Document GqpV09RDD423090B58k6EOoV

iN T E R -a r n cE CORRESPONDENCE Et hyl Gaso l ine Co r po r at io n Da y t o n Div is io n Mu t u a l Ho me Bu il d in g D ayton, O hio Feb. 12,1944 Weekly Letter Mr .Harry A .Mack Lea r Harry: Following were my activities during the past week: Sunday: Layton to Louisville by train. Monday: Louisville, U.S.Engineers, Messers Loreh and Robinson. " TJ.S.Coa st Guard, Lt .C.W.Bottorff JeffSrsonville, Ind. Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co. Tuesday: Louisville, Stoll Oil Refining Co. MrJCittner " American Barge lines,Mr.Kollenberg n S.O.Ky.Messers Lowning,Sallee, and Crowley n C-Plf^Refining Co. Messers Southworth & lync euna oix ccri Lr .Alexander & Mr .Van Buren Wednesday: Louisville. Louisville Refining Co. Mr.Loudermill Kosmosdale, Ky. Kosmos Towing Co. Mr.Rahm Owensboro, Producers Pipe Line Co., Mr.Garry Spottsville. slagter Oil & Grease Co. Mr.Slagter Mt.Vernon Ind., sohio Crude Terminal, Mr.West of West & Vogelsang To Paducah. Thursday: Paducah. Hoppers Marine Wajsy, Mr.Twitehell " S .0.Indiana, Mr.J.A.Harmon, and by Phone Mr. F.J.Gainer at Y/ood River. Friday: Paducah Hoppers Marine Ways. Barge samples obtained. Spofctsvilleip Slagter Oil & Grease Co. Mr.Slagter Producers Pipe Line Co. To Louisville, and thence to Layton by evening train. Baytrday: Layton Safety meeting in Livision Office. General; My principal activity was the investigation of barge elea ing methods and the attempt to obtain sludge samples from gasolin carrying barges. I am covering this subject in a separate report and will cover my contacts only briefly in this iettBjb. One thing stands out rather sharply in my mind: Many con cerns which clean gasoline barges do not take any precautions xk which would protect their workers from lead vapors or sludges 2- if such are present in bargetank bottoms. Also the cleaning and welding of these vessels is a hazard ous operation, requiring great care and considerable knowledge of the explosive nature of gasoline vapors, static charges, etc. My preliminary impression is that some firms that clean and re pair barges do not have a full comprehension of the risks they run with the methods they use. Thus our Safety Engineers might be exposed to explosion or fire hazards if they observed barge cleanings at some locations. Also if it develops that there are vapor or skin contact hazards from 100 octane aviation gasoline with certain of the new additives other than TEL it may be that warnings should be sent tooperators of barges carrying such gasoline. I was able to obtain samples from a barge that has made only two trips, both times carrying only 100 octane gasoline. I could not determine if the gasoline had contained any additives other than lead. A check of the gasoline refineries indicates that in v^^irvrrv Kentucky, at least, there are ample supplies of civilian gasoline available. And only one company (Aetna) has felt any pressure from P.A.W. forthe manufacture of 80 octane all-purpose gas. See below for details. a Oil Co. lir.E.E.Van Buren, Aetna's Ref'y supt., tola me they have signed a contract with the Government to supply 500,000 gallons monthly of 60 octane all-purpose gasoline, type "A". This will aot interfere seriously with Aetna's civilian supply, Van Buren told me. "Everyboay I know has gasoline running our of their ears," he saia. The 80 octane material will make it easier for them to stay above to 50* point aistillation minimum set by the P.A.W. Dr .Alexander said that he had heard revived recently the -3- rumor that Ethyl grade gasoline will he ordered off the market hy the government. (On this sujitttnote also contacts this week with Messers Kittner, of Stoll, and Downing, of S.O.Ky.) Mr .Van Bnren told me they own or have on charter 4 "barges in gasoline service, with several others carrying crude. The gasoline barges are: Barge Humber 1 9 27 38 Capacity 4006 bbls 3000 " 3500 " 4500 " One of these "barges is due at Kosmos Towing Co's dock, Kosmosdale, Ky., for cleaning and repair early next week. I ar ranged that Mr.Flanders, AetnAAs Traffic Manager, will wire or phone you the probable date of arrival of this barge in Kosmosdale The prliminary steaming before entry will take from one to three days, depending upon whether a towboat with large boiler is available, or whether they have to use a small donkey engine boiler. I also talked to Mr.Van Buren about fluid shipments and they will continue to order 15 days in advance and specify de sired date of arrival. Stoll Oil Ref. Mr.Jack Kittner, Ref'y Supt, for Stoll has been ordering Co. fluid well in advance of needs, specifying only arrival during a specified week, he said. He will continue to do so. As Stoll has a 3250 gal.installation prompt arrival is important to them because of the narrow margin of fluid left after room has been made in the tahk for a ear of fluid. Kittner had heard rumors that Ethyl might be taken off the market. Louisville Ref,Co. Mr.J,J.ioudermill, Supt. of Louisville Refining Co. refinery and