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January 30, 2006 -- Vol. 6 Issue 5 Written by Jack R. Simpson (unless otherwise noted), owner of J.R. Simpson & Associates, Inc. and contributing editor to The Waterways Journal.
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 In This Newsletter:
Thought For The Week
“To thine own self be true…” (Shakespeare) “Don’t depend on the government for anything if you can help it. It’s broken!” (Jack) A Personal Note From Jack
 When I say that government is broken, I really believe that. It will be the focus of my editorial next week in the WJ.
Consider: On the Gulf billions of dollars are being mismanaged with no end of corruption in sight. Worthy and unworthy hurricane victims alike are waiting, waiting, waiting for something to take place. Millions of tons of debris need to be removed. People are wondering and asking, “Who’s in charge?” We wonder that, too. It is surprising that there are criticisms that our Army is broken. Actually, it is one of the most talented armies we have ever had. Whether they are being mishandled is debatable. But politicians run the Army, and the politicians run government, and the government is broken. We have proven in the wake of the hurricane season that we are not able to handle this kind of emergency. It is a fiasco. Taxpayers’ money is going down the drain. The blame game is in full swing. But also consider: On the Gulf there is a big problem of who is going to pay for this, and who is going to pay for that. Billions, according to numerous reports, are being spent without adequate forethought or accountability. In the meantime, because of environmental law passed by our Congress in the early 1970s, the Corps is fixing to cause man-made run-off in the Missouri River. If there is flooding -- and there is no sure proof that there will be -- another wing of our government says flooded farms along the Missouri will not be eligible for crop insurance payments for their losses. All of this results from the ongoing confusion in environmental laws that Congress, in its wisdom, refuses to eliminate. So we are knowingly going to (possibly) destroy farm crops to help pallid sturgeon spawn, even though it is common knowledge that it is only a grand experiment. There’s no proof that it will help them. There is considerable opinion that it won’t. So, if worse comes to worse, we can have farmers along the Missouri suffering huge losses due to the blunders of man, and continuing troubles during hurricane recovery due to the blunders of man. What a revolting development that is! To top it off, Upper Mississippi and Illinois river modernization and maintenance that would cost under $3 billion will go begging. That figure is a pittance compared to hurricane-recovery spending or spending to save the Florida swamps ($8 billion or so over time. The situation with the Florida swamps is also caused by mankind.). Newsletter News
Finally, in this issue we will get to the Gordon C. Greene and the other names she has carried. We are picking and choosing comments from various contributors to provide a chronological picture of the boat from beginning to end. We have received pictures galore (some close to being duplicates) and lots of comments. But we think the true picture will emerge. For Those Inclined To Pray
 We have modified the steps for joining our Prayer Circle. If you visit the Prayer Circle link on at www.littleriverbooks.com, you will find that those who sign up are completely anonymous. We do not ask for first names nor states of residence. Joining is as simple as providing an email address to which we can send future prayer requests. Each prayer request list includes a link for including requests.
By joining our Prayer Circle, you can tap into the prayerful support of circle members wherever they are. Membership and prayer requests are open to everyone.
