Mark Twain, June 1963
Well. Here we are. Can you handle two photos of the Mark Twain? Can you?! I know that you've seen enough photos of that boat (as wonderful as it is), and maybe have had your fill. Kind of like eating three cans of pre-made frosting - by the third can you might be thinking that your life needs to change. I disagree, but that's another story. Anyway, here they are, for better or worse.
That sky does not look like a June SoCal sky; if I had to guess I'd wager that these photos were taken around February or March. Maybe a few fat rain drops made it to the ground, but is that going to discourage us? Heck no! The cooler air makes the steam venting from the rear "'scape pipes" (I had to look those up) really clear, like breath on a winter day. The potential rain actually makes the scene kind of pretty, and there are sure plenty of passengers aboard the Twain.
Up in the wheelhouse, a brave and steel-nerved pilot steers the Mark Twain past snags and sandbars, and avoids collisions with other river craft. At night he uses his heightened sense of hearing, navigating entirely by echolocation. Here he's ringing the big bell to announce that sloppy joes are being served on the hurricane deck. Get 'em while they're piping hot, and wash it all down with a drink the locals call "bug juice". Don't ask.
29 comments:
Kind of like eating three cans of pre-made frosting - by the third can you might be thinking that your life needs to change. I disagree, but that's another story.
For the very first birthday cake I made for my husband, because he asked for LOTS(!) of frosting, I DID put three cans of pre-made chocolate frosting on it. He never asked for LOTS of frosting again.
Major, you keep forgetting that we never tire of the Mark Twain pictures, so keep them coming. And, besides, we're hoping to spot one of our Jr. Gorillas manning the ship, one of these times!
Thanks, Major!
Faint memory of seeing what I eventually found out was "Disneyland After Dark" on B&W television -- the scene of Louis Armstrong and the Young Men From New Orleans performing on the Mark Twain. Ever after, it was always a slight disappointment I never saw a live band on board. Or even soft drinks being served.
Very first visit I was afraid of going on the Mark Twain. I'd seen film of the burning cabin with a body out front, and assumed the whole ride was about carnage. Yes, I was a wimpy kid.
I’d never noticed the spotlight on the roof of the pilothouse. I’m assuming that was part of the vessel’s anti-aircraft defenses.
If you zoom in really closely on the first picture, you can just make out people wearing clothes. Every last one of them.
I hope it was chocolate frosting Sue. I can't imagine eating 3 cans of anything it it wasn't chocolate.
Grand pics of the Mark Twain, including the clothes, thank goodness.
I think I do see Captain Ahab in his wheelchair right there up front. Reliving his days at sea, as it were. And a duo in red on the left side of the bow. Which reminds me, I actually stayed up last night till midnight to watch What Ever Happened to Baby Jane. Everyone should see that movie, but once is usually sufficient. I feel like I've just come out of a coma this morning. I keep seeing Victor Buono, drunk as a skunk.
Thanks Major for helping to dissipate this mood.
Frosting! I love frosting, and could eat 3 cans without a problem...until about an hour later...then it's a problem. In any case, it looks like Sir Winston Churchill is enjoying his front seat view there on the deck of the Mark Twain. It's nice to see trees in the distance in lieu of Tony Baxter mountain. The sweepers are doing there thing on the dock after the boat has left- and there is that movable stair case pushed all the way to the end- probably a low attendance day with no Columbia on the river. I see a little lone duck out there. We were told another Walt story about the ducks- a guest was talking to him, and about how cute and lovely they were...and what a nice detail and addition. His response: "I have no idea where they came from, and it's the only thing in Disneyland that didn't cost me any money!" Again...whether or not it's true, who knows, but sounds like, if anything, an accurate statement! There is the ubiquitous handsome West Side attractions guy- they all liked that style sunglasses, and they all looked like they were related. If there are any West side guys on here I am wondering if it was SOP to pretend to steer the boat for "show". I've been up there a few times, but don't remember very many controls except the whistle string- which is being pulled in the photo. The look he has on his face is the typical "look" of "I really have to pay attention or I will mow down a canoe, a keel boat, or a raft. Or the "get out of the way, this thing takes a while to stop." My focusing power at 18 years old did not allow me such responsibility, so I peddled Frozen Bananas instead...which I actually had a blast doing!
