# 'The President'



## Abbeywood. (Aug 7, 2009)

During the mid-60's when sailing in the Bank Line's 'Marabank' and during a call at New Orleans, on a half-day I took the opportunity of travelling up to Canal Street, at the bottom of which, river cruises were operated by two stern-wheelers the ships were of different sizes with the smaller one under the name of 'Mark Twain' while the far larger ship was named 'The President' and was powered by two compound steam engines driving the stern paddle via two huge beams. The engines were either side of a large open area which I would suggest, could have been used for a river-boat shuffle
On the upper deck there was working calliope although not in use at that time.
The ship was still operating when 'Marabank' called again about two years later but having seen quite a few do***entaries and major films involving the New Orleans riverfront since then, I note that she has been missing from her usual berth at the bottom of Canal Street.
Can anybody offer any info' as to the fate of 'The President'. Does she still exist or has she been scrapped, bearing in mind those particular craft tended to have long lives, well those which did'nt run aground or blow themselves up.

regards, Abbeywood


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

Abbeywood,

I you go to my gallery you will find a photo of the President which I took while on the Moraybank in New Orleans back in 1948.


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

President was a steamboat that currently lies dismantled in Effingham, Illinois.[3] Originally named Cincinnati, it was built in 1924,[4] and is the only remaining "Western Rivers" style sidewheel river excursion steamboat in the United States.[2] She was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989, though these designations were revoked in 2011.[2] Her home ports have been Cincinnati, Ohio, New Orleans, Louisiana, Vicksburg, Mississippi, St. Louis, Missouri and Davenport, Iowa.


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

More about the President at this link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_(steamboat)


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## Abbeywood. (Aug 7, 2009)

*The President.*



John Rogers said:


> More about the President at this link.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_(steamboat)


Many thanks, John, for your links, though somewhere down the line a bit of confusion seems to have appeared, in that when I took my excursion the ship definitely had a stern wheel although the photos shown in the Wikipedia web page shows her with boxed-in stern and, as you described, the arrangements for the side-wheels.
All the other details appear to be as described, and in accordance with my memories, including the large dance floor on the lower deck, that extended the full length of the ship.
The engines were positioned, and railed off for obvious reasons, on the stern quarters of the dance floor deck, completely open for the observation by interest passengers, 
I will have to start a rummage in my photo boxes and find any pics that I may have taken at that time.
Once again, many thanks for your response, much appreciated. !

regards, Pete', (ex-'Marabank'; Jan' '64 - May '66)


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