Although the first patented steam calliope was a self-playing barrel
operated instrument, little has been printed in automatic musical
instrument publications on this subject.  Lee Munsick's article was
very interesting and welcome.  Here are a few more notes on this
complex and much neglected subject.

It is not really possible to tune a calliope whistle because its pitch
depends almost entirely on the volume of its brass bell or resonator
which cannot be changed.  Raising or lowering the bell only changes the
angle at which the conical sheet of steam strikes the edge of the bell.

Calliopes are always out of tune, not only because some of the whistles
are overheated and become a little longer when very prolonged notes
and chords are played, but also by priming caused by either carrying
the boiler water level too high, or by drawing too much steam too fast,
both of which cause water to boil up into the whistles, momentarily
raising their pitch and choking them.

Foaming, caused by failure to keep the boiler clean, also has an
unfortunate effect on the music.  During any musical rendition a few of
the whistles may momentarily be in tune but the others will be sharp or
flat and half-filled with water, gurgling and gasping.

We need only see "Showboat" again to be convinced that most Mississippi
riverboats boasted a calliope on the Captain's bridge.  It must have
been wonderful to see and hear these magnificent ships with their
beautiful carved woodwork, brilliant colors and polished intricate and
ornate brasswork announcing their approach to each river town with a
thundering but melodious glorious rendition of Waiting for The Robert
E. Lee or The Stars and Stripes Forever.

However, about 1950 I interviewed a number of elderly river rats
including even one ancient and venerable senior pilot and all declared
that not one of them had ever seen or heard a steam calliope, although
one of them said he had seen something like that on the lower deck of
a wrecked ship being salvaged.

A Mississippi stern wheeler was a very complex and very expensive ship,
likely to be wrecked on a log snag or sand bar just around the next
bend in the river.  The huge but really fragile wooden drive wheels on
the sides or rear were forever smashing into stumps and floating logs.
Of course there was the ever-present danger of a fire or a boiler
explosion.  Repairs were constantly needed and the nearest dry docks
and large machine shops were in St. Louis or New Orleans.  Again, I
found that not one of the old timers who were interviewed had ever seen
a showboat.

In those days admission to most theatrical performances was usually
5 cents for adults and 3 cents for children.  Many river towns were
blessed with an "opera house" or a big saloon with a stage in back,
both stiff competition for the rare showboat.  The local sheriff
usually blessed the hometown theatrical efforts but might decide that
the showboat was a foul den of profanity, obscenity, vulgarity,
pornography, nudity, and debauchery.  A quarter-million-dollar showboat
might have to fill every seat twice a day to put a few dollars in its
owner's pockets even if maybe ten ton of cotton, cane, corn and rice
were carried on the main deck on each downstream run.

The English type steam organ was a fairground organ driven by an
electric motor.  An ornate showman's traction engine with a horizontal
locomotive-type boiler and a single cylinder slide valve steam engine
drove an electric dynamo or generator which provided all the electric
power needed for the organ, outside lights and the stage show.

Sometimes the steam engine drove the organ directly with a long leather
belt and carbide lights or even pine knot torches were used for evening
performances.

The hazards of the calliope player, who was said to be constantly
in danger of being cooked and scalded to death, are no doubt very
frightening to contemplate.

But, decades ago, I would amuse train passengers by setting the train's
brakes, opening the cylinder cocks, pulling the throttle out a bit and
setting the reverse lever.  Steam at 125 pounds pressure would come
roaring out causing some poor souls within forty yards to scream and
jump in terror.  Then I would walk forward and stick my face into this
howling blast.

Steam is a true gas and is completely invisible and silent.  Released
into the open air, it condenses very quickly into a harmless warm white
fog and the sensation was very pleasant on cold mornings.

Although riverboat calliopes were rare, their tone no doubt was the
best of all.  A lagged steam pipe of considerable diameter fed dry,
constant-pressure steam straight up from the steam dome on the big
horizontal fire-tube boiler which was way down on the very keel of the
boat.

On the other hand, steam for the portable parade or circus calliope
was usually generated in a cylindrical vertical dry-top boiler four
or five feet in diameter and maybe 10 or 12 feet high.  Similar boilers
were used on steam pile drivers, steam rollers, steam shovels, and
horse-drawn fire engines.  At the very bottom, the ash pit and the
fire grate were nearly inaccessible.  A mass of long thin fire tubes
could not be cleaned easily from either the top or the bottom.

Needless to say, licensed high-pressure steam engineers were rarely
employed, although considerable skill, training and experience was
needed.  For example, if the operator failed to turn off the feed water
pump promptly, the boiler filled with water and the calliope gasped,
gurgled and sprayed boiling water about, and, if he failed to turn
the pump on, eventually the water level would drop and the tops of
the fire tubes would burn and burst or the crown sheet would overheat
and tear off its stay bolts.  The safety soft plug in the bottom of
the boiler might not melt out when dry to extinguish the fire and
boiler would explode putting an end to the music and often to the
entire circus.

Jim Lynch, Milwaukee WI

 [ The Showboat Goldenrod was moored continuously at St. Louis from
 [ 1938 until a few years ago, when she moved up river.  The elderly
 [ river rats of St. Louis said she was the inspiration for the movie
 [ "Showboat".  They also said that the later showboats, like the
 [ Goldenrod, were actually barges propelled by tugs.  None recalled
 [ a steam calliope except those aboard excursion steamboats.
 [ -- Robbie