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PUBLISHED M THE MARSME DEPARTMENT* MUMBLE OIL I REF1N1N8 COMPANY Vol. 11, No. 24 ________________________________________________________ December 8, 1969 Christened on Mississippi River Esso Baton Rouge Is Name of New Ship Humble's newest ship, rest ing on the banks of the Missis sippi River, got a name two weeks ago when Mrs. Thomas D. Barrow smashed a bottle of New York State champagne against the huge bow. "I shall soon christen thee Esso Baton Rouge" said Mrs. Barrow as she raised the bottle. "May Providence pre serve you, your officers and crew from the perils of the sea." Wrapped in skin tight canvas and embellished with red, white and blue streamers, the bottle broke with a muffled thud when she struck it against the steel hull. As all the world held its breath for the Apollo 12 splash down in the Pacific later in the day, the Esso Baton Rouge --frothy champagne sparkling on her bow -- slipped heavily down the ways and splashed into the Mississippi. The sounds of horns and loud cheers erupted on the river bank at 11:50 a.m. as the 810foot-long tanker entered the environment for which she was designed. The 75,600 deadweight ton ship leaned into the muddy river and churned up white capped waves that raced to the far bank a mile away. She rode helplessly on the brown water until tug boats took her in tow. The Esso Baton Rouge's sis ter ship, the Esso San Fran cisco. was tied up just a few hundred feet down river where she was being readied for her maiden voyage the week of December 8. The San Fran cisco. first of three Humble tankers under construction at Avondale, is scheduled to sail Humble's Newest Ship Goes Down the Ways on her first voyage from Bay town, Texas, to the East Coast. The 125-foot-wide Esso Baton Rouge was launched under a bright but mild sun with all the ceremony and celebration that Humble and Avondale could muster for the big occa sion. Mrs. Barrow, wife of a {Continued on Page 3) MRS. THOMAS D. BARROW She gave the ship a name. Stewards, Humble End Negotiations Bargaining negotiations be tween Humble and the Esso Stewards Organization recent ly ended when they reached agreement on a new amend ment to the contract that pro vides for substantial monthly payments in lieu of Sunday and holiday overtime pay as well as a basic wage increase. It will be retroactive to Oc tober 1. The amendment is sub ject to ratification by ESO members. It also provides for a higher overtime rate. Other improve ments include increased room and subsistence allowances. Provisions of the current agree ment remain in effect until the new amendment is ratified. Humble's 24th Ship Makes a Big Splash in the River {Continued from Page 1) Humble senior vice president, was assisted at the ceremony by her daughter, Maid of Honor Barbara Lloyd Barrow. When the ceremony ended at the sprawling shipyard, the launching party of Humble and Avondale officials and their guests moved to a hotel in New Orleans' French Quarter for a reception and luncheon. Henry Zac Carter, president of Avondale Shipyards, and T. J. Fuson, Marine Department general manager, thanked Mrs. Barrow and her daughter and presented them with gifts. Mrs. William W. Bryan, wife of a Humble senior vice presi dent, and her husband were guests at the launching and took part in the celebration surrounding it. Mrs. Bryan was the sponsor of the San Fran cisco when that ship was launched July 12. Esso Philadelphia Next The Esso Baton Rouge is ex pected to go into service in March, about the same time that the third ship is launched. Sister ship number three will be christened Esso Philadel phia. The Baton Rouge, sixth tanker built by the company in the 1960s, brings to 24 the num ber of ships in Humble's Esso Fleet, which is the largest pri vately owned tanker fleet fly ing the American flag. She is identical in design to the Esso San Francisco, and except for her slightly larger size looks like the Esso Hous ton and the Esso New Orleans. The Baton Rouge features a centralized cargo control sys tem, which permits one man to supervise the loading or dis charging of more than 600,000 barrels of petroleum. Deck of ficers will control the throttle of the main engine and navi- (Continued on