Topic starter
28/10/2008 7:26 pm
While digging in filing cabinets last evening I came across this photo of Capt. Charles H. Brasher and Capt. Ernest E. Wagner, taken on the Louisville waterfront in 1967. Capt. Charlie came from a steamboating family and, as many know, Capt. Ernie got his start on the river aboard the Str. ISLAND QUEEN before going over to the AVALON and then the DQ. Capt. Brasher was with the Greene Line for years, master of the DQ and then the BELLE OF LOUISVILLE until his death in 1975. Both were exceptional rivermen of the old school and a long whistle salute to their memory.
28/10/2008 10:58 pm
Q
Keith, thanks...You know I obviously didn't know either of these fine gentlemen...oh, but to dream...
But the object in the background? I know a little...
I think it is so interesting from an engineer's point of view that the boiler crew tried their damnedest to get some relief from the incredible heat from the firetube boilers.
It's extremely interesting to me, the engineer nerd supreme, that looking at pictures of the DQ through the years they first tried to turn the ventilation funnels 180 degrees (first pointed backwards, then all of a sudden pointed forward) to force more "cool river breezes" into the hole where the DQ's boilers are, tried that for awhile, figured out that no way in hell that was gonna work anytime the boat was stopped in port, gave up and put VERY noisy ventilation fans (stand outside the Forward Cabin Lounge doors, starboard side sometime, always makes me grumble) to force cool air down into the hole all the time on a 24 hour basis and help the poor, literally melting engineer(s) survive.
And yes...I have a solution to quiet the boiler ventilation fans down. That's what nerdy engineers think about, scary huh?