On The Waterfront
National Waterways Alliance Responds To Environmental Group (Editor’s note: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) recently issued a report concerning the declining barge traffic on the Upper Mississippi River system. The following is a response by the National Waterways Alliance. You don’t need to see the PEER report to benefit from what follows below. Even the railroads are getting weak-kneed when they hear that our Upper Mississippi system is in such bad shape.) Industry groups reply to PEER on decline of Upper Miss traffic: “Beltway Blindness at its best!” Washington, DC -- January 25, 2006 -- A recent report by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) about declining barge traffic on the Upper Mississippi river system prompted industry leaders representing waterborne transportation interests to reply, “Beltway Blindness at its best!” “Aside from the fact that PEER officials have obviously forgotten that we had two hurricanes last year which affected waterway shipping, they also appear oblivious to the fact that we are losing 10% of reliability each year on the Upper Miss system,” said Worth Hager, President of the National Waterways Conference, Inc., the nation’s umbrella water resources organization. “We have already lost the equivalent of one lock in reliability.” “PEER continues to champion the economist whose model was thoroughly discredited as unworkable by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). So did they forget to read the NAS report exonerating the Corps of the fabricated ‘cooking the books’ charge, or are they deliberately ignoring the truth?” said Paul Rohde, President of MARC-2000, a coalition of agricultural, industrial manufacturing, shippers, carriers, labor union, environmental and government interests to promote Midwest economic growth by making economic and environmental improvements on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. Hager, noting that the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Science is hosting their winter meeting in Washington, DC this week, relayed that railroad officials blanched when learning of the state of the Upper Mississippi system locks and dams. “They acknowledge that railroads are unable to carry the loads ferried by barges on the Upper Miss system. If our lock and dam system fails because of lack of investment, the ripple effect would be felt for years---not just a loss of farm income and potential black-outs, but also a blow to the bright spot in America’s balance of trade - our agricultural exports.” In a presentation at the TRB Conference, Randall Gordon, Vice President of Communications and Government Relations for the National Grain and Feed Association noted that 2005 was an abnormal year for barge transportation volumes because of the impacts of Hurricane Katrina and a Midwestern drought. “The U.S. had the second largest corn and soybean crop on record, but roughly one-third of the barge fleet missed the brunt of the Midwest harvest entirely because of hurricane-related disruptions. The disruptions in grain barge traffic actually had begun much earlier, as a result of low-water levels on the Upper Mississippi River and its tributaries as a result of the Midwestern drought, which caused barges to be loaded with less grain. The lost export market sales that resulted from these disruptions just reiterate how essential the inland waterway system is to U.S. agricultural competitiveness. And its importance is only going to grow in light of the capacity constraints being experienced by other modes (rail and truck).” Rohde went on to say, “In light of the pending freight tsunami, environmentally responsible transportation planners are looking proactively to waterways for congestion mitigation, as they do in Europe, and that includes much needed modern Upper Mississippi locks and dams. Without our “Third Coast”, an additional 4 million more trucks would congest our roadways. This is ‘Beltway Blindness’ at its best on the part of PEER.” Upper Mississippi locks and dams have a design life of 50 years. Most are approaching 80 years. Rick Tolman, CEO of the National Corn Growers Association also added, “The report of PEER seems to be the first in a series of salvos trying to derail passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2006. Following that path would jeopardize the lives and livelihoods of ordinary people.” For further information contact: Worth Hager at the National Waterways Conference (worth@waterways.org) and (703) 243-4090), Paul Rohde at MARC 2000 (paul@marc2000.org) and (314) 436-7303, Lisa Kelley at National Corn Growers Association (kelley@dc.ncga.com) and (202) 628- 7001) or Randall Jones at National Grain and Feed Association (rgordon@ngfa.org) and (202) 289- 0873). About National Waterways Alliance NWA, an alliance of water-related businesses in aluminum, building materials, cement, chemical, coal, grain and feed, fertilizer, iron and steel, salt, paper and wood products, petroleum, and other industries; port authorities; labor unions; carriers; river valley and industry associations; banks; utilities; agricultural and electric power cooperatives; flood control and coastal protection proponents; dredging and waterway service firms; boating recreation, environmental restoration and water supply advocates, shipyards and repair facilities, and terminals, serving millions of customers, clients and consumers. Barge Sinks on Ohio River (Editor’s note: We have been swamped with reports about runaway barge problems on the Ohio River. We’ll try to sort out the facts.) Television newscasts out of Louisville on Thursday, January 26. reported, “A tug was pulling three barges carrying asphalt when they broke free” about 2 p.m. One barge was recovered a short time later. A second went through McAlpine Locks and Dam and struck the K & I Bridge, officials said. A third barge was reported to be resting harmlessly against the lower gates of the dam