Page 4) The ship, her bridge noticeably absent, rides high on the river. December 8, 1969 Poge 3 A Name Given and Lost In War History of Baton Rouge Proud, Spectacular, Tragic ESSO BATON ROUGE (II) SANK TWICE IN WORLD WAR II When the Esso Baton Rouge went down the ways two weeks ago, she was the third Esso Fleet ship to bear the name of Louisiana's capital city. Encrusted with the barnacles of early maritime history, it is a name given to one ship in the throes of war and lost on another that went down at sea in battle. It is a name made venerable and unforgettable by six men who lost their lives sailing the second Esso Baton Rouge. The first tanker to bear the name of the Louisiana port city came to the fleet as a refugee from the war that swept across Europe in 1914. Called the Osage, she was owned by the German affiliate of Standard Oil Company (New Jersey), Deutsch-Amerikanische Petroleum-Gesellshaft. The 7,270 deadweight ton ship was built at Newcastle, England, and launched May 23, 1913. She was "Americanized" to maintain her neutrality when Standard Oil put her under {Continued on Page 5) Launching (Continued from Page 3) gate the ship from a modem wheelhouse. She comes equipped with a 1,200 horse power bow thruster to assist in maneuvering in restricted waters and during docking op erations. The ship is propelled by a 19,000 shaft horsepower steam plant. Top speed is 17 knots. Work has already resumed to complete outfitting the ship prior to extensive sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico. A GIFT. A diamond bracelet pre sented to the ship's sponsor by the Marine Department is placed on her wrist by her husband, Thomas D. Barrow, Humble senior vice pres ident, after luncheon at hotel in New Orleans' French Quarter. Page 4 ESSO FLEET NEWS BATON ROUGE (Continued from Page 4) U. S. registry and hoisted an American flag on the ship at Tampico, Mexico. With a cargo capacity of 48,200 barrels (less than the capacity of one center tank of the new Esso BatonRouge), she was among the first of the industry's modern seagoing tankers. The ship sailed as an Amer ican flag vessel from 1914 to 1924, when she was sold to British interests, later flew the Italian flag, and faded into ob livion. It was 13 years before her name was passed on to an other Esso tanker. The clouds of war were once again gathering over Europe when the Esso Baton Rouge (II) slid down the ways No vember 13, 1937, at Sparrows Point, Maryland. She was big ger and faster than her prede cessor of the same name. Her vital statistics: 445 feet long; 66'6" wide: cargo tank capacity, 105,000 barrels; dead weight tonnage, 13,075. Pro pelled by a 4,000 shaft horse power steam plant, she was de signed to sail at 13 knots. And she was a good looking ship in which men were proud to sail. She Sank Twice Her career was brief, spec tacular, and tragic. Esso Baton Rouge (II) fell prey to enemy submarines twice in World II. She sank on both occasions under the command of Captain James S. Poche. The moon was just rising on the night of April 8, 1942, as the Esso Baton Rouge sailed northward off the coast of Georgia. She was bound from Baytown, Texas, to New York with 88,393 barrels of cargo. At 2:50 a.m. Captain Poche felt ,a jolt on the bridge when a tor pedo slammed into the hull, exploded and ripped a gaping 25-foot hole in the port side. The pump room below the waterline opened up, the sea rushed in, the engine room flooded. Three men died, six were in jured. Killed were Second December 8, 1969 Assistant Engineer James E. Layne, Fireman-Watertender William J. Scheich and Oiler Carl B. Hollger, all on watch in the engine room. The Unsinkable The Baton Rouge went down in shallow water. Nine days later the ship was refloated, towed to port, and repaired. And on November 30, 1942, she set sail for Houston with a bold new nickname, the "unsink able." But her second lease on life was short and final. Returning from Swansea, Wales, in a 32-ship convoy the night of February 23, 1943, the Esso Baton Rouge crew saw three other ships struck in quick succession, one after the other, by a volley of torpedoes unleashed by an enemy U-boat. Their ship was next. The Baton Rouge was sailing at nine knots when an explo sion caused