Kr.Yiaples, the Purchasing Agent, will order fluid at least two weeks in advance of desired date of arrival, specifying date wanted. Mr.Loudermill says he has not teen pressed to manufacture 80 octane all-purpose gasolihe. He would not he surprised if the pressure increased. S.O.Ky. In the corridor of Standard Oil Co. of Ky. I ran into Mr .John Downing, Kentucky District Manager for that company. I had not seen him for some time and paid my respects. As he was for some time ItysoTs liaison man in Washington I asked h im if he knew anything about current rumors that Ethyl would he ordered off the market. Mr.Downing said he doubted if this would take place. There is very strong pressure against such a move, he said, because of the very large investment in adver tising, equipment, etc., not to mention the strong demand for it. He said Mr.lckes had stated flatly that no moves would be ipade simply to convince people there was a war on. Only if it were strongly proved that the manufacture of Ethyl were interfere with production of aviation or all-purpose gasoline wrould Ethyl be taken off. Present conditions do not indicate a shortage either of lead or aviation components, in his opinion. I talked to Mr.Sallee and he said they operate one barge between Kentucky terminals. Ho cleaning is planned at present but he offered to let us obtain sludge sample by sending someone into the barge while it was empty and at the Louisville terminal. Mr.Pat Crowley, Terminal Sup't, said the same thing. They have definite rules for cleaning which are included in my report on barge cleaning. U.S.Engineers Louisville Dist. I had a rather long contact with Mrssers R.B.Lorch. and Charles Robinson, Safety Engineers, U.S.Engineers. I copied thei: U.S .CQast Guard. ^i CD fO CD O O draft of rules governing the cleaning of targes, which containes reference to calling in our Company (makiig 2 cartons) and also ottained a copy of their manual on handling tanks etc., and a numter of copies of the Coast Guard manual on the safe handling of Inflammable and Combustible Liquids. I took Mr.Pearce with me to introduce him to the above gentlemen. While in the Engineers office another of their Safety Engineers said he would like to have a number of copies of "Pro fessional Driving" for civilian drivers employed by the Engineers in the Louisville District. He recently took a course in Driver Safety Training in the Columbus Division Office, and he said "Professional Driving" contained in some form the answer to every question in the examination given at the end of the course. I referred him to you for any copies he might desire, explainirg I did not know their cost or under what arrangement we could supply any considerable number of them* In Louisville Imobtained copies of the Coast Guard "Manu al on safe han ling of inflammable and combustible liquids" and also a manual "Tahk Vessels", published by Dept, of Commerce, from Lt .C.W.Bottorff, of the Marine Inspection office, U.S. Coast Guard, Kentucky Home Life Building. Lt.Bottorff was most helpful in discussing his branch's jurisdiction over cleaning and repair practices and methods on barges, etc., and I wouli greatly appreciate your mailing him four copies of the A.P.I. Manual on Tank Cleaning, for the Lieutenant and three associates in his office. He v/as interested in any hints the manual might give about explosion or asfcfcpciation hazards. J effersonville Boat & Mach.Co Lt.Bottorff, of the Coast Guard, told me that Jefferson- ville Boat and Machine Co., Jeffersonville, lnd.( ^ Ohio River from Louisville) was then cleaning a barge for the Defense Plant Corp. He telephoned over and arranged for my eomin g to get sludge samples, and I talked to Mr.Redmon, the Supt., at the shipyard, explaining my mission. I had to search for quart mason jars, so that on my arrival at the shipyard Mr .J.Yi.Redmon, told me they had finished their oh (steaming and inspection only) and the barge had been moved away from the yard. However he had retained a bucket full of the condensate, water and rust particles, etc., composing the material on the bottom of the compartment worked on. I have szmp / samples of this water and solids, and also the cargo history of ' the barge: two trips between Yfood River,111. and Cincinnati with 100 octane aviation gasoline. This material has a pungent ; odor unfamiliar to me. Samples and report form will be delivered to you or to Dr.Kehoe direct, whichever you prefer. As Jeffersonville Boat Works apparently is now doing barge work in adcition to their Navy construction I asked Mr.Redmon to advise you of future gasoline barge cleanings. Apparently they do a good, safe ob. twenty years experience,with no mishaps, by contrast with a number of explosions resulting in fatalities on several occasions in recent years at other locations. American Barge In Louisville I talked to Mr.A.F.Kollenberg, Engineer and Line, jouisvil&e Purchasing Agent for American Barge Line co.,4S7 North Preston S t ., Louisville, E ,JCy. His company operates a very