The riverboat captain is a storyteller. Captain Don Sanders shares the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This a part of a long and continuing story.
By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
Jubilant social media posts this past week ballyhooed the 99th birthday of the steamer DELTA QUEEN. Which, of course, means that the DELTA KING is also celebrating 99 years since the twin California “ferry boats” entered passenger-carrying service between San Francisco and Sacramento around June 1, 1927.
The sternwheel twins, 250 x 58 x 11.5, with cross-compound condensing engines, 26s x 52.5 x 10-foot strokes, had WWI-surplus water-tube boilers burning fuel oil. The QUEEN still has her original boiler shells, but the tubes have been changed out many times over the decades.
Both the KING and QUEEN, according to Captain Fred Way, Jr., “were fabricated at Glasgow, Scotland, insofar as all the steel work is concerned, on the river Clyde at the Isherwood Yard,” knocked down in sections, and shipped to Stockton, California. There, after reassembly and finishing, both steamers underwent christening and dedication on Friday, May 20, 1927, and entered service 99 years ago, at the beginning of this June, 2026.
The royal steamboat couple fared well during their California reign, even surviving the Great Depression, but fell victim to a new highway linking the destination ports of the two vessels. The QUEEN’s last trip came at the closing of the Golden Gate International Expo in September 1940. Both boats served as U.S. Navy Yard Ferry Boats (YFBs) during the Second World War, carrying soldiers to waiting troop transport ships and returning with the wounded.
Following the war, the U.S. Maritime Commission sold the once-regal reigning steam monarchs as government surplus. The DELTA QUEEN sold at public auction and became the property of the Greene Line Steamers, Inc., of Cincinnati, on December 17, 1947.
Captain Tom R. Greene, president of the family-owned steamboat business headquartered on the Greene Line wharfboat docked at the Foot of Main Street, Cincinnati Public Landing, arranged for the towing of their new acquisition from California to the Mississippi River by way of the Panama Canal. After getting the QUEEN running again, she steamed under her own power to her new homeport of Cincinnati on the Middle Ohio River, Mile 471.
By August 10, 1947, the DELTA QUEEN arrived at Dravo Shipyard, Neville Island, Pittsburgh, for a complete makeover. While there, on September 9, 1947, the second Cincinnati Coney Island steamer, ISLAND QUEEN, exploded and burned not far away at the Foot of Wood Street, in downtown Pittsburgh.
Ironically, the First Mate and hero aboard the ISLAND QUEEN during that terrible conflagration, Captain Ernest Wagner, would, fourteen years later, assume command of the DELTA QUEEN and become its most beloved Master after Captain Tom Greene.
After the Dravo completion on February 28, 1948, the DELTA QUEEN entered the overnight tourist trade on the Mississippi River System. On July 10, 1950, Captain Tom unexpectedly died, leaving the company and the QUEEN to his widow, Letha C. Greene, who continued running the operation until January 1958, when she laid up the boat and sold it to Richard C. Simonton of North Hollywood, California. Mr. Simonton reorganized the company in 1960.
In early 1961, Captain Wagner became the Master of the DELTA QUEEN. For his First Mate and Alternate Master, he chose Captain Clarke C. “Doc” Hawley, who was with him on the Steamer AVALON and who had prior DELTA QUEEN experience.
When I began working as a Watchman and engineroom Striker Engineer in 1965, Mrs. Greene was still the “Boss Lady,” as she was known to many of her admiring crew members and staff. But after I left the QUEEN later that year and served four years in the Air Force, when I returned, Mrs. Greene had retired, and the company, now renamed the Delta Queen Steamboat Company, was owned by Overseas National Airways (ONA) of New York City.
ONA, headed by a former U. S. Air Force pilot, Steedman Hinkley, appointed William “Bill” Muster and “Cap’n” Betty Blake to oversee the business. Onboard the DELTA QUEEN in early 1970, Captain Ernie Wagner and Doc Hawley were still in general charge of the vessel. Chief Engineer Cal Benefiel, a long-time Greene Line veteran, headed a staff of experienced licensed engineers, including a capable young Striker, Kenny P. Howe, Jr., destined to become a licensed Chief himself, with a long and storied engineering career ahead.