and appeared to be in no danger. The Coast Guard had considered shutting down the Sherman Minton Bridge as a precaution but did so only briefly. The temporary shutdown of Sherman Minton came after a vessel tried to retrieve a barge. Officials ended the attempt due to danger to the workers. The barge shifted, and that’s when the shutdown of the bridge occurred. The K & I Bridge is owned by Norfolk Southern Railroad. It crosses the Ohio between Louisville’s Portland neighborhood and eastern New Albany, Ind. Trains continue to cross the bridge, but the bridge is inspected each time before they cross. On the 27th it was reported by “Courier-Journal.com” that the barge lodged against K & I Bridge was leaking hot asphalt and diesel fuel. (The barge carried 15,000 gallons of diesel fuel used to power heaters that were used to keep the asphalt in a constant liquid state.) How much fuel was spilled was not known at the time. The river was closed to commercial traffic Thursday night until the situation was resolved. (This report said two barges had gone over the McAlpine Dam spillway.) The leaking barge against the K & I Bridge was buckled and sinking. It was turned on its side against two bridge pilings. The Federal Railroad Administration has been asked to investigate the structural safety of the bridge. Two towboats were stationed near the buckled barge to stop it in case it breaks loose from the bridge. If that were to happen, Sherman Minton would be shut down. Each of the three 80-foot barges were carrying about 19,500 barrels of asphalt. That was estimated to be about 800,000 gallons. The Coast Guard said that any leaked asphalt most likely has solidified and gone to the bottom. That left in the barge probably coagulated as it cooled, he said. It was reported on the 28th by the “Courier-Journal” that the barge would be removed sometime this week and that it was expected to remain against the K & I Bridge at least till the 30th. Magnolia Marine Transport Co., owner of the barge, reportedly has hired River Salvage of near Pittsburgh (Crescent, Pa.) and its equipment (including two crane barges) was expected to arrive today (Monday). Cleaning up the barge for movement could take up to three weeks, a Coast Guard spokesman said. The river was reopened to commercial traffic Friday and backed-up traffic was almost clear by Friday night, the Coast Guard said. The report of the 27th said two of the barges had been recovered and just the barge against the K & I Bridge was the problem. As per usual, the environmental activities are taking place and investigations are underway from the respective agencies. Another Bridge Struck It was reported on Monday by the Natchez Democrat that a barge lost power Saturday night and struck a piling midway across the Mississippi River bridge. It is a confusing report, because it states that the barge lost power, the captain couldn’t see his instruments and had to steer the barge by sight. By Sunday it still wasn’t known what made the power go out. Inspection showed that the bridge was not damaged. Obviously, we’re waiting for clearer reports on this. No towboat was mentioned. James Marine, Inc., To Purchase Tennessee Valley Towing Assets James Marine, Inc., Paducah, Ky., has announced its intention to purchase the assets of Tennessee Valley Towing, also of Paducah, with final closure of the transaction taking place in mid-summer. Ronnie James, president and CEO of James Marine, reportedly approached TVT officials in the fall of 2005 about the possibility of purchasing TVT. At the time it was not for sale. But after further discussion, TVT officials decided the time was right. James Marine intends to retain TVT’s management staff and towboat personnel, the announcement said. Coast Guard Licensing Renewal Deadline Looms, Industry Worried Some barge company officials are expressing concern that the Coast Guard’s February 28 license-renewal deadline, extended after Hurricane Katrina, is nearly upon us, and they say there is no way the deadline can be met. The thought is that the deadline should have been extended much longer. They say that now it will take an act of Congress to extend it further. On Friday the 13th (of January), the Coast Guard dropped an interim rule on industry, which requires that each person renewing a license to present himself, in person, a regional exam center (REC) with two forms of ID acceptable to the Coast Guard. Required is a photo, so we’re told that a driver’s license or birth certificate are the most likely to be used. It also involves getting fingerprinted again and submitting to a criminal background check. REC Memphis said it will allow people to get fingerprinted at Coast Guard units in Pittsburgh, Huntington and Paducah. St. Louis is also an option, since it is still operating somewhat as a REC. Appointments are required everywhere but at Memphis. (Editor’s note: What did we say about things being broken. Hope it works.) Bridge Completion Nears We are reminded that the 2006 completion date for the new Mississippi River bridge that links Greenville, Miss., and Lake Village, Ark., is drawing near. The bridge is to be the longest “cable-stayed” span on the Mississippi. Coast Guard Clears Stranded Boats Katrina and Rita stranded 2,308 vessels during their rampage along the Gulf. It was reported on January 24 that the Coast Guard, operating under federal law, has removed 900 of them. There are an additional 1,300 to be removed, and Coast Guard officials are asking owners to remove them. These vessels could potentially block Louisiana waterways, they said. Boats that represent a threat are being removed by the Coast Guard. Vessels Move Along GIWW Where Limestone Barge Sank January 24th  The lead limestone barge of a two-barge tow being moved by the Ms. Angel, sank early on the morning of January 24 at Mile 171 of the Gulf Intracoastal Canal (west of Harvey Locks in Louisiana). The Coast Guard immediately established a safety zone around the site.