her to shudder from keel to mast, and a sheet of flame rose into the night from her starboard side aft. Chief Engineer Earl Williams reported: "The force of the explosion carried away the bulkheads between the bunker tanks and the engine room, which began to fill with burning oil. Various parts of the ship and super structure were torn into frag ments of jagged steel and blown a distance of 50 to 60 feet." First Assistant Engineer Jo seph M. Cooper, FiremanWatertender Howard C. Landiss, and Gilbert C. Esham, a U. S. Navy guard, were killed. Four others were injured by flying debris and fire. The stem began to settle in deep water 600 miles south southwest of the Azores. Cap tain Poche, his officers and crew abandoned ship. "When last seen the bow of the Esso Baton Rouge was up right at a 90 degree angle and she was slowly going down stern first," reported Chief Mate Martin Wiberg. Such is the heritage of the sea the name Esso Baton Rouge brings, 26 years later, to the newest ship to join the Humble Oil & Refining Company tanker fleet. Marine Dept Names New Regulars Fifty-two Esso Fleet licensed and unlicensed seamen accept ed regular employee status with Humble in June, July and August, which means they are eligible to participate in the company's benefit plan pro grams. It is the largest number of employees named as regu lars in 1969. They are: Charles F. Little, Wyman H. Bailey, Gary J. May, Lloyd H. Martin, Joseph Sargente, Wil lard C. Fowler, David C. Merrow, Charles C. Hommel, War ren Adams Jr., David J. Anders, Joseph Bala, George Bluenthal, Manuel L. DeBrito. Donnie Brooks, Roy L. Broussard Jr., Clarence Lee Campbell, Ken neth Cleveland. Also Randy G. Cox, Warren G. Cox, Thomas Crouch Jr., Donald D. Dutsch, Wayne Emanuel, Joaquim Fortes, Richard Garcia, Hillard Hiller, Duson Hoover, James H. John son, Peter C. Kolvig, Jerry Lanier, Claude Loyd, Ronald Makowiecki, Andre G. Mir, Francis R. Monaghan, Clarville Mouton, Perry Rueben Jr., John Pope, James L. Reed, Terry A. Reeves, Raymond V. Salinas, Carlos Sanchez. Carolos Sanchez, Wallace Saul, Jack D. Shackelford, John Silva, Michael Torres, Frederick West Jr., Quenton Wood, Edward W. Becker, An thony S. Annunziata, Muriel Moore, Nicholas W. Flowers Jr., John D. Dudley and Frank White. Page 5 f COPIP.I) FROM THE COLLECTIONS IN THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN l-USTOK THE UNIVERSITY OF T E X A S A T A U S T IN ! AB Class Scores Highest Average Students in the last able sea man course of the year re corded a higher average grade, 92.7, on the Coast Guard Life Boat and Able Seaman Exam ination than any class has posted since the Humble school started last spring. Nine graduated November 21. Three students scored a high of 97. Captain James G. Moffitt, Marine Department operations manager, congratulated the men, wished them well, and encouraged them to think ser iously about studying for a third mate's license. Rear Admiral James D. Craik, U.S.C.G. (Ret), superin tendent of the Texas Maritime Academy where classes were held, told the seamen they had done a fine job in a relatively short time and to "keep up the good work." "They worked hard, did a good job, and have a right to be proud of themselves," said Instructor Michael Sharik III, an Esso Fleet third mate who teaches the course. Those who meet minimum service time-on deck require ments and obtain an able sea man's certificate from the Coast Guard are promoted by the Marine Department to able seaman. The promotion brings about $185 per month more in payAt a luncheon after gradua tion ceremonies, Captain Mof fitt and other Humble repre sentatives expressed the com pany's gratitude to Admiral Craik, Captain Albert Philbrick, commander of the train ing ship Texas Clipper where the able seaman courses were conducted, Chief Mate Bob Armstrong, and Coast Guard Captain Steve Rojeski. Page 6 AB SCHOOL GRADUATES, Texas Maritime Academy officials and Humble representatives aboard the Texas Clipper after student graduation cere monies are (from left standing) Rear Admiral James D. Craik, U.S.C.G. (Ret.), superintendent of the academy, Patrick F. McLaughlin, Caplain Al bert Phiibrick, commander of the Clipper, Rayford S. Norris, Captain Frank L. Hooper, Humble port