July & August Kalakala s News Letter

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1 July & August Kalakala s News Letter Steve has witnessed many historic ships miracles beyond our State s boarders. One s that have inspired Steve to never give up on helping to preserve the Kalakala as a National Treasure. He knows she can still inspire millions more people within the 21 st century! And, Steve is now ready to share the Black Ball Line Fleet and the Peabody family legends and stories with our State, Nations, and City of Seattle public officials upon his return. Our Kalakala s walk of Hope journey has provided many more stories beyond what was ever imagined prior to January 27, Today, we have a remarkable story to share. We have seen so many beautiful ships, communities, and organizations succeeding across America today. From breath taking stories of the world s only wooden whaling ship of sail (C.W.Morgan) located in Mystic, Connecticut to the only remaining WWI & WWII old old Navy ship USS TEXAS located in Houston, Texas. These are history preservation legends that have been and are being made with significant ships in America that have survived decades and even centuries because of hard work and great spirit of community. Now I know that it is not too late for us to recover and preserve a remarkable legendary vessel named, Kalakala. Especially after seeing most of all the successful preserved ships on the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico just how great the Kalakala story still truly can become. If, and only if, our continued efforts persist to share the true stories of the Kalakala s national level of significances to the National Parks Service in Washington D.C. I now feel we can gain credibility s with other national Congress members in DC that already have accomplished greatness by saving ships significant to our nation and their States. We hope to seek their support towards our efforts to save the Kalakala using the President s powers of the Antiquity Act And, we hope to suggest many federal existing home ports where the Kalakala could be moored after totally restored/preserved. When we get back we will talk with the City of Seattle public officials about our interests in nominating the Washington Street Boat Landing Facility as her homeport in Seattle which we feel is where has always deserved to be since her retirement in So, we are re writing their nominations within the National Parks Service National Register of Historic Places to request a State and Washington D.C. review for

2 national levels of significances. The write ups are ongoing and should be completed within 2 4 weeks. Then, will be sent to both the State Historic Preservation Officer and National Parks Service in Washington D.C. Significant Persons/businesses associated with the Kalakala s and America s past histories such as: The Black Ball Line centuries and origins of building both the New York and Puget Sound regions ships and ferry systems, The Peabody family legends (who helped to building of America since 1635), Enoch Peabody, Captain who risked their lives to transport hundreds of thousands of mostly English and Irish immigrants and tons of cargo to a new land now being America from Liverpool, England to New York, Significant national maritime engineering related to: o Dr. Adolph Diesel patent Adolphus Busch purchase patent in Anhauser Busch, and Sulzer Brothers merger that helped revolutionize steam to direct diesel propulsion o Kalakala main and auxiliary engines, She was designed with a heat recovery system to provide hot water and heat onboard the ship o Our nations naval fleet converted from steam to diesel propulsion engines. Kalakala s Engineering National Significances The world s first streamline ferry, First steel electric arc welded ship o Eliminated rivets o Improved design and engineering of vessesl 1945 she was equipped with FCCA license #001 as America s first commercial vessel to use radar She was designed with indirect lighting onboard

3 Kalakala s Social and Cultural national impacts She was the first ferry to have a radio broadcast and her own 8 piece orchestra onboard, She was used and honored by many political dignitaries and entertainers Her majesty Queen Elizabeth I Ride from Seattle to Victoria, B.C., Canada May 29, 1939 Honored as the last ferry ride from Gig Harbor to Tacoma, across the Puget Sound, the day the first Tacoma Narrows Bridge was inaugurated, Song written by Dixie Lou Thompson and sang by Bing Crosby and the Andrew sisters (The Black Ball Line Ferries), She was rated by National Geographic, in 1935, to be the second most photographed physical structure in the world (second to the Eiffel Tower), A film produced by Metro Goldwyn Meyer of her maiden voyage July 3, 1935 as the world s first streamline ferry, She served 100 million passengers within only 32 years of service and was the flagship, queen of the fleet, and the most popular ferry for passengers within various Puget Sound region ferry routes, She served our State and our nation during the WWII repairs of the old Pacific fleet from Pearl Harbor. She influenced the Navy to bring six Old Pacific Fleet battle ships to Bremerton after Japan attacked America at Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941 o She can be given credits that helped to create many jobs for Seattle and the State because of being the world s first welded ship in America Her welded construction created a quality workforce specializing in ship building. The Seattle region not only had one of the largest battleship shipyards available but had superior welding craftsmanship and welding construction talents, more so, than any other Pacific Coast port. And, this is the reason the Kalakala s welded superstructure helped attract major

4 repairs required by the Old Pacific Fleet to Seattle after the start of WWII. During the Kalakala s walk of HOPE, we uncovered many archives and records while in Washington DC. It is time to re write a new nomination. It is time for our State to see what the State of Texas has done and what their story is compared to the Kalakala s fate since I departed Washington DC August 4 th. The next destination was to go to New Orleans. There I found the richness of music as their culture that could never be destroyed or lost from any hurricane such as Katrina. The historic ships being worked on in their harbors were numerous. And, I found the nations largest ship moving companies that owns submersible barges and ships. And, I set up a meeting with them in Houston, TX. For the following day. It was a great meeting, and proved to find that the Kalakala could be moved safely to any port anywhere in the nation or world for future repairs. Then, I visited the WWI & WWII USS Navy ship TEXAS in Houston. She was beautiful and has been a treasure of Texas since The State asked the navy to give it to them even before the war was over in The State knew that the Navy would probably use it for target practice or salvage it after they were finished with her. Today, TEXAS is a national treasure and is getting her own dry dock built with a $25 million State bond, and she will live many more centuries with such State support. I am heading onto San Diego next to visit the salvage company that cut up our 4 steel electric ferries in Mexico. I will also visit the ferry MS Berkeley that is preserved. Then, onto Long Beach to revisit the Queen Mary (Art Deco) ship. And, then enjoy returning home via along the Pacific Highways and a Stop in San Francisco to visit the Nation Maritime Museum and all the vessels there. He will introduce just how we have lost such a physical treasure and her legends. Now, it is still not too late to protect our world class maritime treasures as preserved national landmarks. It is not too late to find her a place to call home. It is not too late to recover a nationally significant site and vessel. It is not just about a book or story of the past. But, one that is related to our state and nation s maritime history that spans beyond such era s of; Prohibition, Great

5 Depression, Art Deco, Steam to Diesel Propulsion eras. But, back as far as 200 years since the Peabody family have made a difference in America since Time will be needed to ask the President of the United States of America, President of HOPE, for a future meeting to discuss the 1935 MV Kalakala and the Antiquities Act of USC It states in part: Section 2. That the President of the United States is hereby authorized, in his discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States to be national monuments, and may reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which in all cases shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected: Provided, That when such objects are situated upon a tract covered by a bonafied unperfected claim or held in private ownership, the tract, or so much thereof as may be necessary for the proper care and management of the object, may be relinquished to the Government, and the Secretary of Interior is hereby authorized to accept the relinquishment of such tracts in behalf of the Government of the United States. For more information on the Antiquities Act, go to: law/anti1906.htm Within the next few weeks I will return to Tacoma and the journey will come end. But, the Kalakala s walk of Hope will not end here. She will not end until we return the Kalakala to the people with respects and honors she deserves. The Nominations will be finalized and Hope for approvals by the State and National Parks Service. Then, we will finally have peace, and can go to work making her beautiful again. Respectfully yours, Steve Rodrigues, President, Kalakala Alliance Foundation