Document b5jVy82dO3exG07EvgE3q17ok

PUBLISHED BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT - EXXON COMPANY, U.S.A, Volume 15, Number 22 November 5, 1973 Holiday Season Coming Up: Eat All You Want Here's good news for licensed and unlicensed personnel who have been sticking to rather rigid diets all year to keep their proper weight. Go ahead and eat all you want on Thanksgiving Day. You can even stuff yourselves on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, too. "There's little reason to believe that anyone who goes all out at the dinner table on these three occasions will gain much perma nent weight," said Dr. John G. Lione, medical coordinator for the Marine Department. "I would only raise one warning flag: Those who have been watching their weight should not let the customary over eating on these three holidays become an every-day habit. In other words, eat all you want as a kind of reward for restraining yourselves during the past year, but make a firm New Year's reso lution that starting on January 2, you will again pick up the good habit of backing away from the table before overeating." This good news comes at a most opportune time as Thanks giving, Christmas, and New Year's menus just off the press feature meals that only a person with su perhuman will power could resist. The meals are a gourmet's delight. The Thanksgiving Day menu, for example, features stuffed celery, smoked oysters, assorted pickles, green or ripe olives, oyster cock tail, chicken consomme, and saltines--all just for starters. Next comes the choice of three main courses: roast stuffed young tur key with giblet gravy and cran berry sauce; baked glazed ham with orange-pineapple sauce; and broiled stuffed flounder with lemon slice and butter. Side dishes in clude brussels sprouts with parme san cheese, banana-pecan yams, creamed celery with green peas, and whipped potatoes. There will (See THANKSGIVING FEAST, page 5) Posters To Stress Pollution Hazards In an effort to increase aware ness of potential pollution haz ards, the Marine Department is distributing illustrated posters on various aspects of vessel opera tions. Three copies of a poster will be mailed to each vessel on a monthly schedule for posting in conspicuous locations. The November poster, which features communications at cargo transfer time, was mailed several days ago. The second poster will be mailed in time for December posting to roundout the year. Posters for 1974 will deal with ballasting, topping off, and other environmental control subjects. Although posters are copy righted by a commercial firm, Ships' Operational Safety, Inc., ideas for more personalized post ers involving pollution control (See POSTERS STRESS, page 3) TWO TUGS, the Exxon Empire State and Exxon Garden State, were furnished by the New York Branch recently to move an old Hudson River day liner from one berth to another in the South Street Seaport Museum. The vessel, above, was used for excursion trips up the Hudson River for many years. She was moved to make room for another vessel which the museum acquired. Kenneth P. Krieger was the docking pilot. Model shipbuilders and others who have opportunity to visit the museum at 203 Front Street will be especially interested in one of the models on display there. It's the Exxon Baltimore which the Marine Department presented to the museum last year. The 8-foot model duplicates the real Exxon Baltimore in finest detail. Captain Wammack Sn TV Commercial: "I Had A Little Trouble Ignoring Mark Twain's Ghost" "I wasn't supposed to know that Mark Twain's ghost was with me in the pilot house, but I had a little trouble ignoring him," re called Captain Charles E. Wam mack. Adding to the distraction was an entire camera crew that had also crowded into the pilot house. And at the helm of his tow boat, the Exxon Tennessee, was Captain Wammack, trying to pre tend for the cameras that it was just another normal day on the Mississippi. The "ghost" was in fact an actor, and the occasion was an Exxon commercial, filmed last year, in which Captain Wammack played an important role. The pur pose of the Mark Twain character was to poiht up the fact that Exxon has been around for a long time, hauling oil up the Mississippi since the days when Twain him self navigated the river. Captain Wammack had been recommended for the role by Cap tain S. V. Gardner, Baton Rouge Branch manager. The script called for him to perform the familiar task of piloting his boat, but, under the circumstances, the as signment was not as easy as it sounds. "Wherever I turned, there he was," said Captain Wammack, referring to Mark Twain. "I had trouble acting natural. 