA QUEEN. One of my greatest thrills was the time we arrived at the Boswell Oil Terminal and barges littered the landing, so Cap'n Paul came down on deck with his game plan, and we shuffled all those barges with the QUEEN. I wonder if that had been done before or since; the DELTA QUEEN used as a towboat?

Sam, we used the Belle to tow the Renown to the surge basin several times. We just lashed her on the Belle's hip and took her down with us.
Here is an incident with Paul:
We stored the stage in the wharfboat (the Renown) for the winters. On this occasion Paul gave me minute instructions for moving the boat and getting the stage through the overhead garage door on the Renown. He told me to get out a head line and a spring line, among other things. It was a beautiful calm day; no wind, no current, just perfect.
So we backed down and started toward the Renown. I was on the wing bridge and Paul was steering. The stage went in that doorway as if it were going home - no lines or anything. So I stood there and watched and let her come. Without warning, Paul suddenly backed the boat and I yelled "Stop her!" It was no use. He backed out into the river and I went to the pilothouse for a conference.
Paul asked, "Why didn't you get out the lines?"
I told him she was floating in pretty as a picture and we didn't need the lines. He insisted that we do it his way, so we went at it again. A spring line was run to a ringbolt on the wharf. A headline was run to a kevel of the stern of the Renown. Two deckhands ran themselves half to death setting up. This time the Belle got contrary - nothing went right and I yelled to Paul, "You come out here and I'll steer!"
He laughed and I laughed and we went back to work.

Capt. Harris Underwood

I can't put my fingers on any pix of Capt. Paul right now, but here are a couple of his brother, Capt. Harris D. Perhaps Shipyard has some handy of
Capt. Paul... the first pix is on the DQ wingbridge in 1968, of 3 of the biggest little men on the river: Capts. Harris Underwood, Harry Louden, and Doc Hawley. Wasn't there a question on the board about whether hatbands ever designated First/Second Mate? Note Doc's: First Mate. The second pix was taken in Oct. 1971 on the BELLE of Capt. Harris and Calliope Keith.

Although I only met Capt. Paul Underwood a few times, I knew Capt. Harris very well. As Alan said, he was a true southern gentleman by every definition. He was from the "old school" and I've witnessed him "eject" people from the pilothouse when they got on his nerves and wore out their welcome! Capt. Harris and Mabel Underwood lived at Chattanooga and I kept in touch with them for many years after Capt. Harris had left the BELLE. Now long departed, but fond memories of these fine people live on.

Judy: That looks like Capt. Tommy Utter on the left. He and Harris often alternated as pilots on the BELLE during the season. Capt. Tommy was affectionately known as "Capt. Blue Eyes". His favorite tune was "My Happiness", which I often played for him on the calliope -- and through the clouds of steam I could see him "waltzing" around in the Belle's pilothouse!

I look like the ICE CREAM MAN in the picture with Capt. Harris. My hat band, which had been ordered from Cincinnati Regalia, had not arrived yet!

On the DQ wingbridge: Yep, that is Captain Tommy Old Blue Eyes Utter, and not Captain Harris. What a character HE was, and a fine pilot, too.

Oops, an "Utterly" uncalled for misidentification!!!!

Steamboating colleagues:
I'm enjoying the postings/memories Re: Paul Underwood from all of you who were there then. I posted the below quite a while ago but thought I'd dig it out again for many of the new members on the web.
* * * * * * * *

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, Friday, Aug 11, 1961. 'RIVER BOAT CAPTAIN RETIRES TODAY: Paul Underwood leaves DELTA QUEEN.'

'One more chapter in the ever-colorful saga of river lore will come to an end when the Str. DELTA QUEEN eases beside the GREENE LINE wharf at 1:00 AM tomorrow. When the mooring lines are secured, it will signal the successful finish of countless voyages over the inland waterways for Capt. Paul Underwood, Florence, Alabama. The veteran nagvigator of the lengths of the Ohio, the Mississippi and tributaries, disclosed his retirement plans yesterday at Evansville, Ind.

With Capt. Underwood at the pilot wheel for the last time, the DELTA QUEEN last night was plying its majestic way upstream from Louisville. It is returning from a weekly cruise to Kentucky Lake--a round trip taken countless times by Capt. Underwood.

A riverman most of his life, Underwood joined the GREENE LINE STEAMERS in 1952, serving as pilot on the old GORDON C. GREENE when it plied the Tennessee River. Prior to that he was associated with the Ohio River Division, U.S. Corps of Engineers, holding pilot and master licenses on the Ohio, Mississippi and Tennesse Rivers for many years.

Mrs. Letha C. Greene, President of the GREENE LINE, named Underwood as captain on February 24, 1956. He had been pilot of the boat the two preceding seasons.' END [The ENQUIRER

Steamboating colleagues:
Something went PFFT! as I was signing off the last posting. The ENQUIRER photo with the article Re: Paul Underwood pictures him in full uniform with gold braid hat standing in front of a DELTA QUEEN life preserver holding the habitual cigarette in hand al la Humphrey Bogart. He was short, as Alan says, but very dapper.

