President Ford on the NATCHEZ

Her handle at the time was "First Mama" and she was reported to be active in the Washington DC "REACT" which reported traffic conditions, emergencies, etc. to the appropriate agencies.

One of the little-known tales of President Ford's trip was that a man had a heart attack during the trip and died. It was unthinkable for such an event to be made known, so the corpse was seated in a wheelchair and sent ashore at Destrehan, I think.

I believe he was a newspaperman from Mississippi, wasn't he, Alan? Of course the presidential medical staff was aboard, but could do nothing.

I do not know who the man was. The incident makes one wonder just how much we know about our government. Somehow I cannot connect any responsibility to the President if someone dies in his presence, but such things are hidden as a matter of course, whether or not any embarrassment could ensue.

I once read that no one ever died in a Pullman Car (when the Sleeping Cars were operated by THE Pullman Company): That being said, however the story continued that from time to time 'a very sick person' was put off at a station.

Alan Bates;3075 wrote: I do not know who the man was. The incident makes one wonder just how much we know about our government. Somehow I cannot connect any responsibility to the President if someone dies in his presence, but such things are hidden as a matter of course, whether or not any embarrassment could ensue.

Hi Alan,

Just a thought, but it could be that expiring on a steamboat during a Presidential campaign event might have caused undue attention to be paid to the sad occasion, thus invading the privacy of the man's family during their time of grief.

I would rather think of it that way instead of as an attempt to avoid embarassing President Ford. My impression of that good and decent man is that he would have been horrified if anything like that happened as a result of his campaign.

Like I said, just a thought.

Paul

Steamboating colleagues:
Interesting thread on President Ford aboard the NATCHEZ and the unfortunate death of a passenger. These things happen for sure. This isn't 'steamboats' but back in the 1960s, during my tours of duty with Navy/Marine Corps, I was attached with the public relations division at Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Virginia. One evening a stream of official government cars speeded in to the Naval Hospital emergency room. Then V.P. Hubert Humphrey had been in town for some official duty and suffered a bad tummy ache--later turned out to be either kidney or bladder stone. He came into the reception area with about fifteen F.B.I./Security. He was able to walk to the desk and the busy personnel at first didn't recognize him or know what was going on. The desk said, "Just have a seat in the waiting area and we'll get to you." Several imposing F.B.I. types came forward and said, "I don't think you know who this is. This is the Vice President of the United States. Take him immediately." People were asked to move out of the reception area and he was promptly taken to an examination room and treatment began. I don't know that anybody got busted in rate or rank but there was a lot of fuss and carrying on the next morning during hospital staff meeting. Humphrey took it in stride with a little humor and was soon up and on his way. Humphrey, a do-it-yourself guy, was standing on a dining room table in his home changing a light bulb when the table collapsed causing him a leg injury. It got big press and a lot of laughs up the sleeve after all was over.

Cheers,
R. Dale Flick

R. Dale Flick;3085 wrote: The desk said, "Just have a seat in the waiting area and we'll get to you." R. Dale Flick

Dale,

What a scream! Sounds like a Saturday Night Live skit.

Paul