1 was also asked to compress a lot more ac tion into the space of a minute than I normally would. I finally mastered it, though," he said. Exxon Corporation's Hugh Jor dan, who was advertising adviser on the commercial, recalls that they asked Captain Wammack to do unusual things with the boat and that he did them with ease. "On two occasions," said Mr. Jordan, "we had to ask him to turn 1100 feet of barges com Time lapse photos, taken from TV commercial featuring the Exxon Ten nessee, show closeup and far off shots made from a helicopter loaded with special camera equipment. Other photos show actor portraying Mark Twain as he delivers commercial mes sage from various locations on the towboat, including the pilot house with Captain Wammack at the controls. pletely around. To us laymen, this was an impressive feat of coordi nation." In the tradition of Mark Twain, Captain Wammack, now captain in the Exxon Kentucky, has been close to the river since he was very young. Now 37 years old, he began as a deckhand on May 11, 1951. When he joined the Exxon fleet almost eight years ago, he had his mate's license and his first class pilot's license, and shortly afterward he received his master's license. His first regular captain's assignment was aboard the Esso Arkansas in 1970. The commercial in which Cap tain Wammack appeared is cur rently receiving national television exposure, and his friends gave him rave reviews. "Everybody said I looked good," he said. If he got another chance to act before the cameras, would he take it? "I'd like to do it again," he confesses. "I enjoyed it. Now that I know a little more about it, I'd put more feeling and action into the part." Captain Commends Crew For Teamwork "Now this is really teamwork." These words of Captain William J. Falvo in a letter to Houston head quarters sum up the response of the Exxon New Orleans crew to what he called "a real last-minute ordeal." As the Exxon New Orleans steered a course for Southwest Pass on September 29, decant ing ballast into slop tank No. 3 center, Chief Pumpman Herman D. Ambrose reported that the reach rod in No. 3 was broken. He lined up the cargo system to transfer the slop into No. 2 center. It was 1700 hours and the start of a long night. About 1 830, B pump broke down. The cargo system was shifted to use C pump, and the transfer of dirty ballast contin ued. Mr. Ambrose, Chief Engineer Clyde C. O'Neal, and Chief Mate (Continued on next page) Page 2 Exxon Fleet News Walter A. Johnson traced the B pump problem to faulty couplings. Fortunately, spare parts were on hand. At 2200, after the transfer of ballast had been completed, No. 3 center was machine washed and aired out with two blowers. At 0700 of the next day the New Orleans picked up her pilot in heavy rains. Meanwhile, repairs continued. Mr. Ambrose and 2nd Pumpman Herman L. Moore were working on the reach rod, and sev eral others including Mr. O'Neal, 1st Assistant Sebastian L. Koep, and 2nd Assistant David A. King were at work replacing the cou plings on B pump. A broken air line had added to the general dif ficulties and Mr. Johnson checked the tank for gas. "At 1100," recounted Captain Falvo, "the pumpmen reported the reach rod repaired and the chief engineer reported the B pump in good working order." He added that the seamen cleared the deck of hoses and machines and did the necessary pre-arrival work in spite of the rain. "This is an example of the type of teamwork and cooperation that it often takes to expedite vessel turnarounds and repairs," Captain Falvo wrote. "It's a pleasure to work with good men of this cal iber." SERVICE AWARDS 40 Years TWO 3RD MATES were welcomed to the Exxon fleet by the Marine Department at Houston headquarters on October 24. W. F. Atwood, above left, Marine controller, congratulates 3rd Mate Thomas M. Kelley while 3rd Mate George R. Henderson looks on. Mr. Kelley, an April graduate of the Maine Maritime Academy, has received his first assign ment aboard the Exxon Baltimore. Mr. Henderson, a 1972 graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, is presently a candidate for a Master of Science degree in Transportation from Northwestern University. His first assignment is in the Exxon New Orleans. The two officers are the first participants in a recently established Marine Depart ment program whereby all new officers are invited to headquarters to meet department personnel and receive general orientation. I Posters Stress Ways To Prevent Pollution.. . continued from page 1 | methods in our own fleet are invited. If you think of an appropriate message and illustration, submit it either in rough or finished form to D. E. Cornett, environmental conservation coordinator, Room 3429 in the Marine Department Houston office. PREVENT POLLUTION HOWARD W. BALL, center, completed 40 years service on September 29. He is being congratulated by Al Giallorenzi, New York Branch manager, left, and Daniel J. Paul, operations manager. Mr. Ball is senior transpor tation allocator in the New York Branch. November 5, 1973 Poster For November * LINE UP Sr START PUMPS A fMIi OPEN SEA SUCTION m Poster For December Page 3 Emphasis On Safety Paying Off For IWW Employees At Boston Employees in the Boston Branch inland waterways system fast month received arr Award of Achievement plaque from the National Safety Council in recogni tion of no disabling injuries in 1972. The NSC awards plaques to member organizations