Document OzLyvXjgEZNRX39dmDMwnqzXM

. PUBLISHED BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT, HUMBLE OIL & REFINING COMPANY Volume 14, Number 12 June 19, 1972 Tanker Fleet Gets AMVER Award For Second Year Ships in the Humble tanker fleet have again been recognized for their voluntary participation in AMVER--the U.S. Coast Guard's Automated Mutual-assistance VEssel Rescue system. Certificates of Recognition were presented to the company and each of its tankers by the Depart ment of Transportation, U.S. Coast Guard, at an awards ceremony, held in Houston on June 6, at tended by Humble representatives and Coast Guard officers. Each ship in the fleet already has an AMVER pennant and a Certificate of Recognition for its participation in 1970. Duplicate pennants were not given for 1971, but each vessel received an up dated Certificate of Recognition. One tanker, the Esso Philadelphia, was awarded a pennant and a certificate for 1971. She went into service too late to get the awards for 1970. The AMVER system, operated by the U.S. Coast Guard on Gov ernors Island in New York Har bor, uses computers and sophis ticated electronic equipment to quickly provide the location of merchant ships nearest a vessel in distress. The success of AM VER depends on the regular par ticipation of merchant vessels, like those in Humble's tanker fleet, which provide the AMVER center with pertinent information at each sailing. This includes the ship's departure time, its course and speed, destination, and other related data which Coast Guard personnel program and feed into computers. It is highly important Captain Donald F. Hall, left, officer in charge of the Coast Guard's merchant marine inspection office in Houston, and Commander W. W. Waggett presented AMVER Certificates of Recognition to Mr. Humble and R. H. Herman, Jr., Humble director in charge of the Marine Department. The AMVER pennant, similar to the one given to each company tanker last year, was presented for the first time to the Esso Philadelphia. that masters provide updated in formation to the center, especially when their ships are delayed or diverted. Vessel characteristics that are valuable for determining search and rescue capabilities are also entered into computers. These include information as to the ship's radio watch schedule, whether she has radio-telephone facilities for communication with search aircraft, and whether she carries a doctor on board. If an emergency occurs at sea, AMVER can produce a "surface picture" containing the computerpredicted position, course, and speed of each vessel in the area of trouble, along with her search and rescue capabilities--and do the job in about a minute's time. The ship with facilities most (See AMVER Award, page 4) AS A MEMENTO of the change from Humble to EXXON, each em ployee in the seagoing and inland waterways fleets will receive a stainless steel plate containing the EXXON emblem and date, as shown. The plates are being mailed to home addresses. P' i i i COPIED FltOM THE COLLECTIONS IN THE CEf THE UNIVERSITY OF TRY A Steve M. English Dies In Houston The maritime community was saddened by the news of the passing of S. M. "Steve" English, widely-known marine engineer and former repair superintendent of the Humble tanker fleet. He died in a Houston hospital on June 3. Steve retired last year, ending a career that spanned 42 years of company service ashore and afloat. A native of San Antonio, Texas, he started to sea in 1930 as an ordinary seaman in the 8,000-dwt S/S Glenpool. The 19 year old seaman soon changed over to a wiper's berth. He sailed contin uously as fireman, oiler, and pumpman in ships of the pre-war Esso fleet. Sea voyages carried him to many world ports. In 1939, he received his license as third assistant engineer. Steve's first licensed job was in 1939 in the /. C. White where he sailed as third assistant. He served successively as third, sec ond, and first assistant engineer in various ships, and on March 8, 1946, was named chief engineer in the Esso New Orleans (2). Steve English saw his share of enemy action during World War II. The Esso Providence, a 13,000dwt tanker in which he was first assistant engineer, suffered a di rect hit in an air raid on Augusta harbor during the Sicily landings on August 24, 1943. The bomb ex ploded in No. 9 main cargo tank, laying open the hull of the ship for more than half the width of the vessel. Miraculously, the 44man merchant crew and the 34 navy gunners escaped unhurt. In 1948, Steve transferred ashore as a repair inspector, ad vancing in 1958 to supervising inspector. In 1961, when the Marine Department moved to Houston, he was promoted to the post of repair superintendent. During his career afloat and ashore, Steve won the respect and admiration of all who knew him. Endowed with an abundance of human warmth, he never lost the common touch. He went out of his way to help others and gave unselfishly of his time and talents. In the rough and tumble of the