As soon as I returned, no more than a month after my military discharge, Captain Wagner asked whether I wanted to go back to the engine room or go on deck. My choice was the deck, as I knew my destiny was the pilothouse and eventual command of the DELTA QUEEN.
Immediately, Cap placed me on the front watch, working with him, while carrying the title “Second Mate,” an unlicensed position designated on the Certificate of Inspection (COI) as the “Head Watchman.” Before long, I was making locks and landings from the outside wing bridge, giving commands to the pilots and the crew below on deck.
In early April, 1970, Captain Hawley surprised everyone when he bid farewell at St. Louis and departed to become the Alternate Master of the excursion steamboat, BELLE of LOUISVILLE, the former AVALON, with Captain Charlie Brasher—no sooner had Cap’n Doc’s taxi mounted the crest of the St. Louis levee than Captain Wagner summoned me to report to his private quarters.
“Don,” the Skipper began, “Now that Doc’s left, I’m putting you on the back watch to take his place. There’ll be one of the extra pilots to ‘carry the license,’ but you’ll do the work. If you have any questions, see me.”
From early April until I tested for and received my Unlimited Inland Mate’s License in June, I ran the back watch, opposite the Captain, as an unlicensed Mate. I never did see the extra pilot “carrying the license”. At the same time, I performed the Licensed Mate’s duties, including making the locks and certain landings Captain Wagner knew I could handle, or else if he wanted me to assume charge on deck at a difficult location.
On the overnight boats, including the Delta Queen Steamboat Company after Captain Wagner’s departure, the Master must make all the locks and landings himself. I recall a certain time when a longtime DELTA QUEEN Mate unexpectedly assumed command. Despite many years of service, he had never commanded the boat from the wing bridge.
Captain Doc took time off from the BELLE and rode with the new Captain of the QUEEN to teach him how to make locks and landings from the bridge, something I learned before I had a license. It’s still that way on the overnight “ships”, from what I heard lately — and unnecessary, if you ask me.
I’ve found nothing in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs) requiring the master of a vessel to personally make all the locks and landings of a passenger vessel. I believe I know where and when that started on the Mississippi and its tributaries, but I’ll save that for another day.
Whenever I get to rambling on about the DELTA QUEEN, I could go on all day and still have a lot left to say. Although many of us are remembering the old girl on her 99th birthday, the reality is that she’s moldering away in a humid backwater in Southern Louisiana, with little prospect for a better future. Not only is it a shame, but it’s downright disgraceful that one of America’s most historical transportation treasures lies forgotten and in little hope of revival. And that’s downright unforgivable– especially on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the founding of our great nation.
Often, over the years, whenever a particular precarious situation arose on the river, I would say to myself:
“WWWD… What Would Wagner Do?”
What would Wagner do? What would Letha Greene, Bill Muster, Dick Simonton, Betty Blake, or Doc Hawley do? What can I do, or what can you do? What can anyone do to “Save the DELTA QUEEN” before her 100th birthday?
Whatever solutions are needed have to get started right away. No, it won’t be crowdfunding or a lottery winner. Someone or some group with the financial wherewithal needs to come forth, and soon. Otherwise, the DELTA QUEEN’s 100th anniversary may be a day of mourning rather than one of celebration.
Captain Don Sanders is a river man. He has been a riverboat captain with the Delta Queen Steamboat Company and with Rising Star Casino. He learned to fly an airplane before he learned to drive a “machine” and became a captain in the USAF. He is an adventurer, a historian, and a storyteller. Now, he is a columnist for the NKyTribune and will share his stories of growing up in Covington and his stories of the river. Hang on for the ride — the river never looked so good.
Click here to read all of Capt. Don Sanders’ stories of The River.
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