The barge is owned and operated by Lalande Towing Operators, LLC, Iberia, La. The good news by January 26 was that, according to the Coast Guard, vessels were being allowed to move past the small portion of canal near Forked Island. Though the accident is still under investigation, Coast Guard officials said that the barge has been lifted and pushed up against the north bank of the canal. You can contact the editor directly at jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com. advertisement
The River School - Deck and engineer licenses, radar observer, tankerman, fire and water safety courses, video programs. Travel classes in convenient locations. (800) 238-7113 www.riverschool.com From Our Readers
(Editor’s note: Due to computer overload (my brain), I’m sure I have overlooked some good comments by B&B readers. I had started B&B for January 30 and then while carrying out another operation, I lost the file and had to start over. The original emails had been discarded. Thank you for your interest. Do I dare say “better luck next time”? — Jack) The Saga of the Gordon C. Greene (This material is not a complete, detailed history of the Greene. It is merely some notes, shared by others, to provide a narrative to accompany the many pictures I received several weeks ago of the Gordon C. and the boat while under other names. As best I can determine — after all I am not a river historian — it all fits chronologically. There is some difference of opinion about when the boat became the River Queen, but one of the contributors is in New Albany, Ind., and Capt. Way is no longer around to dispute the point. Perhaps some knowledgeable reader can shed new light on that portion of the boat’s history.) We Begin 
In 1923, Howard Shipyard at Jeffersonville, Ind., built a 210 by 38 by 6.5-foot packet with a steel hull. Designed for the Eagle Packet Company, she went from Louisville to St. Louis in November 1923. She came out in St. Louis-Cape-Commerce trade in April 1924. After roughly 10 years of service, she was sold in October 1934 to Greene Line Steamers, Cincinnati, and renamed the Gordon C. Greene. And that’s where the challenge begins. The following information comes from a variety of sources, some duplicating others.  According to several sources, including “Way’s Packet Directory: 1848-1994”, after the Gordon C. Greene retired at Cincinnati, she was sold in 1952 to become a floating hotel at Portsmouth, Ohio. At this time she was named (for a short time) Sarah Lee. But the plan didn’t work out, and she was sold to Owensboro, Ky., to become a floating restaurant named River Queen (Way). While at Owensboro, according to Keith Norrington, she became the Sternwheeler for the filming of the movie “The Kentuckian.” Then she went to Bradenton, Fla., where she was named River Queen. (But Way says she became the River Queen at Owensboro.) He said there were problems there and the boat was taken to Bradentown, where it was lavishly outfitted as a river attraction that turned sour. By 1960 she was back in New Orleans and there was talk of a high-class nightclub (Way).
I know she was taken to Hannibal in 1961 because I was there. She was towed north to be refurbished to operate on the Illinois shore as the River Queen restaurant for Dr. Arthur Krato, in partnership with John Groffel, a St. Louis steel man, according to Norrington. In 1961, while working as a reporter for the “Quincy Herald-Whig”, I photographed the River Queen at the Hannibal river front. What I noticed most was that while being towed there, her buckets were gone. I photographed the boat and managed to find five of the pictures, some of which I am posting in the Photo Center. The End In 1964 she was moved to St. Louis, where she operated as a restaurant near Eads Bridge and, according to Way, she became well-patronized as a restaurant-bar. Early on a Sunday morning, December 3, 1967, she sank at the waterfront. Most of the wreckage was cleared out. During low water in December 1976, portions of the hull were exposed and photographed. Her whistle, with history back to the side-wheel Calhoun, resides in the River Museum, Marietta, Ohio. Well, Not Quite The End John Fryant sent in a picture of the same vessel with the name Golden Fleece showing at her stern. “That’s one of the movie names she had,” said John, “but that’s the Gordon C. Greene.” John was unable to establish a date for the picture and wondered if B&B readers could supply one. (As an added point of interest, there was a Golden Fleece (packet) constructed at Paducah in 1913.) Boat Photo Center
