Document gbOqa69xEDZqBwYOYnzvR56Be

PUBLISHED BY THE MARINE DIVISION, HUMBLE OIL & REFINING COMPANY Vol. 7, No. 19 October 14, 1965 Current Comments An Interview with Joseph Andreae, General Manager, Marine Division Q. Mr. Andreae, last year The New York Times quoted you as saying: "We are in the tanker business to stay and we will run rings around the pipeline in this route from the Gulf of Mexico up to the Atlantic." Are we doing it now? A. Yes, I think we are. The Esso Houston and Esso New Orleans are performing very well. As you know, these vessels are departures from what were considered conventional tankers and our in vestment in these new features is paying off. I refer to the increased size, the deepwell pumps instead of pumprooms, elimination of the mid ship house. Rust-Ban coating during construction, automating the boilers and some of the valves and many other features. Q. We know the 67s can load close to a half million bbls. of cargo compared to less than half that amount for the 27,000-tonners but how have the 67s been doing on turnarounds? A. They have been doing better and better. Just recently both of the 67s loaded at Bavtown in less than 19 hrs.. which is not bad time even for the smaller ships. I want to say right here that most of the credit for the good performances of the new ships is due to the men who sail them. The Company has supplied more efficient equipment, true, but the men who are operating that equipment are the ones who are producing the results. Q. The Esso Chester entered service as an asphalt carrier last March. Has she proved successful? A. Very much so. She has been running like clockwork, loading at Bayway and Bayonne and discharging at Everett. Baltimore and Charleston. Edward Crawford, who is Chief Mate and relieves Captain James A. Mercer as Master, tells us that in her 7 months of asphalt service the Chester has loaded 32 cargoes totaling almost 5 million bbls. and has kept up with the demands of the hot receiving terminals. Q. Have there been problems connected with handl ing a cargo at 325 to 350 degrees? A, Of course there have, but our Technical Staff and the men in the ship have solved them. According to Captain Crawford, both licensed and unlicensed men are requesting assignments to the Chester in spite of the hot cargo and 212 dockings and undockings in her first 7 months. The ship's bow thruster has been a big help in docking and maneuvering. Q. How about the future, Mr. Andreae? Are we going to sell some ships or go in for more automation? A. I don't have a crystal ball to see into the future but I'll answer the question as best I can. Sure we're going to sell some ships -- sometime. We always have. And we'll build new ones. We've never had an obsolete fleet and we never intend to. Right now we have no commitments to sell or to build. However, we are continually studying the economics of improving our fleet to do its job. which includes keeping it in balance with requirements, modernization of existing equipment and replacement or addition through building new ships. As for more automation -- I don't know. It hasn't been proven yet. at least to our knowledge. However. I don't think the prospect of selling ships or automation should be cause for alarm to the men in the Fleet. We have been through Fleet reductions and I think vou will agree that the Company has tried to do the right thing for everyone and has made the reductions as painless as possible by offering special retirements and liberal severance pay. As a matter of fact, many seagoing men have been faring better since the last reduction than before and no regular em ployee was involuntarily laid off. Q. Getting back to your statement last year, Mr. Andreae -- that "we are in the tanker business to stay" -- do you still feel the same about it? Honored for 40 Years' Service ARTHUR W. SPRAGUE (left) of the Ships' Payroll Sec tion, receives a 3-diamond studded emblem, signifying 40 years of Company service, from Joseph Andreae, General Manager of the Marine Division. The presenta tion was made at a Petroleum Club luncheon in Mr. Sprague's honor. Sept. 29. Like Caesar's Gaul, Mr. Sprague's Company career is divided into 3 parts. The first part, Dec. 1924 to June 1943, was spent in New Jersey in positions rang ing from Sales Division Clerk to Bulk Plant Supt. In part 2, June 1943 to May 1959, he sailed in the Fleet as Purser/ Pharmacist's Mate, including about a year in the South Pacific aboard the Esso Manhattan. For the past 6 years Mr. Sprague has been in Ships' Payroll, where he handles Masters' cash accounts, foreign voyage payrolls and savings bond transactions, among other duties. A. Let me put it this way--we in the Marine Division are part of a big company. Our primary job is to carry our company's crude and products. As long as we can provide the most economical services, we stay in business. If cheaper and more reliable transportation can be obtained somewdiere else, we'll be in trouble. But I don't think we are going to be in trouble. There's nobody doing a better job of operating tankers today than we are. We're on top of the heap and we intend to maintain our position. With the continued cooperation of our progressive and dedicated shore staff and the good men in our Fleet, we'll do it. Here, read this