Save the Delta Queen!

Franz Neumeier photo courtesy of http://www.save-the-delta-queen.org/

As many of you may have read, the Delta Queen will stop carrying overnight passengers on or before November 2008, when a Coast Guard exemption expires.

The exemption was necessary because the paddlewheeler's superstructure is composed of wood (which is part of its charm). That type of construction would normally be considered an unacceptable safety risk to sleeping passengers as described in the Safety at Sea Act.

It does not appear that Congress will include the exemption in a current version of the Coast Guard funding bill.

Tony at the Musings From the Queen City blog has written a post about his attempts to reach Congressman James Oberstar (D-8th MN), who is chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and has spoken out against the exemption. Apparently this guy doesn't take e-mails from people whose ZIP codes are outside of his district, even though he makes decisions that affect the entire country.

Steamboats.org is spearheading a campaign to save the Delta Queen's overnight passenger excursions. Save the Delta Queen offers an online petition, historical photos, a message board and more. There's even a site feed and an e-mail list for those who want to receive updates.

The Delta Queen was part of Cincinnati built environment for many years. It just moved on water.