Is the pilot our friend KS? Or does he know him?
Major, I will gladly study these pics of the MT, looking forward to my glass of bug juice later tonight.
I’m wondering about the time of year, if February, were the flags and bunting for Presidents Day?
While living alone, I used to buy canned frosting and spread it on graham crackers as a snack.
Chuck, the spotlight was used to target incoming fighters.
JG
Major-
It's probably best I barely weigh-in on all this talk about "canned frosting". Let's just say there's barely any real 'anything' in those cans - especially real chocolate (or chocolate liquor - look it up). Cocoa, if you're lucky is about as close as it gets; and never any real butter - hence why it's never referred to as butter cream frosting. Ya gotta make your own. Really, truly yummy-!
@ DrGoat-
Yes, Victor Buono's big Hollywood moment.
@ Bu-
Good call on the Sir Winston Churchill sighting. I was thinking the same thing.
Perusing Jason's Disneyland Almanac, I can see that on June 6th, 10th & 23rd, there was 'trace' amounts of rain; and on the 11th there was a whopping 0.08" recorded. So, perhaps these images were from one of those days-?
And now for the real geeky stuff... I see the 'festoon lights' encircling the MT have been retrofitted with Medium base to Candelabra base screw-in adapters, enabling the smaller S6 lamps to take the place of the original S14 bulbs - a trick also employed with all the Main Street festoon lighting. (I wonder what year the big 'change-out' occurred-?)
Thanks, Major.
Nanook : in 1973 all Tomorrowland lighting went “every 3rd” bulb because of the energy crises. I think that was a generalization but the carousel theater and PeopleMover Beamway lighting and other exterior lighting effects were reduced . I’m wondering if the rest of the park did the same type of reduction.
It was during the energy crises that the New Orleans Square upper window effect lighting also was discontinued however I don’t know about the specific 1973 date like I do about Tomorrowland.
Ok, I agree. On closer examination, it does look like Winston Churchill and not Capt. Ahab.
I've also re-examined the two red clad individuals on the left, and I think it's 2 parents with identical ventriloquists dummies.
I agree with Sue, keep those Mark Twain shots a comin. I am of the opinion that the ratio of frosting to cake is all wrong. It should be the other way around, a little cake and a lot of frosting. Yum. Anyone who would stay up late for a Hollywood classic is aces in my book. Betty Davis had all the good lines in that one. Thanks Major.
MIKE-
Thanks for the info, Mike. No doubt energy conservation was a big deal back in the early 1970's.
Sleuthing-around Daveland, it appears the MT had no festoon lighting in 1955 (or at least initially in 1955); subsequently appearing by 1956. And also appears my original thought of the lamps starting out life as Medium base S14 lamps is incorrect, as a 1957 image clearly shows them to be S11 lamps. The earliest I can ID the change from the S11 lamp to the S6 lamp, is August, 1961. Kind of a surprise to me it was that early, but maybe someone thought the smaller lamps would be less conspicuous, in spite of their reduced illumination output - perhaps a deliberate new look moving forward-?
(I wonder if the festoon lighting outlining the Main Street buildings followed the same history of updating-?)
Lou and Sue, I do love a piece of cake with lots of frosting! The pre-made stuff tastes a little funny to me, probably because they don’t use real butter. But I love a cake that has those big roses piped on them so that you get a real blast of frosting! Thank goodness you never tire of Mark Twain photos, I’d be doomed otherwise.
DBenson, believe me, I’d LOVE to find a photo of Louis Armstrong and his band playing aboard the Mark Twain! That would be a real score. No such luck, unfortunately. Hey, little kids are impressionable, and dead bodies are scary!
Chuck, the spotlight had a UV bulb in order to ward off attacking flocks of vampires. And thanks for pointing out the clothing, this was before Walt issued his “All Nude” requirement.