This has been a scramble, but we are offering up 19 pictures for your viewing pleasure. First those not related to our Gordon C. Greene saga: We have from Jeffrey L. Yates, the Ms. Angel (a barge towboat combo), the Dale Cathorall and President Casino; from Ed Rahe, we got the Mv. Speedway; and from John Miller a mystery picture of a captain and engineer aboard one of the Federal Barge Lines “city boats.” We’re looking for further ID. To go with the Gordon C. Greene Saga (actually it starts with the Cape Girardeau), we have pictures of the Greene from Dan Owen and the Boat Photo Museum, Judy Patsch, Allen Dale and R. Dale Flick; the Sarah Lee from the Boat Photo Museum; pictures of the Sternwheeler from Allen Dale and the Boat Photo Museum; and four pictures of the River Queen from yours truly at B&B. Finally, we have a picture of the Gordon C. Greene decked out as the Golden Fleece, one of her movie names, from John Fryant. The vessel is being towed, perhaps to a movie-filming location. (Editor’s note: We have included at the last moment two pictures Sternwheeler (3) and River Queen (5), from the steamboats.org web site in Germany, courtesy of Franz Neumeier. (Further note: I do not need additional pictures to flesh out the Gordon C. Green story. Please do not send more. Frequently more information than I have is needed, and I have to email for it and wait for replies. Most have been swift to respond.) Recipe Box
Do you have a good recipe you’d like to share? Submit your recipes here! The Book Beat
I want to put in a reminder of the availability of “Views on the Mississippi” by photographer Henry Peter Bosse. This soft cover book contains exactly the same beautiful pictures that were contained in the hard cover version, which I no longer handle and sells for $89 by the publisher. Only the cover has changed. We sell this book for $29.95. It is a good chance to get this famous collection (hidden for nearly 100 years) of pictures by Bosse, who was one of the foremost 19th Century photographers, who lived from 1844 to 1903. We have three copies in stock but will not be ordering more if there is no demand for it.  Views on The Mississippi (The Photographs of Henry Peter Bosse) - by Mark Neuzil
272 pages. 95 cyanotype photographs, 36 illustrations. Soft cover. Table top book. Said to be the first comprehensive collective of photographs by the foremost 19th-Century photographer of the Mississippi River. Henry Peter Bosse, a mapmaker and photographer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, lived from 1844-1903. He took more than 300 photographs of the Upper Mississippi River from 1883-1893, a time of precedented environmental and social change. View on the Mississippi brings together for the first time nearly 100 of Bosse's most stunning images. These photographs - tracing the river from Minneapolis to St. Louis - capture the Mississippi as it was being transformed from an untamed natural wonder to a modern commercial highway. The cyanotype process produced large-format photographs in crisp vivid blue tones. It is a large (13-1/4" x 9-3/8") volume. Usually same-day shipping! (We no longer offer the hard cover edition because our source has raised the price to $89.) Our Price: $29.95 (3 in stock) The Gift Shop
Steamboat Clock & Barometer - The hinged porthole-style case is solid brass with a lacquered antique finish. It has quartz movement for convenience and accuracy and runs on one AA battery. The matching Steamboat Barometer has visible aneroid barometer movement, and the antique brass case is hinged so that the movement is accessible from the front.280522 Steamboat Quartz Clock $136.49 280722 Steamboat Barometer $146.99 Get More Visitors To Your Web Site - Join The U.S. Inland Waterways Site Ring!
This is a web ring owned by Little River Books. It is dedicated to those who work, rest, or play on the inland waterways of the United States. Owners of commercial and private sites can apply to join, bringing together as many waterways related sites as possible. Sign up (FREE), put the code on your page, and watch your hits skyrocket! Let’s see if we can make this one of the biggest and best river site rings on the web. Benefit from other river sites’ traffic and gain new visitors. If you sell a river-related product on your site, this is the ring for you! (You must add the site ring graphic and code onto your website.) Check out the sites currently in the ring and their hit statistics as a direct result of being in the site ring. Tow Talkin'
January 30, 2006 By Kathy Flippo  Rain! It is supposed to be snow in January, not rain. Of course when it is in the 50’s during the day and upper 40’s overnight, it has to be rain. Disgusting. But I’m sure the folks in the Quad Cities (Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa and Rock Island and Moline, Illinois) would have much rather had rain in 1868 than the weather they did get.
The Upper Mississippi was breaking up after a long, hard winter. It was a Sunday, March 8, that people noticed that things weren’t exactly right on the river. Sure, the ice was breaking up and…to continue reading this column, click here. See you on the Web, Jack Little River Books jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com Don't forget to visit our website! |
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