Years back I was around both Paul and Harris Underwood on the DQ but have to admit I kept my distance at my young age. They awed and intimidated me for sure--but not intimidating men as I look back now. I need to get Jane Greene's memories of them. First time I met Paul was as a kid when my late father took me down to the DELTA QUEEN in the 1950s. Dad represented the City of Cincinnati Safety Division/Cincinnati Public Landing and always maintained strong links to the GREENE LINE in case they needed any assistance. Paul talked to my dad and then led us down to the cook house. Dad got a big cup of wonderful DQ coffee and me a ham sandwich. Yummy!

As posted earlier on this web, the GREENE LINE paid many of the employees in cash sealed in a white envelope from the front office. Watching Paul Underwood on pay day was something. I saw him sitting in a chair on the front deck at the foot of the main stairs with envelopes in his lap. Cook house, porters, cabin attendants were there and Paul would softly call out their names and hand them the envelopes. It was a ritual, for sure. Please remember, I was never an employee of the GREENE LINE or, for that matter, never worked on a steamboat. The Navy and ocean ships were my haunts. Oh, the memories and thanks to you all. Well, what do I know?

Cheers,
R. Dale Flick

Capt. Paul was DQ Master on that first UMR trip in 1954 which ended here when she ran through herself. They spent 8 days at the Rock Island levee, as documented in previous postings quite a while back.

Yep, Tommy Utter on the left, an old Tennessee River Pilot. Think he and the Underwoods were all buddies from days steamboating on the Tennessee. As I recall one of his favorite tunes was the Tennessee Waltz.

Alan

Do you recall if Capt Paul Underwood was ever with the Commercial Barge Line back in the 1950s. In think he might have been on the M/V Commercial Clipper hauling new cars south. But I have been wrong before.

Ed Ray
Dublin, Ohio

Ed, I do not recall Paul Underwood ever mentioning the Commercial Barge Line. If my failing memory is correct he worked for the U.S. Engineers during the 1950's. During my time on the Belle of Louisville most of the officers were retired from the Corps, but that is no evidence of where else they may have served.

I remember Harris Underwood swearing only once. Although in their earlier days both Underwood brothers were familiar with several notable Kentucky gentlemen.....Jim Beam, J.W. Dant, T.W. Samuels, etc.; but, by the time they came to the BELLE, they had mellowed and were very much gentlemen themselves
It was one of those hot July afternoons where the sun hung yellow in the sky and the hunidity could be cut with a knife; one of those days that made you long for September to arrive. There was a black Baptist convention in town and the church ladies had chartered the BELLE for an afternoon cruise of gospel singing and praying. We backed out from the Fourth St. wharf in a dead calm river, not even a hint of a breeze.
The good church ladies filled up the main cabin, where the temperature must have been well into triple didgets, and comenced to singing and praising the Lord. We cruised up to above Harrods Creek and Harris let me turn the boat around just below the foot of Twelve MIle Island. I steered the boat down river and as we made the big right hand bend about midway down Six Mile Island we could see the black clouds building over West Louisville. "Jimmy you'd better let me take her", Harris said. Harris got on the intercom to the engine room and told Dave Crecelius, the chief, "Dave, you'd better goose the old gal up a little, I want to beat this storm back to the landing".
By the time we were passing Jeffboat the BELLE was racing along and the pilothouse windows were rattling and banging. Harris keep to the Indiana side of the river intending to round to below the Clark bridge and make a quick landing without having to back the boat to turn around at the head of the canal (our usual procedure).
As we passed under the Big Four bridge lightening was hitting all around the boat, but the air was still calm and it hadn't started raining. At the Kennedy Bridge the wind hit, straight out of the North off the Indiana shore, driving the BELLE straight toward the second pier out on the Clark bridge. Harris gave the boat a fair amount of right rudder and then the heavens opened up. It rained so hard you couldn't see from the pilot house to end of the stage boom. We were in the middle of a gray world with the wind blowing a hurricane and lightening crackling all around. As the storm intensified, the Baptist ladies prayed louder and louder until Harris and I could hear the "Praise the Lord's" over the din going on outside.
Just all hell was breaking loose around us, the pier of the Clark bridge emerged from the mist not twenty feet from our port side. That was the only time I remember hearing Harris swear, he said "OH SH-T" because the boats stern was swinging over toward the pier. Harris put the wheel hard down to port and the fantail didn't miss hitting the pier by more than ten feet.
As quickly as it hit, the storm stopped. By the time we rounded too and landed at the wharf, the sun was out, the wind had died, and steam was rising off the wharfs cobble stones, and the good church ladies were still Praising the Lord.

