Document dVY4B4yd3L0Jj4B3KZwj8QxQ

gas$ iSS* -'O . ^I ei EET WsMSJ i -1-1 - - - ' . ^.U-r- ~~-=^isZ--^--'-----"~ :y PUBLISHED BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT, HUMBLE OIL i REFININ6 COMh... Vol. 9, No. 23 December 7, 1967 Looking down from about 5,000 ft. on Humble's Baton Rouge Refinery, the Mississippi and steam conden sation clouds. Up in the Air Over Esso By AB BILL E. TYRA "Off we go into the wild blue yonder" might well have been the title of this composition if we hadn't thought of something better. The "blue yonder" is the element that several men in the Fleet take to when they are not afloat or ashore. One of Esso's high flying seamen is Third Mate Robert J. McGovern, a licensed pilot since 1960, who fre quently rents a plane in Baton Rouge or Baytown and goes gas kite hopping. It was while the Esso Lexington was loading at Baton Rouge recently that your "dare devil" reporter had a chance to go sky riding with Mr. McGovern on a flight that had us up in the air over Esso. ' .. 'c 'i. \..--VV*-*'-1-'- /:. --'' - - .. EXX-MOR-007051 Requests for Higher Rating A somewhat neglected provision of the Agree ment between the ESA and the Company (Article XII. Part II. Sec. 1) states ". . . employees with necessary endorsement who desire promotion from entry ratings to qualified ratings or from a quali fied rating to a key rating will be required to submit a request in writing. . ." One reason for this clause is that, in making assignments, the Seagoing Personnel Section would like to know who wants to sail in a higher rating or different job. These requests cannot always be granted but they stand a better chance when notice is received in writing. Avoid Rejected Medical Claims A few seagoing employees are meeting with delays and inconvenience in connection with claims for benefits from Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Texas. The fault in these cases is not with the insurance company but is due to failure of the employees to submit a new application card when they have new dependents. For example, one employee was annoyed when a claim for hospital services to his youngest child was not paid. The claim was rejected (in this case, temporarily ) because the child was not reported as a dependent on the employee's application card. You can't blame the insurance company for this because unless Jane Brown Tor instance) is listed as a dependent of John Brown, they have no way SERVICE EMBLEM AWARDS 30 YEARS Charles A. Ruggerio Chief Engineer October 6, 1967 Joseph J. Cabral Third Asst. Engineer November 2 1, 1 967 20 YEARS of knowing that Jane is John's dependent when he files a claim for her medical expenses. Since the transfer of insurance from Health Service. Inc. to Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Texas, the Seagoing Personnel Section in Houston has sent new application cards to ajl seagoing sub scribers. Many of these cards have not yet been filled out and returned. Consequently, these men may have trouble with claims unless they fill out and return the cards promptly. Also, if your family status has changed recently and you have not corrected your list of dependents on a new application card, it would be best to do so in order to avoid a possible claim rejection. When you acquire new dependents you must sub mit a new application card listing all members of your family to be covered. Blue Cross-Blue Shield application cards may be obtained from Masters. Branch Offices or Stew art T. Edmonds, Seagoing Personnel Section. Houston ("phone CA 1-2787). Another cause of rejected claims or of incorrect insurance payments is vague or incomplete de scriptions of the nature of the claim. A doctor's bill stating "Services rendered, Oct. 18.'' for ex ample. doesn't tell the insurance company that an appendectomy- was performed. RECENT RETIREMENTS Chief Steward Priscillano Sabal was born in the Philippine Is. and worked as a barber in Manila before going to sea. He shipped out as messman with the Isthmian Line and Lvkes Bros, during most of the 1930s and was second cook in the Stanvac Capetown for 15 months of "World War II. ~ / ..... V ' ' _ r\ ' ' j Except for his first few assignments in 1945-46. Mr. Sabal sailed as Chief Cook or Chief Steward throughout his 20 years in the Fleet. His retire ment was effective Nov. 1. Mr. Sabal lives in Ozone Park. N. Y. and is justly proud of his son Leonard, who has an hon orable discharge as electronics technician from the LT. S. Marine Corps and is presently an editor with Popular Mechanics magazine. ESSO FLEET NEWS is published for the seagoing em ployees of the Marine Department. Humble Oil & Refining Co.: Joseph Andreae. General Manager: Sydney Wire. Assistant General Manager. W. E. Gardner. Editor. Contributions and suggestions are invited and should be addressed to The Editor. Esso Fleet News. Humble Oil & Refining Co., P. 0. Box 1512, Houston. Texas 77001. Clyde C. O'Neal Chief Engineer Bertram L. Bisantz Second Asst. Engineer Robert C. McKinley Oiler Able Seaman Claude T. Lan dry's early retirement Dec. 1 cut "short" his Company serv ice at 30 years. 9 months. He has been in the Fleet since he was 23 years old and has never broken his service, never sailed with any other company. Starting in the W. L. Steed as OS in Jan. 1936. Mr. Landry's first assignment as AB was interrupted on April 8, 1942. when the Esso Baton Rouge was torpedoed off Brunswick, Ga. He continued sailing as AB in 6 other ves sels throughout the War and as Bos'n for nearly 15 years afterward. His last ship was the Esso Scranton, which docked at Galveston, May 18 after a 118-day trip around the world. A native Louisianan. Mr. Landry and his wife Lida live in Brusly. La., which is on the west bank of the Mississippi, just south of Baton Rouge. Raise in Grade Michael J. Olejnick -- to 1st Asst.. Dec. 1* "Date reported to Company. r ------ " TAFFRAIL TALK----- Arthur A. Payne. Third Asst, in the Esso Bangor, and his wife Irene became parents of twins, James and Jeanne Marie, on Oct. 9. Art. who has over 19 years' service in unlicensed ratings, prepared for the big event by passing the examination for an original second asst, en gineer's license in August. The Paynes live in Brooklyn and have another son. Andrew7, 2V. Mrs. Antonio M. Goncalves. whose husband is an Oiler in the Esso Chester, threw us a little bouquet. " `A Time to Take Stock -- and Give Thanks' (in the Nov. 16 issue) was a most interesting article. It served to refresh my mem ory and enable me to help my 8-year old son Antonio. Jr. to write a small essay about Thanks giving Day. It saved me a trip to our local library." Any time we can make "less work for mother" we feel our efforts are worthwhile. OBITUARY r -- Captain Clinton W. Hayes, 78, an annuitant since Jan. 1. 