The Columbia Story
(continued)
Above (detail below) is a "Gate Flyer," handed out at the, uh, front gate--to announce new
attractions. This one, obviously, was meant to announce the new "Below Decks"
attraction on board the Columbia. It's interesting to note that "Below
Decks" was available as an attraction even when the ship was docked at Fowler's
Harbor--something that isn't done today, unfortunately.
The ship sailed on for many years, but time started taking its toll on the stately
windjammer. In 1984, Wallace and his company were once again called in, this
time to completely re-rig and re-deck the ship. Because the work was performed
in Fowler's Harbor during Park operating hours within sight of guests, the work
crews wore period costumes so as to blend in thematically. In 1992, concessions to the ship's
authenticity--which Walt strove so hard to attain--were made when the rigging was
altered for Disneyland's then new show, Fantasmic!
Marine
architect Jeff Maillian, of Maillian Associates Design, handled an extensive
overhaul of the ship in late 2004/early 2005, and still consults on both the Columbia
and the Mark Twain. The company replaced most of the hull bulkheads and
framing, and the ship's entire external hull planking with Douglas fir. At this
point in time, Maillian observed that in some places, it seemed wood putty was
more prevalent than actual wood! At the
same time, new steel "channels" replaced the original wooden ones (channels are
the platforms on the hull sides that some of the rigging is attached to).
Columbia rounds the bend of the Rivers of America in this evocative
photo by Matt Walker. Can this really be Anaheim?
On
December 24, 1998, tragedy struck. The ship was about to dock, coming in at a
brisk pace. The enormous momentum of the huge boat was not something easily
brought to a halt. An inexperienced dockhand looped the docking line around the
large metal cleat on the ship's hull in order to tether her. But the massive
ship continued forward, stretching the nylon docking line tighter and tighter.
Eventually, the strain was too great, and the metal cleat ripped away from the
wooden hull, the stretched line whipping the heavy steel cleat backward like a
slingshot with incredible force. The cleat slammed back into the waiting queue,
where it struck Luan
Phi Dawson and his wife, Lieu Vuong, in their heads. Luan died from his
injuries three days later, and Lieu suffered massive facial disfiguration. The
accident prompted a massive overhaul of theme park oversight by Cal-OSHA, and
sparked a national debate on theme park safety. The case settled without a
lawsuit for what the Los Angeles Times estimated to be $25,000,000.
Flags with 13 stars flank the gangplank of the Columbia. Photo courtesy Matt Walker.
Today,
with better training, safer procedures and equipment, the Columbia once
again is the "Gem of the Kingdom." She continues her starring role in Fantasmic!, and
still fulfills her responsibilities in
educating 21st century visitors about 18th century
seafaring life.
But exactly how accurate is the Columbia, compared with real ships
from the 1780s? Find out in the next installment in
this series.
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