DrGoat, ha ha, the thought of actually eating three cans of frosting makes me feel green around the gills. And I love sweet stuff! And yes, I see Captain Ahab too. He looks like he walked right out of that Gregory Peck movie. I love “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane”! Such a weird movie, especially for its time. I have to hand it to Bette Davis for allowing herself to look so un-glamorous. Victor Buono will always be King Tut to me!
Bu, I think I’d rather just have a nice bowl of rocky road ice cream, or a slice of chocolate cake. You CAN have too much of a good thing! Interesting, you see Sir Winston, DrGoat sees Captain Ahab. So those guys in white are sweepers? I thought they might just be people with white shirts, they’re awfully far away. Frontierland looks reasonably busy, but it does seem like the Columbia sat in Fowler’s Harbor quite a lot, that thing is a maintenance nightmare. I can’t imagine that controlling the Mark Twain is too tough, since it runs on rails - forward, backward… that’s about it. And toot the whistle every once in a while.
JG, many people don’t like bug juice because of its brown color and bitter aftertaste, but one gets used to it, and then you can’t live without it! Good point about the bunting, which I somehow didn’t even notice. Frosting on graham crackers, hey, sounds pretty good!
Nanook, I haven’t made a lot of cakes in my time, but I like to make real, home-made frosting. It tastes so much better! I make buttercream frosting, with is about 10,000 calories, but MAN it is delicious. I’ve never made the kind that you have to cook. Many years ago I ordered an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins for a friend’s birthday, and the frosting was so nasty and artificial that nobody liked it. It was one of my lowest moments! You’ve definitely gone the extra mile to look up the month of June in Jason’s book, good work! Also, good eye on the light fixtures, there’s a tiny detail that most people would never even look at!
Mike Cozart, do you mean they only changed out every third bulb when they’d reached their life expectancy (or some percentage thereof)? Man, that dumb energy crisis, I still remember waiting in long long lines to get gas. My mom was driving, but still!
DrGoat, aw, I kind of liked the idea of it being Captain Ahab. But Sir Winston is OK too. I hope those ventriloquist dummies are not inhabited by evil ghosts.
Jonathan, I have no choice, I have too many durned Mark Twain slides to NOT post them. I’m glad to know that I am not the only frosting fan out there, I was worried!
Nanook, it’s interesting to imagine the Mark Twain circling the river in 1955 without all of those lights (“festoon lighting”, that’s a new one on me). You sure are full of esoteric knowledge, like the different kinds of microphones, and now, the different kinds of lamps! Esoteric knowledge is a good thing, by the way.
Joe’s not sloppy; he just has poor hand/eye coordination!
Major-
The original incandescent lamp designations are painfully old fashioned, but certainly makes sense. The basic "code" is alphanumeric - the 'alpha' part refers to the "basic shape" of the lamp; the 'numeric' part, the 'diameter' of the lamp at the widest part, as measured in ⅛'s of an inch-! The shapes have designations of: A; B; C; CA; G; T; TB; S; F; RP; E; ER; BR; R; P; PS; and PAR. I'm very familiar with about ⅔'s of those designations.
So, the most-common household lamp shape is (was) the A-shape lamp 💡 And the most-common size would be 19; so A19 - meaning the diameter at the widest is 19/8's, or 2-⅜'s. Clearly, very non-metric-! Too much information, I know. (But, now you know).
If you were part of Capt. Mike's crew, you were expected to 'man the helm' appropriately. Actually I got a kick out of noticing guests on the deck below looking up at me to see if I was really guiding the ship. I could see them talking to each other though my sunglasses! So I would play along. Hey it's an important position and took real skill!!
The spotlight could be used at night...for emergency use if you thought something was out in front. It was not encouraged for anything else. A canoe could have become untied and drifted into the River. Or, a guest could be doing something stupid (no, really?). Few controls...mostly monitoring it all visually. Had a few call buttons but most communication with the engineer at the boiler was based on whistle. Didn't have a radio at the time but did have a horn to call down.