1954, died at his home in St. Cloud, Fla., on Nov. 19. His wife Estelle survives. A native of Texas. Captain Hayes went to sea in a British 3 - masted schooner in 1911, served with the U. S. Army in France in World War I and sailed as a mate and Master in U. S. freighters and tankers. He had 24 years' service in the Esso Fleet, of which half were as Master. He (and all hands) survived the torpedoing and sinking of the H. H. Rogers, 600 miles from Ireland in Feb. 1943. Oswald A. Fonos, 63, former Paymaster and Radio Officer, died in Florida on Nov. 7. His wife Blanche survives. Mr. Fonos had a 30-year ca reer in the Company. He joined the Seagoing Personnel Section at Bayonne in Oct. 1943 after i 13 (4 years as Radio Officer in the Fleet, and was a Ships' Paymaster in the Port of New York Office from Sept. 1946 until his retirement. Sept. 1, 1959. You'll never guess what this is. What appear to be modern, shorefront apartments are enclosed, soundproofed drilling rigs on one of four 10-acre man-made islands off Long Beach, Calif. The purpose of the camouflage is to preserve the charm of the city's beach front while a group of com panies called THUMS (Texaco, Hum ble, Union, Mobil and Shell) sink wells to tap an estimated 1 billion bbls. of crude oil beneath the city and adjacent bay. After a well is brought in, the camouflaged rig is moved to another spot. About 56,000 b/d of crude is now being produced and pumped through pipelines to shore facilities. The oil wells offer more than in teresting scenery for local citizens. In the next 35 years, Long Beach should net S250 million from the oil produced, and the State of Califor nia about $1 yU billion. According to present plans, some Esso seamen will get a closer view of the islands when one of our ves sels starts delivering the crude to the Company's refinery at Benicia, Calif, in the spring of 1969. ""w msjk of almost 5,000 ft., the storage tanks of Humble's tank farm com plex resembled freshly baked cakes set out to cool. 8 4S"H*s^^ On reaching a point just above the upper Mississippi bridge, Bob i whipped the plane around, reduced the power, and we began a long gliding descent that would take us right past the Lexington and other *' .'-i.'-r V--` ships at the dock. We had fore warned some of the guys that we -it--- *,. , would be making an overflight at a certain time and as we flitted UP IN THE AIR OVER ESSO Third Mate Robert J. McGovern stows flight kit in Cessna Skylane by they were on deck, waving. It's uncertain whether they were signal ing a greeting or waving us away. (Continued, from page 1) to the tie-down area where it was parked. Our plane was a snazzylooking Cessna Skylane 172. a very popular 4-seater, much in demand by the flying crowd. Bob immediately began a pre flight check to make sure all fix tures were functioning. Starting at the engine, he walked around the plane very slowly, wiggling wings, elevating elevators, twitching the tail, scrupulously scrutinizing to in sure all was "ship-shape." Climb ing into the plane, we adjusted our seats and fastened ourselves in as Bob continued his check-off of in struments, gauges and gear. 172 and appears to be kicking a landing wheel tire as part of a pre-flight check. Below, he looks over the propeller for defects. v> I Completing our pass, Bob applied power, rudder and elevators, put ting us into a steep climbing turn over a sugar cane plantation -- and what a sweet time we would have had if forced to land in those brambly-looking brushes. At 2,500 ft., Bob swung the plane around in an arc and we headed back for the airport. Flying a course that took us over the city, we had a birdseye view of the Capitol Build ing, Louisiana State University and Stadium, and a partially completed clover leaf access to the Interstate Highway System. Nearing the field, Bob radioed the Tower requesting instructions and permission to land and we were Assured the 172 was airworthy, soon in the final approach pattern, we taxied to our assigned run going down, down, down. We made way, revved up the engine to test a perfect landing on what turned the magnetos, and called Flight out to be a perfectly' wonderful day Control for permission to take off. Racing along the long black strip of pavement, we reached flying speed and began to rise slowly and steadily, up, up, up, until we were nearly 3,000 ft. above the ground. Photos by AB Bill E. Tyro in spite of the v'eather. Bob has already introduced many of his shipmates to the thrills and pleasures of flivver plane flying and if any of you readers are interested. I'm sure he would be happy to have As we gained altitude, the pres you along on one of his future fun sure change caused our ears to hops. clog, and Bob "popped" his ears clear by pinching his nostrils and gently blowing. After trying my method of inhaling and swallowing, which provided little relief. I tried Left -- Close - up view from the "driver's seat.'' his remedy, which didn't work very well either. At least my temporary Gliding past the Esso Lexington and deafness was comforting in that it shut out the roar of the engine. 2 other Company vessels at the Baton Rouge docks. Leveling off at about 3,000 ft., Bob banked the plane around in a lazy U turn and headed toward the docks. Flying over the vast Refinery, we encountered a billowy white cloud formation which prompted Bob to bank away sharp ly and climb to higher altitude. It was a true "Esso Cloud" created when hot air from the refining processes combined with the humid air over the river. At our height EXX-MOR-007054