large fleet barges, carrying all types of cargo, and all kinds of petrol cv f\* eum and other liquid products, such as creosote,etc. I explained CD CD our sampling project and he asked that we write him, asking no o CD tification and he will advise us of the date and place of future o> cleanings. Much of their work is apparently done by Jefferson ville Boat & Machine C o . Mr.Kollenberg told me barges have to 1c be very thoroughly cleaned when changing type of cargo, a n in- spector rutting walls and floor with white-gloved hands to test for cleanliness. Gulf Ref. Co. Mr.H.G.Southworth, of Gulf, told me his company had sold a 15,000 gallon tank from Madisonville, Ky., to the Chicago area, I checked into this and found the tank had come from the tulk plant of Bartlett Oil Co., former Conoco otter who sold out to Gulf, and had held only white, unleaded gasoline. It had not teen in use for many years. It was marked "Unsafe for storage for products destined---- etc", in accordance with instructions to Mr.Tom Dowell, copy of which we received some time ago. I also talked to Mr.Dowell. ir.Southworth said he has nothing to do with cleaning or repair of any Gulf-owned or operated targes, all such matters be ing handled in the Pittsburgh office of Gulf. Kosmos Towing Co. In Kosmosdale, Ky., on the river ust west of Louisville, I called on Mr. J.D.Rahm, of Kosmos Towing Co.Shis is a subsidi ary of Kosmos Cement Co., and operates towboats and targes, inclu ding tank targes leased to Aetna Oil Co. Kr.Rahm promised to let us observe cleaning of an Aetna targe due next week and obtain sludge samples. Producers Pipe Producers Pipe Line Co., in Owensboro, expects to clean Line Co. a targe next week for Louisville Refining Co. M r E . G a r r y , General Onager, promised cooperation in observing this clean ing. I talked to him both on the way to Paducah and on the way tack and as of Friday the date of the cleaning was not set. Mr.Garry has teen trying to purchase a Mine Safety blower and mask tut said that this company had not replied to two let ters of enquiry. I was able to give him names and addresses of other manufacturers of approved equipment of this nature. Ef 0 UGo u 3.4 b /West & Vogelsang I went to Mount Vernon, Ind., just west of Evansville, ho - pine to see Mr .Wilbur Weyer, of S.O.OMo, to find out what his company does about cleaning gasoline barges. Mr.Weyer was away but I learned he handles only crude at Mt.Vernon. At their terminal is a contracting firm, West & Vogelsang, which cleans only crude barges. I met Mr,West, who showed me. his equipment. He dresses his men in rubber clothing, boots, and gloves, with fresh air masks. The B.S. and W. is loosened by crude pumped through a jet (sometimes hot) under high pressure, thereby ipaking a mass that can be pumped back to the tanks. He cleans only crude barges. si agter rease r\J cm co cm o CD Ut & You will recall that on a recent quarterly inspection at Slagter Oil & Grease Co., Spottsville, Ky., I found the Ethyl building unheated, with water supply to the building cut off. X requested restoration of the heat and water and you followed up my request with a letter to which Mr.Slagter has not yet re plied. On Wednesday, a warm day, I stoppedat this refinery in the hope of testing the sprinkler system. However Mr.Slagter was not at the refinery, and his secretary ( his daughter) called him on the telephone for me. Mr.Slagter told me over the phone that he thought it un necessary to keep heat in the building at all times, and water was cut off because it would freeze in a cold building. I called his attention to the fact that it was a part of the regulations, incorporated in the contract, that the building be kept above freezing etc., a fact you had stated in your letter, in addition to my verbal request. I could not get a flat statement from Mr .Slagter at the time that he would comply withlUis request and as the telephone conversation did not seem to be getting any where, and I was definitely not invited to go to his home to see him I went on, returning to the Refinery Friday on my way hack to Louisville. On this second visit I was able to get him to come to the refinery and talked to me and we went all over the subject of contention again. On Wednesday he had told me flatly & ted/ he could not test the sprinkler that day, though,^!t had been tes ted only a few days before and found in good working order. Fri day was a cold day, the temperature registering 30 F. at the time of m|r visit. There was no steam in the mixing plant, he said, as no-one was doing any work. He doubted if there would be any serious separation of fluid or crystallization. I told him I certainly had no alternative than to tell him that heat must be kept there, and also water for the wash room. If he in tended to keep the building cold it was a violation of his con tract and that if what I said carried no weight with him I hoped he would go over my head and write you stating what his intentions were. If he desired, he could write