paragraph from a letter received last August from Captain S. W. Logan, of the Esso Seattle. It illustrates what I mean by good men in our Fleet: The last cargo carried in this ship was Navy Special Fuel Oil, discharged at Subic Bay, July 2nd. The ship then was ordered to Bahrain to load a light and almost clear diesel oil. The tanks had to be absolutely clean and free of any trace of black oil to satisfy the Naval inspectors at Bahrain. To do this the Mate and his men Butterworthed tanks all the way from the Philippines to the Persian Gulf. Then some 90 gal. of de-greaser was used to get the underside of larger beams in the tanks. At Bahrain the Naval inspectors called for almost a full day of additional cold water washing, which did not appear to do any good as far as tank cleaning was con cerned. When finally the loading was commenced the inspectors allowed a 59c discoloration but the actual discoloration was Vz of 1% for the entire cargo. The Mate and his men had done an outstand ing job of tank cleaning in rough weather most of the time and finished it off in the cruelest period of heat and humidity Bahrain has seen for many years. We did not have a single case of heat fatigue, although other vessels at the same port on these days had 2 cases of heat exhaustion. I am glad to say here that the deck crew* of this vessel is good, and I commend them as true seamen. "William J,, Falvo Wilbur W. Barton Francis A. Hanlon William B. Page Hons Sannes John J. Seiler Ch. Mate AB AB AB AB AB Carl C. Vella Jose Nieto John W. Rickour William P. Terry Per S. Esten Kenneth P. Naley AB OS OS OS Pumpman MM/2P Esso Seattle Going to France, Nobody Asks to Get Off That's right, the Seattle is to load a cargo of gasoline at Curacao the middle of this month for discharge at Piriac. France, which is near St. Nazaire. at the mouth of the Loire River. When the ship was enroute from Japan to the Panama Canal, the Seagoing Personnel Section requested the names of men who wished to be relieved at Panama. Nine men were eligible, having served over 8 months, but none asked to get off -- even though they did not know the destination of the next voyage at that time. There were 2 changes in the crew, however. Oiler Eryk Szatek replaced Roberto Garcia, who was flown home last month because his brother was seriously ill (and later died) and FWT Alexander McCorkel replaced Baltazar Contreras, who was sick. *** Asst. Port Captain Harold Martin, of the New York Branch Office, is relieving Asst. Port Captain Robert F. Stap in Houston while Captain Stap is on a special assignment in connection with im proving product quality control. ESSO FLEET NEWS is published for the seagoing em ployees of the Marine Division. Humble Oil & Refining Co.: Joseph Andreae. General Manager: Sydney Mire. Assistant General Manager. tV. 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. The Beauty of Benefits Disability benefits and hospital-medical-surgical insurance are like rain gear. We don't think about it when the sun is shining but we're happy to have the "coverage" in a storm. There are at least 2 men in the Fleet who are glad they had some protection of this kind. The daughter of one man spent 51 days in a hospital. The bill, exclusive of a few' charges like canteen, beauty shop, etc., was $1,790.69. The employee's Health Service policy paid $962.30 and Major Medical paid $441.29, leaving only $387.10 for the employee to pay. The experiences of another man, Daniel P. O'Connor, now' Second Mate in the Esso h'ew York, are told in the following letter: Jacksonville, Fla., Sept. 27, 1965 Today, after a long 20 months on sick leave, I finally received my clearance papers from my doctor to return to work. It is a good feeling. For a time there, it looked as if my seagoing career would end with arthritis and all I had to look forward to was the life of a cripple. It wasn't pleasant to contemplate. But now the chances are good that I can continue working although I will always have arthritis. You may wonder why I am writing to you about this. Well, I thought through you I could thank everyone in the Fleet and management who showed concern for my condition -- those who called and wrote to wish me well and a speedy recovery. It was very heart-warming indeed. It was through the efforts of the Company, by granting me a full year of special sick pay benefits beyond the regular sick benefits, that enabled me to maintain financial stability during this long siege of illness. Without these benefits I would have lost my home and the every-day necessities that maintain a family. Due to these extra benefits my family did not suffer any hardship and their life was normal despite my illness. For all this I shall always be grateful. Without the stress of financial worries I feel it helped a great deal toward my recovery. I often thought, "not many companies have such far-reaching medical and benefit plans as well as a personal feeling toward one of their ill employees." After going 17 years straight without being sick, I never gave illness much thought. Perhaps I became too complacent and figured it always happens to "Far Away Places With Strange-Sounding Names" AB Ian G. Harrison, who is sojourn ing in England after a year in the Esso Seattle, sent these photos which he took while in the ship and on a Far Eastern tour with which he started his paid leave last May. , 1 'U'U'fcP .