ship repair world, Steve was a man with a reputation for fair dealing. Although Steve has rung up a final "Finished with Engines," he will live on in the esteem and re spect of his legion of friends and associates ashore and afloat. Steve is survived by his widow, a daughter, three sons, and two brothers. Steve M. English A TWO-YEAR CONTRACT, the first for unlicensed seamen in the Enco Sunshine State, was signed at Baytown, Texas, on June 8 by representa tives of the Humble Marine Department and the Baytown Marine Fed eration. The federation, an affiliate of the Gulf Coast Industrial Workers Union (GCIWU), was certified in February, 1972, as the bargaining agent to represent the unlicensed seamen. The tug Enco Sunshine State and the 30,000-dwt barge Enco Port Everglades operate between Baytown and Florida ports. Seated from the left in the picture taken during the signing are: Sydney Wire, Marine Department assistant general man ager who signed for the company, and A. C. James and Forrest G. Speer, president and secretary, respectively, who signed for the union. Mr. James and Mr. Speer are Baytown Refinery employees. Standing from the left are Stanley B. Haas and W. A. Scott from the Baytown Marine Branch Office; F. Ames Smith, Marine Department Operations manager; Charles W. Poole, representative for the Baytown Marine Federation, and Benny D. Hard, alternate representative (both are AB/ Tankermen in the Enco Sunshine State); M. W. Brewer, business agent, GCIWU; and Bill R. Erwin, GCIWU vice president and a Baytown Re finery employee. Page 2 Esso Fleet News COPIFU FitOM THE OJELErriONS IN THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN H1STOR ------------------------TAFFRAIL TALK------------------------- FISH . . . STRAWBERRIES . . . CRAB MEAT--that's the fare that officers and crew members in the Esso Newark were having until the vessel entered the shipyard recently. Prior to this, the ship had been loading crude in the Santa Barbara Channel for dis charge at Humble's refinery at Benicia, California. Reports from the ship indicated that fishing in the sparkling clear water was great and it took only a short time for a few of the crew to fill several buckets with fish which Francisco Fernandes, steward, prepared for serving as an "extra" bonus at mealtime. Also, strawberries were in season and the crew purchased all it wanted at 4 quarts per $1-- sometimes 5 quarts per $1, depending upon their bargaining ability. During the vessel's recent passage to Alaska, officers and crew chipped in and bought 50 pounds of Alaska King Crab and 20 pounds of pure crab meat. The whole crabs, cooked, cost 75 cents a pound and the pure meat was $2 per pound. "After a couple of days, we had crab running out of our ears," said a stuffed crew member. --o-- AS THE RESULT OF a Christmas letter, two long-time sea men who were shipmates 38 years ago recently took another trip together--this time it was a pleasure trip to the South Pacific. Every Christmas, Captain Christian C. Quist, who lives in Boca Raton, Florida, sends a letter to Harold A. Morris, retired chief engineer who sailed with Captain Quist in the J. A. Moffett, Jr., in 1934. Mr. Morris lives in Long Beach, California. In his letter last Christmas, Captain Quist mentioned that he and his wife were plan ning to tour the South Pacific in the spring. "Mrs. Morris and I were planning a similar trip so I wrote Captain Quist inviting him and his wife to go with us," said Mr. Morris. "I sent them information on costs, dates, and so forth and they accepted. We got together for a 27-day tour of Austra lia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tahiti. Captain Quist recalled that in 1917 he made the voyage from the U.S. East Coast to Australia in a sailing ship in about 95 days. On this trip, the total flying time from his home in Florida to Sydney, Australia, took less than 18 hours." Captain Quist retired from the company in 1957; Mr. Morris in 1959. Captain and Mrs. Quist, left, and Mr. and Mrs. Morris are shown as they started their vacation from Los Angeles airport. YE OLD SAILORS' art of scrimshaw is being practiced by Third Mate David Ramey as Grant D. Miller, OS, looks on. Dave practices on soup bones, then etches his better creations into pieces of ivory. He became interested in this hobby when Leo Oliveira, steward, gave him a scrimshaw-making kit. The photo was taken by Ernest D. Seddon, Jr., 3rd mate in the Esso Baltimore. Mr. Ramey can usually "etch" a soup bone in just a few hours. The ivory work takes much longer. Actually, Mr. Ramey and other scrimshaw artists are engaging in a very old pastime--and a potentially profitable one, if they can find any whales' teeth. Old because it dates back to the begin ning of the 17th century when sailors on whaling expeditions passed long hours at sea by carving or etching ships, sweethearts, and other favorite subjects on the teeth of Sperm Whales. Profitable because whales' teeth are scarce and also when