captain, Victor M. Castaing, Willard L. Avant, Virgil T. Brothers, Captain James G. Moffitt, Marine Department operat'ons manager, (front row) Harvey D. McFarlan, Luther M. Wren, Donald J. Dono van and Paul E. Ware. Scholarship Program Expanded The Teagle Foundation has announced the inclusion of the Claremont Group of Colleges in Claremont, California, in its regular college scholarship program for employees and their families as of the 1970-71 school year. The Claremont colleges con sist of six small, privately con trolled schools which occupy adjoining campuses. They are the Claremont School and Uni versity Center (coeducational), Claremont Men's College (lib eral arts), Pitzer College (lib eral arts for women), Pomona College (arts and sciences, co educational) , Scripps College (liberal arts for women). The schools share many fa cilities and extracurricular programs, and students are per mitted to take courses on asso ciated campuses. The Clare mont group has a total enroll ment of just over 4,000. Government Preps for Nose Count It's a bit early to be thinking ahead to 1970 but the Bureau of the Census is already laying the groundwork for counting the noses of Americans at sea next year. Without so much as a chuckle, the bureau has se lected April Fool's Day, 1970, as the single 24-hour period for the "enumeration of that part of our population living aboard American vessels" when the census is taken. A government letter to Humble asked the cooperation of officers and men in the Esso Fleet in conducting the once-adecade inventory of the people. The master of each Humble tanker will receive a package of census forms with explicit instructions that they are to be filled out by officers and men on April 1 only, returned to him, and mailed in franked en velopes provided by the Bu reau of the Census. ESSO FLEET NEWS U< II a. CS. (~ UJ < CJ X Ui '-y. H UJ 3 tuD xuj uj ^ ' a. iO l- EXX-MOR-007644 COHIF/J FROM THE COLLECTIONS IN THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN HIST! THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS A T A U S T IN - - RECENT RETIREMENTS Fireman-Watertender Walter nJjgl.V?'! C. Ballentine retired last month with more than 22 years' ser vice in the Esso Fleet. He be- gan his career with Humble on .? Christmas Eve, 1944. as ordin ary seaman in the John D.\ Archbold. During the next six months, he moved to wiper in the Esso Bayonne and to fire- man-watertender in the Esso Little Rock. His last ship was the Esso Miami. Before setting sail under the Esso oval, Mr. Ballentine worked for 25 years in a steel mill in Maryland. Mr. Ballentine, living in Baltimore, plans to raise a garden, fish and "get my home in good shape." He has four grown children, a son, Bur ney, and three daughters, Betty, Peggy, and Nancy. "Tell all my friends I will sure miss them and when they get to Baltimore to give me a call," he said. "And thank the officers, all my shipmates, agents and managers for me. They were great. Esso was a very good company to work for ..." 4* 4* Able Seaman Francis A. Han- ^ Ion summed up his retirement . plans in a single word: "relax." He retired November 1 -- 21 years, 10 months, and 5 days after he joined the company as ordinary seaman in the Esso Everett. He first sailed as able seaman in the Esso Allentown v v in 1951. Mr. Hanlon said that- ." \AU._ his most unusual experience at sea was being aboard the Esso Seattle when the ship was towed across the Pacific from Japan to Califor nia after she grounded in Yokosuka. He made his last voyage in the Esso Seattle. Before going to sea, he served a hitch in the Army from 1944 to 1945. Mr. Hanlon's plans to relax include an occa sional game of golf. He lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Officers and crew of the Esso New York gathered around Fireman-Watertender Elmer A. Powers on his last voyage to wish him fare well and good sailing in his retirement years. The steward's department baked a handsomely decorated cake for his going-away party. Mr. Powers ended nearly 23 years in Esso tankers when he retired last month. He joined Esso in 1941 as messman, sailed ft briefly as wiper and moved up to fireman- December 8, 1969 watertender in February, 1942, all in the J. H. Senior. Mr. Powers