Document g2eaBbLmXnM7XgmazKpg0Yr3G

The Skipper Wouldn't Scuttle The other day we ran into an engi neer who complained that aome of h!s department head* are loo lai In giving order*. Hla squawk was that an other* wiae capable chief engineer, for exam* pie, is a "good Joe" to the extent that he lets his men get by with murder. "Maybe old Marmaduke SurfacCblow has o few thoughts on this subject," I promised when my friend gol through crying in bis beer. And next dsy I found myself climbing ihe creaky stairs to the old consulting engineer's office, above O'Houlihan's Machine Shop & En gine Works down near the water front. The eld boy was hard at work, lotting down sketches In a notebook. I cleared my throat as I walked through the open door. "I'm told that some people just can't give orders and make them stick," I began quietly. 'They don', seem to have what we in the Navy used to call that 'officer-like' quality." "DnxcwAixn on civinc orders," roared Marmaduke, putting down his fountain pen ond leaning back in his swivel choir. "Any jncknss can give or ders, but it takes a mighty smart engi neer to take orders." Before I could open my trap, Marmy heaved his size 16 canal boats up on his roll-top desk, lit the short rope yarn sticking out of his face, shoved his old gray bowler to one side--then blasted sway in his foghorn voice. "During the war, in 1944,1 signed on the freighter 55 City of London as chief engineer. She was registered out of Van couver, British Columbia. We loaded a cargo of high explosives, then shoved off for the Far East. "It was one bright Sunday morning In April when we pulled Into Bombay, India. That port was swarming with British and Canadian merchant supply vessels and navy ships. And as luck would have It, we tied up right next to HMS Sussex. It turned out that my old shipmate, Paul Hobson of. Ottawa, was aboard her. After exchanging visits, the two of us got hold of an array truck. Hobson needed spere parts ao we drove to a repair base a few miles from the city. While out there we dropped Into the British Officers' Club along the way for some English ale. "We no sooner quenched our thirst than oil hell broke loose. It started when a Conodion 'Fort* ship opened up her hatches to unload cotteo. A Fait the same as our Liberty ship bat it riveted instead of welded. She hid a 1000 tons of explosives In her he! When the longshoremen started ua'_ fng the cotton, they discovered 6te` an adjoining hold. "The ship'* officers reported the i to shore authorities, according to tv* lation. They came aboard sod made i quick inspection. Trouble was in 1 ammunition hold because they found bulkheads storing the explosives kin hot. So the port authorities ordered jh* skipper to take hit ship out to tta **. once and scuttle her. But the dept couldn't take orders. He was only good at giving them. 'I'm master end ao dahern official is going to tell me to ecuttk MY vessel,' he roared, growing per?1* around the gills. "While the skipper argued with d* gold braid from ashore, 35 very bras* natives from the local ttHerJtv** department descended into her hold put out that fire. But a hall hoot 'lt? there was one blinding flash sndei' enlng roar. That wos the end of v* ship--explosives, crew end elL (Continued on page 200) powa 148 PLANT OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE SECTION ii t *"*p`*- tog. !(( < appf*t*Nly \4*th Ihhfc* wUR `ranging up t H-UA RtlgM. flFTHEN years ago, this small island of (rouble was bare of a much larger open-box condenser problem at a refinery. Cooling water, running over 200*P. at outlet, contained 30 grains per gallon hardness and 20 parts pet million iron. Tubes scaled heavily and rapidly without chemical inhibitor. Eveo with the best inhibitor then known, results were as illustrated above: partial inhibiting action creating the "spires'* or forest-like deposits on tubes. Considering (bis a challenge, Natco sent a Doctor of Physical Chemistry -- an expert water technologist --to the refinery. His weeks of work on the spot led to basically different treatment with new chemicals which cleaned up the condenser and kept 4t clean. Further Nalco research and development of chemlcoi inhibitors, has since enabled cooling systems to operate without scale or corrosion with water hardnesses at high as 200 grains pergallon. Point is this: neither Nolco nor anyone else had an answer, to scaling in that condenser. Nalco put the necessary brains to practical use and gos results. . . benefiting. In the long tun, not only that particular refinery, but every user of cooling water. Whether vnur water treatment problem is unique, or stubborn plant-run, you will pet prompt. NATIONAL ALUMINATE CORPORATION 6222 W. 66!h Place * Chicago 38, Illinois Canadian Inquiries shouldbe addressed to Althem Limited, Burlington, Ontario * 1MJ SYSTEM .. . Serving Industry through Practical Applied Seleoee