Jim, glad to see you post again; been missing your insights. Great rememberance of Harris Underwood.

I believe I remember that storm, Jim. I was not in the pilothouse, or I would have seen what you saw.
There was another storm when we choked a sycamore just below Six Mile Island. We nosed into the bank and Gene Masters was out on the stage, which didn't reach shore. I yelled to him to jump in and he yelled back, "I can't swim!" I told him to go ahead anyway and hang onto the rope. We'd pull him out. In he went. The water was only waist-deep. My Gent-tell-men had high morale and devotion to duty.
Were you aboard the night we were struck by lightning?

Wow Cap, struck by lightning? I wanna hear this story!

The only lightning story I have a few years ago the DELTA QUEEN was struck, it got the stern mast and somehow activated the junction box of the calliope (just below). For about 5 minutes the calliope played itself. The boat appears to have grounded itself as no other damage was done, save for the stern flag pole looking charred on the top.

~Travis~

Travis Vasconcelos;2538 wrote: Wow Cap, struck by lightning? I wanna hear this story!

The only lightning story I have a few years ago the DELTA QUEEN was struck, it got the stern mast and somehow activated the junction box of the calliope (just below). For about 5 minutes the calliope played itself. The boat appears to have grounded itself as no other damage was done, save for the stern flag pole looking charred on the top.

~Travis~

Trav....you're killing me here. Do you know how many calliope jokes I came up with in about 10 seconds after reading this?

:O)

Paul

It was not a direct hit. We started to pass under the Big Four Bridge. When our mast reached the bridge there was a tremendous crash and a streak of lightning about thirty feet long from the bridge to the Belle's mast. I do not know if the bridge was hit at that instant from above - it may have been stored static electricity waiting for us to come along. No one was hurt and there was no damage. Three of us hit the pilothouse ceiling, instanter!

Alan, I don't remember why you weren't in the pilot house during that storm, but I do well remember the Gene Master's incident. Do you remember another storm that hit us when we were just below the mouth of Harrods Creek and we pulled into the Kentucky bank? Once again we couldn't get in close enough to run a line ashore so Darrell Decker volunteered to use the yawl to get a head line out. We put the yawl, which we stored on the port side fantail in the river, Darrell got in and started rowing. He made good progress as long as he was alongside the BELLE, but once he cleared the bow, the wind struck that light aluminum boat head on and blew poor Darrell straight out into the river. I've never seen anyone row harder and still go backwards....of course Darrell was one of those guys who was filled with determination but not a lot of ability. Finally Alan Thomas, our macho man deckhand, got the head line and did a repeat of the Gene Masters stunt, only Alan made sure all the girls on the boat were watching his heroics.

Yes, I remember Darrell blowing away. He was accident-prone and could be counted on to get into trouble. He kept me scared, for his safety, every time he was aboard. He tried to fend the Belle off of the lock wall with his foot one time. Fortunately his foot was above the deck and he went over backwards.

Travis: One afternoon during the sing-a-long in the Texas Lounge on the DQ, a severe storm came up and lightning struck the first flag pole just aft of the pilothouse on the port side. Vic Tooker and The Riverboat Ramblers were playing away when the bolt of lightning struck. I didn't witness this, but there were many who did, and all said that Vic suddently developed an "aura", stopped singing, dropped his banjo and fell over. It gave him a good jolt, but he recovered in a few minutes and the "electrfying" sing-a-long continued!

Keith,

Knowing Vic and his theatrics, I bet he played it up as if it were part of the act! I had heard that story, I believe from Ann H. or Dave Meiers (am I spelling his last name right....wow that was a couple of years ago!).

I remember one set in the Texas with Vic and the Riverboat Ramblers where a leak developed up in the ceiling above Vic's head and he launched directly into "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" and said he dedicated it to Wm Terry Severns, the Cruise Director, as it was his favourite song. Later in the show he admitted to the leak. I have a picture of the band that day, I will attach it.

This particular day was a very dark early November day in Louisville. So the flash on my old 110 camera really lit up the window in the background. However, look closely and you can see the aft end of the pilothouse of the old MARTHA A.GRAHAM dredge adead of the DELTA QUEEN. In the picture are Vic Tooker (in black), Pat Patterson (Clarinet) and the others are too grainy to tell for sure, anyone wanna garner a guess? Oh, and forground, with the blonde hair I believe is Delly Robertson.

Somewhere, I think I have that afternoon set on tape. When I get all these old tapes of mine digitized (ongoing project for several years so far, I only have about 500 cassettes left), I will have to find that one for you, as I believe you were working on the boat that year, 1978.

~Travis~

Travis,

That looks like Eddie Bayard holding the clarinet to Pat's left. Behind Pat, you can see someone holding a tuba - it looks like Tony Martin, but COULD be Kenny Hall, who played drums...... You are right about Delly Robertson, too.