I know this bd. occasionally has a little discussion on steam boats, so perhaps someone here will know something about the "Jean". The Jean is a large double sternwheeled tug boat that was built back around 1937 for hauling log rafts on the lower Columbia River. The boilers and machinery were stripped out of her long ago and it was eventually purchased by a couple of older fellows up the Snake River from Lewiston Id. It was moored at various places up river from Lewiston over the past 15 or 20 years and last I heard was unwanted by just about everybody. Kinda of a big white elephant no one know what to do with. I was through Lewiston last weekend and I did not see it anywhere. It was still there in May of this year. Does anyone know of it's dispositon at this point? It is a real shame it's machinery was stripped as it is/was a real unique vessel with it's double paddle wheel with 4 engines. In fact were any other paddle steamers built with the arrangment?

http://www.svry.com
jamesbane@hotmail.com

Bret,
Sad to hear, if in fact "Jean" is no more. I've always tried for a glimps of it while passing thru Lewiston. I was on board the boat, years ago when some sort of preservationist group had it and were giving tours. Not much to see with all machinery stripped, but still a neat vessel with a lot of history.
Sometime in the 1970's or 80's "Jean" slipped her moorings late at night and began drifting downstream for the Lewiston/Clarkston bridge. An early-morning pleasure boater got a line on it just before it hit the bridge. He was unable to maneuver or drag it back upstream, but at full power was just able to hold it against the current. (even so, he must have had a heckuva motor in his craft--that thing is BIG). The mutual friend who told be the story said the guy stayed there for an interminable time and nearly burnt up his motor before being able to flag down two other boaters. With three speed boats pulling they just managed to drag "Jean" to the bank and tie it down somehow. Must have been pretty exciting, and his quick thinking probably saved $$$$ damage to the bridge, and possible loss of life.
Are you on the Yahoo Groups Camas Prairie list? If not I'll foreward your inquiry. One of the Lewiston regulars could probably give a definitive answer.
J

jeff_acock@hotmail.com

You might try the discussion board at
www.steamboats.org
They're pretty nice folks and may have a more definite answer for you.

--Becky

Steamboats
RMSMorgan@yahoo.com

As of late June, "Jean" was docked (perhaps illegally) at Port of Wilma, apparently enrout to Portland. The link below has a picture and some info. No idea what's in store for her there, but sounds like some sort of resto or reuse, not scrapping. The Lewiston Morning Tribune has several stories listed from spring/early summer of this year, unfortunately to get anything more than headlines from their archives you have to be a subscriber.


news & pic
jeff_acock@hotmail.com

As usual, a simple Google search proves to be the best first step. I encourage everyone to try it.

Searching found this link that says it all about the move to Wilma:
http://www.spokesmanreview.com/idaho/story.asp?ID=14736

and this link tells us she left for Portland:
http://www.klewtv.com/x5781.xml?ParentP ... upID=x5781

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/idaho/story.asp?ID=
trains@robertjohndavis.com

Thanks, Rob.

>>According to the boat's owner, Vern Wilson, a tug boat from Foss Maritime, out of Clarkston, is pushing the Jean to Portland. Once there, the paddleboat is expected to be equipped with working engines before heading back up the river. >>Port staff also said they are happy the Jean is on it's way and wished Wilson the best of luck.

Yeah, ditto in re the luck. Sounds like he's gonna need a whole bunch of it.
J

jeff_acock@hotmail.com

Why was the original powerplant removed to start with??........Wooly

> Thanks, Rob.

> Yeah, ditto in re the luck. Sounds like he's
> gonna need a whole bunch of it.
> J


wooly421@charter.net

For those who have been wondering how in the heck Google works so well... see the link below.

http://www.google.com/technology/pigeonrank.html
SJHussar@aol.com

> Why was the original powerplant removed to
> start with??........Wooly
Thanks all for digging up the info. I had been following the situation of the Jean in past years through a freind that was aquainted with Elmer Earl the boats former owner. Another freind of mine made a fake steering wheel for the wheelhouse for it as the original had been scavenged. For a time they used to take school kids on board for tours I believe when it was moored at Asotin, Wa. and they wanted a wheel for the kids to play with.
As to why it was stripped, there used to be an informational sign board where the Jean was moored that described it's history. As I recall the company that had owned it on the lower Columbia had it stripped and turned the main deck where the machinery had been into a floating machine shop. I think it was moored adjacent to a lumber mill if I got the story right.
Elmer Earl wrote a book on his experience as a river pilot in Hells Canyon on the Snake River. He mentions his efforts to try to save the Jean. I believe this is where I've seen a photo of it with it's wheel house knocked off. The story as I recall it was that the Jean was moving on the Willamette through Portland and whistled for a bridge to open or lift which it did, but before the Jean could reverse course, the bridge came back down through some mechanical failure of the machinery to lift the bridge. I guess the person(s) in the pilot house dove out the door to saftey before impact with the bridge.
I hope it can be saved. New engines and boilers and all the associated machinery sounds like a pretty big dream to see fulfilled, but so is the restoration of a large steam locomotive.

jamesbane@hotmail.com