The most import thing was to watch the river traffic crossing in front of the Haunted Mansion. It was a busy corner and you were the eyes of the ship. The MT could make a very hard stop if needed. And I pulled that trigger a time or two while up there. Other than that...what a wonderful view it was. KS
Also...in tribute to Capt. Mike...I noticed I called the MT a ship several times above. Mike demanded us to call it like it was...it was not a boat...it was a ship! KS
@ KS-
I almost feel as if I was standing up there with you, taking it all in. Thanks for sharing these memories.
JC,
Couldn't pass that one up. Well worth every second of missed sleep. Don't sleep like I used to anyway.
Sigh...I commented and then came back later and found out that it didn't take my comment, And it was Gold, baby, GOLD!
Actually it really wasn't worth retyping, so I'll catch y'all tomorrow!
Ken: the narration on the audio cartes. Did you have to advance them manually after you started? Or did they advance on their own?
I love how the second picture captures the bell in mid-ding. A real action shot!
Melissa, Joe is “artistic”!
Nanook, now I know more about lamp designations than I ever dreamed! ;-) So… you are knowledgeable about these lamps, but WHY? Was it related to your job? Is it just something that interests you?
KS, I have to appreciate Captain Mike being a stickler for details. Can’t have the pilot up there eating an apple and looking out the window when he should be steering. I thought maybe that spotlight was used at night to point out things like elk or other things along the river that would otherwise not be visible. But I am obviously wrong! I’ve seen photos of the river when it was relatively congested, with rafts, canoes, the Twain, the Columbia, and the Keelboats… it was like the 405 freeway!
KS, huh, I would have thought that “boat” was the proper term. So much for my plans to run my own navy.
DrGoat, just don’t watch the Jungle Cruise movie, it was a painful experience.
Stu29573, some evil gremlin thought that your comment held TOO MUCH truth and wisdom, and it had to be deleted from this world! (The gremlin wasn’t me, in case you were thinking that). I’m sorry our comment vanished, and wish I knew why that happened.
Mike Cozart, good question!
Melissa, I can practically hear the piercing, almost-too-loud ringing of that bell.
Oh, and as always, I will try to comment on days when I have access to somebody else's computer - which isn't that often. Thanks for your patience, everybody!
KS, I think it's awesome that you had a speaking tube to communicate with the engineer as well as whistle signals. Just curious - why did you need to talk with the guys running the trains?
I'd think that being a river pilot would be an exhausting job. I guess that's why there's a bed in the cabin beneath the pilothouse, right?
I think DBenson just hit on something...soft drinks and meals should be served on the Mark Twain. (I added the meals.)
DrGoat, definitely chocolate frosting! Everyone had a good laugh (as heavy clumps of frosting were sliding off the cake) and just scraped off whatever extra frosting they didn't want.
'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?' is a classic! Great acting; haunting plot.
...so I peddled Frozen Bananas instead...which I actually had a blast doing!
Bu, please elaborate! Love your stories!
Major, why was the Jungle Cruise movie painful to watch??
Or, a guest could be doing something stupid......
The MT could make a very hard stop if needed. And I pulled that trigger a time or two while up there.
KS, you are definitely holding back some good stories...PLEASE share!
Major-
So many questions. But... Yes & yes.
Major, we’ll take you whenever we can get you!
Oh, I knew it wasn't you, Major. I suspect a truely cruddy internet link at work (sigh).
I really liked Jungle Cruise. Of course my expectations were for something like the Haunted Mansion movie. In other words: loooooooooooow.
Thanks folks for the comments. Yes...there is, or was during my time, a built-in bench that could be suitable as a very tight bed...which wasn't its intention in the wheelhouse. Plenty of jokes about that one. But the biggest illicit use of the wheelhouse was the occasional beer or two that would be sneaked in....late night.
Could you use the spotlight at night to point out things? Yes. But it was thought to detract from the experience. Everything seemed to 'freeze' in the spotlight! LOL.
The engineer I was referring to is the boiler engineer on the main deck. He was the one who moved levers to engage the paddle-wheel and oversee the operation of the boiler. Requires a licensed professional in that position.
Stories? Humm maybe. I think the statute of limitations has kicked in. KS
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