it became known that the late President Kennedy was a scrimshaw col lector, prices shot up. It's a little known fact that on the night before the presi dent's funeral, his wife put a whale's tooth inscribed with the insignia of his office in his coffin to be buried with him in Arlington. Dealers ask incredible prices for scrimshawed whales' teeth. An original engraved seven-inch whale tooth is estimated to have a value of over $700. Good luck, fellas. June 19, 1972 Page 3 > i EXX-MOR-008030 AMVER Award Continued from page 1 needed can then be called upon to help in rescue operations. In presenting the awards, Com mander W. W. Waggett, USCG, captain of the Port of Houston, said: "Officers aboard each vessel who are responsible for keeping the AMVER center advised make a valuable contribution to the safety of their own ships and per sonnel and to the safety of others who might need assistance in an emergency. The value of this ef fort in terms of potential service to humanity is incalculable and deserves the highest esteem of the brotherhood of mariners." In accepting the awards for the company and its tanker fleet, Em mett A. Humble, Marine Depart ment general manager, said: "It's comforting to know that such a system exists and we plan to con tribute in any way that we can. We will continue our active par ticipation in this very worthy pro gram." The certificate to each ship was accompanied by a letter of commendation to the master, signed by Admiral C. R. Bender, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard. He is also coordinator of U.S. Maritime Search and Rescue op erations. Equity Portfolio Value Up 81 i The value of each unit in the Equity Portfolio as of the last business day in May, 1972, was $13.59. Last business day of May, 1971 June, 1971 July, 1971 August, 1971 September, 1971 October, 1971 November, 1971 December, 1971 January, 1972 February, 1972 March, 1972 April, 1972 May, 1972 Unit Value $10.00 10.06 9.76 10.35 10.32 9.96 10.15 11.14 11.63 12.31 12.53 12.78 13.59 Teagle Scholarships Give Financial Aid To MoreThan 100Applications For Nursing Due Over the past five years, more than 100 sons and daughters of Marine Department employees have completed colleges and nursing schools with financial aid from Teagle Foundation scholarships. One of these is Virginia A. Ben son, daughter of Miss Benson Leonard C. Ben son, pumpman in the Esso Hous ton. On June 1, she graduated from the Creedmoor State Hos pital School of Nursing at Queens Village, New York. "Virginia started her training in September, 1969, shortly after receiving the scholarship, and believe me, it certainly was a big help to us financially," Mr. Benson said. "I am proud that she went to nurs ing school, especially when she made the Dean's List. Now that she has graduated, she will work in Suffolk Hospital in Mineola, Long Island," he said. Employees are reminded that applications and supporting doc uments for Teagle Nursing Schol arships must be received by Paul McEwan, head of Personnel Ser vices Section in the Houston Of fice, by June 30 for the school year beginning in September, 1972. Each year, The Teagle Founda tion offers nursing scholarships to employees of Humble and its affiliates to any school of nurs ing in the continental United States and in Canada, providing the school is approved by a state board of nursing or the National League for Nursing. The scholarships also apply to universities offering a nursing ma jor curriculum leading to a bache lor of science degree in nursing with a maximum course length of four years. Employees with at least two years of credited service are eli gible to apply. Also eligible are the children of employees with at least three years of credited ser vice: children of annuitants; chil dren and widows of deceased an nuitants and of employees who died while in company service. In addition to nursing, The Tea gle Foundation sponsors a lim ited number of scholarships for diversified education at the fol lowing institutions: Cornell Uni versity, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rice University, Tulane University, Harvard Univer sity Graduate School of Business Administration, and the Clare mont, California Group of Col leges. Applications for these scholarships must be submitted by December 21, 1972. Applica tion blanks and other information concerning Teagle scholarships may be obtained from Mr. Mc Ewan. SERVICE AWARDS 20 Years Oliver W. Holmes, Jr., Third Mate April 16, 1972 Joseph M. Ruiz, AB May 25, 1972 ESSO FLEET NEWS is published every other Monday for active and retired em ployees of the Marine Department, Humble Oil & Refining Co.; Emmett A. Humble, General Manager; Sydney Wire, Assistant Genera! Manager. GENE LEGLER..............................................Editor Contributions and suggestions are invited and should be addressed to the Editor, ESSO FLEET NEWS, Humble Oil & Refin ing Co., P. O. Box 2180, Room 4193, Houston, Texas 77001. Page 4 Esso Fleet News