who have the lowest injury frequency rate each year. In the photo above, Jack W. Bennett, Boston Branch manager, shows the plaque to personnel assigned to the Exxon Bay State. From the left are Marshall Merriam, Anthony Ganem, Tony Ferreira, Ray Eaton, Don Spring, Mr. Bennett, Dick Carver, Captain Gene Crocker, Steve Toth, John Ganem, and Barry Cook. Three crew members, Joel Stephens, Captain Gregory Brooks, and Bill Foster were not available for the picture. "This achievement truly reflects the safety efforts of every single person assigned to the Bay State," Mr. Bennett said. "The men sail in congested bays and harbors, and face extra tough challenges in the winter when they are often confronted with iced-over rivers, rapid tidal cur rents, dense fogs, gale-force winds, and towering seas that the blizzards bring. None of these factors provide for the best of safety conditions," he pointed out. Aware of these facts, personnel in the Exxon Bay State make every effort to prevent injuries by using a number of safeguards, some of which are pictured here. In Exxon Bay State, good communications and understanding are stressed. At change of watch, the relieving crew member is not only told about anything involving safety that he might need to check or take action on, but he is actually taken to the area of concern. Here, Joel S. Stephens, left, AB/Tankerman, and his counterpart, Don H. Spring who just came on watch, demonstrate how this is done. Safety for all hands is always chief concern of Exxon Bay State Captain Gregory V. Brooks who, among other things, personally checks on-deck re mote valve control that can be used to activate CO3 fire system in engine room. (Continued on next page) Page 4 Exxon Fleet News Crew is always on lookout for ways to make job safer. Example: Joel Stephens developed the idea of installing an extra fairlead to retrieve the shock line, replacing the original method of using a sliding shackle which tended to foul. To clear the foul, a man had to work at deck's edge, often leaning over the side, a particularly hazardous operation in winter when decks and sides are usually icy. .1 Good safety practices are reviewed regularly. In addition to meaningful safety meetings held frequently by Manager Jack Bennett and his staff, in which a member of the Bay State is chairman, men hold their own individual safety meetings daily by observing each other's on-the-job work habits. For example, photo at left shows Mate Richard A. Carver, left, and Tony Ferreira reviewing proper way to use guide line to swing hose to and from barge, making sure that line is wrapped around a cleat and checking to see that excess line on deck will not wrap around the feet. In right photo, Captain Gene R. Crocker observes the use of a valve wrench by Steven "Toth, making sure that there is no oil on the valve wheel or wrench, the body position is good, and the wrench is firmly set on the wheel before pulling. Since these photos were taken, the Marine Department has established a new policy that all inland waterways employees should wear Coast Guard approved life jackets or work vests at all times when their activity and/or exposure is such that they are not protected from falling overboard by hand rails, guards, lines, etc. This shall apply at all times for all people including non-employees, on equipment tied up as well as equipment in motion. Where a barge is completely protected by railings, life jackets or vests might not be required, but responsible judgement should be exercised on whether the activity could still endanger the employee to falling overboard. Exceptions to this policy might be made when no work is involved and exposure is minimal, such as when walking across a barge to go ashore. THANKSGIVING FEAST (Continued from page 1) be assorted cheeses and plenty of fresh fruit. For dessert, seamen may choose from fruit cake, steamed plum pudding with hard sauce, fluffy pineapple pie, pumpkin pie, and apple-raisin rum ice cream. In addition, there will be salted mixed nuts, raisins, peanut brittle candy, coffee, hot chocolate, tea, fruit beverages, and for those with a taste for wine, a Lamberti Soave from Italy. "I feel that it would be rather unrealistic to expect anyone to limit his food intake with a menu like that," Dr. Lione said. "As mouth-watering as this food is, it's a good thing that we don't have occasion to eat like this every day or else we'd all be so fat that we couldn't make it up the gangway." The Steward's Department be gan ordering holiday food last August. More than 700 menus were printed for distribution to ships. The logistics of getting the food aboard ships, some in widely scattered areas, is no small job in itself. The expert way that these special meals are prepared is a tribute to the outstanding efforts of personnel in the Steward's De partment in each vessel. $1.25 Dividend Declared The Board of Directors of Exxon Corporation declared a cash divi dend of $1.25 per share on the capital stock, payable on Decem ber 10, 