Question about the "Gordon C. Greene"

GCG

First of all, multiply the number of cabins by two to get the passenger load. I'd guess about 37 in the crew - email me if you'd like a breakdown of this guesstimate: [email protected]. Also, do you need any pix?

Sylvia, You can get the plans for the Gordon, as well as the Cape Girardeau from Alan Bates, 2040 Sherwood Ave, Louisville, Ky 40205. They are reconstructions for model building purposes, but there's lots of good reference material in them - - number of staterooms, deck plans , etc. And, of course they will show what the boats looked like, if an artist needed to do ilustrations for your book.

Yes, and if said artist didn't know squat about what riverboats look like, usually the case, the Greene might end up being a sidewheeler, or looking vaguely like the Delta Queen, or having 4 smokestacks, and on and on......it happens.

Ah, Lexie, Lexie,

you're getting bitter! But artists do not know squat about what riverboats look like.

Just stating the facts, Ma'am. They will probably and maybe aught to use old photos as there are plenty of those around, making sure that the photo is of the right boat.

I have a bib apron with a picture of the GORDON C. GREENE on it. When I saw the guy wearing it, I said, "Oh, where did you get that apron? That's the GORDON C. GREENE and I want one!" He says, "The what? How can you tell what boat that is?" He was so impressed that I could see that that he gave me the apron.

For those of us who study these things, each boat is recognizable, like people we know. To everyone else, they are all the same. Delta Queen = Robert E. Lee = Memphis Queen = Casino Whatever...

Lexie,
Are you saying the public thinks;"Once you've seen one steamboat, you've seen them all?"
Could be true, I know I've been out in my Model A and folks come up and say, "My Dad had one just like that--but it was a Chevrolet!"
S'
David D.

ueen

Delta Queen, Texas Bar Port side, my gawd look at the "picture" on the wall separating the bar from Stateroom 201...

PLEASE, give me strength, and yes I've asked Leah Ann to remedy this POS...

That is a really deep subject. The general public thinks Lady Gaga is a great entertainer. I rest my case.

Lexie,
What can I say but; "Gag-Gag"
🙂
S'
David D.

Crew members of the "Gordon C. Greene"

Hi everyone, sure, I already looked at the construction plans - the problem is not the illustration, but the facts about the number of crew and passengers. Can anybody give me a qualified guess about that?

Before anyone can give a passenger number or crew number, the year has to be known. Over the years the number of starerooms grew, and with more passengers more crew were required. Also she was converted from coal to oil. Fewer crew are needed to tend to oil fired boilers.

Previous post

Sylvia, did you not see my previous post? I gave some info and provided my email address if you wanted more specific information. Here it is again:
[email protected]

Frank X. Prudent;26069 wrote: Before anyone can give a passenger number or crew number, the year has to be known. Over the years the number of starerooms grew, and with more passengers more crew were required. Also she was converted from coal to oil. Fewer crew are needed to tend to oil fired boilers.

That´s very interesting! Let´s say, how much crew and passengers did she have in the first years after she was built when she was still running with coal?

I assume that you mean after her name was changed to GORDON C. GREENE in 1935. I have no idea how many crew or passengers at that time, but the River Library in Cincinnati could probably help. Your answers are on a copy of her Certificate Of Inspection; they just might have the year's COI that you are looking for. Also there are many years of her Purser's Office ledgers and account books located there for perusal.

*RE: GORDON C. GREENE crew etc.*

Steamboating colleagues:
Frank Prudent is correct in narrowing down the years the GORDON ran for the GREENE LINE beginning in 1935 on. 'WAY'S PACKET DIRECTORY' gives a good history overview but no mention of crew compliment. Another interesting account is when the Greene family added the new texas deck, jacked up the pilothouse for added cabins. Granted it added much-needed revenue producing cabins, but some groused it ruined the boat's appearance from her original lines. Bob McCann, veteran GREENE LINE Purser, served aboard the GORDON nearly her entire career.

Frank mentioned the materials available at the main Cincinnati Public Library formerly known as Rare Books/Inland Rivers Library. Now called 'The Cincinnati Room' named after Joseph Stern, the river collection, photos, ephemera are still preserved. In the GORDON'S last log entry the day she was sold by the GL was penned by Bob McCann with a touching, poetic finality.

Woody Rutter, retired Editor/President of S&D of Pioneer Rivermen and the REFLECTOR knew the GORDON very well being the son-in-law of Capt. Fred Way. Woody may know more details about her crew. Woody's mail address is: 126 Seneca Drive, Marietta, Ohio 45750. Woody is not on E=Mail. Cheers!

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

I checked at the Cincinnati Public Library today and from 1935 they did not have a copy of her COI. They did have the boat's navigation log for that year. Volney "Stogie" White was the boat's master most of the regular tourist season. She left Alton Slough on March 28 of that year, flying the Greene Line flag for the first time. Unfortunately, none of the number of souls onboard was listed.

Down in the Purser's Office the boats passenger registration book was meticulously kept. The Library does have the last of these books from June 10,1950 until her final trip as a Greene Line boat. On October 6 to 8, 1951 there were 106 passengers listed for her final trip as the GORDON C. GREENE which went from Cincinnati to Louisville and back. The largest number of passengers, that I noted, during those two passenger seasons was 171 passenges. More than one stateroom had more than two passengers in it during that two night round trip from Cincinnati from October 14 to 16, 1950.