Filed by Jan Galletta
Many readers have called to ask why the newspaper didn't publish details about the Delta Queen's arrival and departure times during the wooden paddle-wheeler's brief visit to Chattanooga this week. One reason is that the information was safeguarded largely out of Homeland Security maritime concerns.
Assembled at a shipyard in Stockton, Calif., the vintage vehicle and her sister ship, the Delta King, were originally destined for the river run between Sacramento and San Francisco. But the Delta Queen was commandeered for troop transport by the U.S. Navy during preparations for the nation to enter World War II.
The San Francisco tugboat, Osage, pulled the paddle wheeler on its legendary 5,000-mile tow out to sea in 1947.
Now almost 81, the vintage steam-driven vessel has transported several presidents, most recently former President Carter, at least one princess and numerous celebrities.
Coupled with luxe appointments that include the very same ship bell that sounded landings for Mark Twain's downriver ride in 1883, its storied past makes the Delta Queen's impending retirement a loss for many who view it as a beloved national landmark.
E-mail Jan Galletta at jgalletta@timesfreepress.com