directly to New York, but all I could tell him was that if he left the building unheated he was violating regulations, a fact which I would certainly have to report, I told him that he put our division in a bad spot. We had gone to bat for him when he last purchased fluid, getting him extremely lenient credit terms when it would have been inconven ient for him to pay for a full carload of drums, and also in get ting a carload at a time when both drums and fluid were scarce. I c ailed his attention to your letter which told him the same things I was doing,ifcnd to the fact that you had received no re ply to your letter. I agreed with M m that in earlier days drums had been stored anc, emptied on open platforms, but 1 went on to explain that we had learned that this practice was not desirable H E OOC6CA6 -10- and we had even designed warming cabinets for drums for locations where there was direct drum blending in cold climates. I pointed out that we would have not ashed him to go to the expense of a heated brick building for his weigh tank and manifold if it were not important to keep the fluid above the freezing temperature. - Mr.-Slagter finally said that he did not want to go over any one's head, that he realized we were co-operating with him and he wanted to co-operate with us. He would put steam and water in the building and keep them, even though he still doubted the ne cessity of it. Also he would answer your letter soon. He did not in my presence issue any such orders, so I cannot state whether my request was immediately or eventually complied with. Mr.Slagter said that on a few days advance notice he would unload a couple of drums and make a mix that we could obserye. I told him I could not make a definite appointment without word from you but that you would get in touch with him by wire or phone to make an apppintment. This work can be done any time this month Mr.Slagter said. I had earlier reported a high pressure gauge in the mani fold that appeared to be sprung. Mr.Slagter says he sees no reason to order a replacement as this gauge registers accurately when pressure gets above 50 lbs/ sq,.in. There was firmness but no acrimony on either side in theinterview and I left with Mr.Slagter's agreement to keep heat in the mixing plant and also water. But I believe, in view of giagias M r .Slagr's attitude the matter warrants following up, S.O. of Indiana I found the standard Oil Co. of Indiana towboat "Stanolind A" in port at Padneah with a stria of empty barges. I went atomi K 0006017 aboard and talked to Mr.J.0 .Harmon, Standards Marine Supft.,ask ing permission to get sludge samples from some of the empty barges in their tow. ' itr.Harmon talked to Mr .S'.J .Gainer, Ass*t Gen'l Su$Tt., at Wood River, 111., by long distance, putting me on the line to talk directly to Mr.Gainer and explain my reguest. Mr.Gainer po litely declined to let me, or anyone else, go into gas-filled barges except after advance arrangements, and then only at wood Kiver,where their'Safety Men could see that everything was O.K. Both Mr.Gainer and Mr.Harmon were vary courteous and Mr. Gainer took m e all over the towboat which is very well equipped and appointed. Hoppers Marine Ways The Hoppers Marine Ways (Formerly Ayers & lord). subi&i* ary of Hoppers Coke Co., is probably the most active repair ship yard on the Ohio River between Pittsbugh and the Mississippi . I made arrangements Thursday to be present the next day for the cleaning of a barge owned by Socony-Vacuum Oil Co. On Friday I went out with the crew to the island off which the barge, Socony- Vaeuum #300, was tied. But the temperature had gone down ovenight to the low 20s and the crew decided that this temperature, com bined as it was with a high wind, was too tough for them to do any cleaning. Therefore all they did was put mask, boots, rubber coat ed gloves on a man and send him into three holds to get samples for me. From the deck there appeared to be very little material but the man got me quart Jars #ull of gasoline, water, and a little rust flakes, from each compartment. Then the men put the equipment away and hurried back to the tug and returned to the yard. As no further work would be done until the weather moder ated, and as forecast indicated no early relief from the cold I / < 0 0 0 6 G2 8 left and returned to Dayton, having first learned their method of cleaning. As the cleaning of this barge might not be resumed for several days, whioh would leave me sitting idly in Paducah when you probably had many other things for me to do, it did not seem profitable to stay merely to see the methods they had de scribed. . IU the para*ra,h al0Te describing contact with Kr.Downiug, of Standard of Kentucky, I neglected to mention a remark Mr.Downing made whioh should be of interest to our people. Mr. Downing said that he had had, in Washington, considerable contact with Mr .joe Costello, and that he and everyone else thought Mr. Costello was doing a very fine Job. Very truly yours oLs.'V louis M.slack Jstj, K & 0QQ6GZB