1973, to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 9, 1973. This will bring dividend pay ments for the year 1973 to a total of $4.25 per share, compared to $3.80 for the year 1972. Corporate Earnings Announced Exxon Corporation has esti mated consolidated earnings for the third quarter at $638,000,000 or $2.85 per share. This compares to 1972 third quarter earnings of $353,000,000, or $1.58 per share. November 5, 1973 Page 5 EXX-MOR-006523 Walter B. Devine Patents Air Lock Walter B. Devine tucked his latest patent into an already bulg ing file. "This one (U.S. Patent No. 3,347,955) covers an invention that might be used in building big ships some day," he said. The patent covers an air lock system that he invented and gives the department and the company the exclusive right to make, use, license, or sell the invention. Mr. Devine, with five patents to his credit, is the Marine Depart ment's most prolific inventor. He is a senior staff engineer in the Engineering and Planning group. This group is responsible, in part, for the development of new meth ods and techniques to keep our oceangoing and inland waterway fleets operating efficiently and eco nomically in this highly competi tive and rapidly changing world of marine transportation. By the na ture of his job, Mr. Devine has the opportunity to "see the need" for new inventions. For example, while working on designs for ultra large crude carriers (ULCC's), in which the engine room and the pump room will be some 80 to 100 feet below the main deck, Mr. Devine saw the need for some kind of passage that would be convenient for personnel to use in going from the engine room to the pump room and returning again without having to use either ladders or elevators. "After considerable thought and a lot of `doodling,' I finally de vised the air lock system as one way to solve the problem in future ULCC's," he said. The system involves installing a chamber in the lower end of the bulkhead separating the two compartments. At each end of the chamber are tight doors that swing out. The dogging arrangement on the two doors is mechanically interlocked so that one door must be closed and dogged before the other can be opened. "An explosion-proof ventilating system would also be Devine puts another patent in file. installed in the chamber," he added. Mr. Devine has also invented and patented a special ice-break ing hull for arctic operations. "I developed a new design while working on the S.S. Manhattan project several years ago," he ex plained. "This hull, similar to the Manhattan's, features a down breaking bow that cuts the ice and reduces resistance as the ship passes through. The configuration of the hull also gives greater rud der and screw protection against ice than conventional ice-breaking tankers." Mr. Devine also holds a patent on a cargo tank design that re duces the amount of steel ex posed to the different corrosive effects of salt water and oil for tankers. He has two other patents related to ship construction and marine transportation. Inventions developed by employ ees on company time as part of their job become company prop erty. However, patents are issued in the inventor's name and stand as evidence that he has made a contribution to the company's leadership in the marine industry. "There are a number of inven tors in the fleet," Mr. Devine said. "A seaman who looks at some thing to see what is wrong with it and then dreams up a way to improve it is an inventor in his own right. He is also making a contribution toward keeping our fleet modern, competitive, and op erating efficiently. He may even have an advantage over us here in Engineering and Planning be cause he can usually put his in vention into service long before we can our's." Questions On Benefits? Here's Where To Cheek The company has provided wellrounded benefit programs to em ployees for many years, and is continually trying to keep every one well informed about these programs. Each regular employee has been sent the booklet entitled "A Guide To Your Employee Bene fits," which contains a summarized description of company benefits. Copies of the Guide have also been sent to each of our vessels for reference by shipboard per sonnel. Also, each employee re ceives a "Statement Of Your Financial Protection Under the Benefit Plan of Exxon Company, U.S.A." He also gets a Thrift Fund account statement each year. Nevertheless, some ocean and inland waterways employees may have unanswered questions of a specific nature about our many plans and programs. If you have any questions, check with the master, Branch Office personnel, or contact the Marine Benefit Ad ministrator's office in Houston. Service Awards_ 30 Years Ralph V. Giove AB October 1, 1973 Frank Hagan Sr. Benefits & Claims Adjuster November 2, 1973 EXXON FLEET NEWS is published every other Monday for active and retired em ployees of the Marine Department. Exxon Company, U.S.A. (a division of Exxon Cor poration); 0. R. Menton, General Manager. GENE LEGLER............................................. Editor Page 6 Exxon Fleet News