~mm1 -mv-r spa Overlooking the mainland of Communist China from Hong Kong. Triangular sign in foreground warns "Closed Area. No ad mittance without a permit." Ornate floating restaurant in Hong Kong. ' ' ' ' 7-' ' ^assasif.: .,4.4a ~ir. - f- 'i'. rVt '4rV'dii-V: 1 m m a. i. & ABs Alex Armadi, Frank Picou and MM/2P Melvin Bomhoff at Bahrain I., Persian GulK Judging by the clothing, there must have been a nip in the air. (We must caution Mr. Harrison about his choice of back grounds.) The Hong Kong Hilton (center background), Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corp. Bldg., City Hall and (in foreground) a war memorial on Victoria island. -- 'JCS* . -"Js ar^ * % ? :! v IT!'--..-.. Flying Albatross, one of the hydrofoils that ply between Hong Kong and Macao (Port.) at about 35 knots. Overnight steamer is in background. Mr. Harrison is dwarfed by a famous Bud dha statue at Kamakura, near Yokohama. W* 4^ u. c V-> : - 'Tf-Pl-.- A -- .:V * .4 ,, T.nU -S. ^ j . t "i " . . ' : ... vvsr; EXX-MOR-006914  W*. &cC Q. Are they going to put elevators in the Esso Houston and Esso New Orleans? A. Yes, elevator equipment for both vessels has been purchased. The in stallation will be made in the Hous ton when she goes to Newport News for her first year repairs early in December. Similarly, the New Or leans' elevator will be installed next April. Q. The stock in my Thrift Account is registered in the Trustee's name. May I transfer the stock to my name so I can receive the dividends directly? A. No. You can't transfer stock in the Thrift Fund from the Trustee's name to your name. However, you could sell all or part of the stock in the Trustee's name and repur chase in your name. There would be a commission charge on both transactions. Q. If a man goes on sick leave away from his home, does he receive sick pay plus lodging and subsistence or just sick pay? A. A seaman who becomes ill or is injured (not from his own gross negligence or willful misconduct) is entitled to wages to the end of the voyage (usually the ship's final dis charge port) plus $8 per day maintenance and cure while he is receiving outpatient medical treat ment. After the end of the voyage a regular employee receives the Company's Disability Benefits plus $1.20 per day subsistence ($1.60 for an officer or Steward) while an outpatient. the other fellow and not to me. When it did hit, it was a good one. It would be wise for every man in the Fleet to stop a moment and consider what would happen if this were he. How would his family fare? Would he be able to maintain all his financial responsibilities, or would he stand to lose everything? One thing I know for sure, if he was with some other companies or unions, he would not come out so good. Not only that but hospitalization does not cover this type of sickness. Mine is a disease that cripples without the need of hospitals. Also, it gets one out of every 5 people in the United States, so it could happen to anyone. Medication and doctor bills run high. Conse quently, without "hospitalization" I was completely at the mercy and generosity of the Company's sick plan benefits. It paid off and I am thankful of that. This is one time I felt the impact of the so-called "fringe benefit". Now I realize it is something that you don't take home in your pocket but it's there when you need it most. Let every man ask himself, "How many outfits, companies or unions would do this?" Not many, would be the answer. So thanks again to those in management and thanks again to my shipmates. It will be good to get back on the bridge again and have a cup of coffee with you all. I'm looking forward to it. Sincerely yours, Daniel P. O'Connor SERVICE EMBLEM AWARDS p i * ii 'm m 30 YEARS fhss* itjw?"" d :V- ; -' l MM Charles L. Llewellyn Master October 14, 1965 Thomas J. Bov Chief Engineer July 16, 1965 -k 10 YEARS Carl C. Vella Able Seaman June 17, 1965 John W. Ri'ckour Able Seaman August 13, 1965 Francis R. Zeller Chief Engineer August 9, 1965 Joaqurm A. Sanfos Fireman/Waterfender September 21, 1965 WORDS OF THE WISE Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. -- Chub De Wolfe *** There is no personal charm so great as the charm of a cheerful temperament. It is a great error to suppose this comes entirely by nature -- it comes quite as much by culture. Henry Van Dyke OBITUARY >" Fireman-Watertender Joseph C. Belangia, 58. who went on paid leave from the Esso Gettys burg on Oct. 4, died at his home in Hampton, Va. on Oct. 10. His wife Henrietta survives. Mr. Belangia's Company service of nearly 24 years start ed in April 1941 when he be came Oiler in the Esso Delivery No. 10. During World War II he sailed in the Colonial Beacon. Esso Augusta and A. C. Bedford as Oiler and later served as MM/2P. Pumpman and FWT. Captain Oscar M. Revheim, 71, died Oct. 1 in Miami. Fla., where he lived with his wife, Olga. Captain Revheim had a 46vear seagoing career, starting in his native Norway in 1911 and sailing in U. S. Shipping Board vessels in World War I. He joined the Esso Fleet as Third Mate in the E. J. Sadler in Aug. 1929. During World War II he commanded the Christy Payne and prior to re tiring Jan. 1. 1958. was Master of the Esso Brooklyn.