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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.

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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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Steve DeGaetano is author of Welcome Aboard the Disneyland Railroad! Steve’s latest book, the history of Disneyland’s newest locomotive, the Ward Kimball, is now available. You can read more about From Plantation to Theme Park, the Story of Disneyland Railroad Locomotive No. 5, the Ward Kimball, and place an order for it, by using this link.

Steve DeGaetano may be e-mailed at [email protected] - Please keep in mind he may not be able to respond to each note personally.

© 2008 Steve DeGaetano


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