also shipped out as oiler and storekeeper in the early 1940s. He went to work as an operating engineer at Harvard Uni versity in 1945 but returned to the sea in 1950 as fireman-watertender in the Esso Burlington. Living in Cochituate, Massachusetts, Mr. Powers has a job with Honeywell in the main tenance department at nearby Framingham. He'll also be enjoying his wood working hobby and plans to remain active in the Natich Lodge of the Elks. Mr. Powers has a son, Bruce, 22. Able Seaman Abram M. Silva retired with nearly 29 years in Esso Fleet ships. He first sailed in 1939 as second cook in the Esso Bolivar. In 1940, he was A l ^ :*3r promoted to chief cook in the .1 Bolivar and continued in that .. rating until he resigned in - ~P 1942. Mr. Silva returned in ' ; 1943 as steward in the Esso - New Orleans (I). He transferred in 1947 to the deck department as ordinary seaman aboard the Esso Little Rock. The next year he moved up to able seaman in the Red Canyon and rounded out his career as bos'n and able sea man. He lives in Pawtuckett, Rhode Island. (Continued on Page 8) vvw 'Tsfs TAFFRAIL TALK'* Vermonter Becomes Aggie Third Mate Michael Sharik III, who lives in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, became a full-fledged Texas Aggie last month. He was recruited by the Texas A&M Maritime Academy to instruct 23 students in deep sea tankerman operations. Humble "loaned" him to the Aggies when he finished instructing a Marine Department able seaman course November 21. Mike was an Aggie instructor for three days. Thawing Out in Acapulco The crew of the Coast Guard icebreaker, Staten Island, thought they'd met all the mem bers of Humble's Marine Arctic Task Force during the long voyage in the Northwest Pass age when they were escorting the S.S. Manhat tan. Enroute to Acapulco for "rest and recrea tion," they were advised by radio that a mem ber of the task force would greet them after they docked there. And sure enough, she was there. A pretty secretary in the Humble task force office, Julie Johnson, was spending the week end in Mexico's jet-set capital, too. After the crew's long stay in the frosty Arctic, it's a sure bet that Julie's welcoming smile helped thaw them out. Page 7 EXX-MOR-007645 RETIREMENTS {Continued from Page 7) James R. Reesor began his 23-year career as a radio officer ,jy; t. in Humble tankers aboard the - Esso Portsmouth in 1947. He ............ last sailed in the Esso James town before he went home to enjoy his retirement with "no : . concrete plans." He added, -- however, "I do intend to go - ' into this new life, if not grace- . fully, at least becomingly." Mr. Reesor had spent many years at sea be fore he joined Esso. He sailed as radio officer for Seas Shipping. South Atlantic, Marine Transport, and accepted various assignments through union halls. Asked what his most unusual experience at sea was and he replied, "The worst was the invasion at Anzio." He lives in Floyd, Virginia, with his wife, Mary, and a daughter, Veronica, 13. Chief Cook Joseph Martin, Jr., began his 20%year career with Humble as second cook in the Esso Cumberland in 1948. He left the fleet several months later and returned in 1949. Mr. Martin lives with his wife, Margaret, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he was born. "I want to express my warm est regards to the port stew- " ards and crew members with whom I have worked during rvv. V my years with the Humble Company," said Chief Cook - Boaventura Silva shortly after , ., leaving the Esso Baltimore on his last voyage. "I wish every one aboard ship smooth sail ing." Mr. Silva sailed as chief cook in the fleet throughout his 22 years and seven months with the company. His first assignment was in the G. Harrison Smith. Mr. Silva began his seagoing career in 1933. He went ashore in 1941 and worked as a cook at the New Bedford Hotel in New Bedford, Massachusetts, until 1946. His most memorable experiences since joining the Esso fleet include sailing through hurricanes and visiting foreign ports. Mr. Silva has four children and six grand children. A native of the Cape Verde Islands, he lives in New Bedford and looks forward to "watching TV, spending time with my friends and cooking." Page 8 Second Mate Peter W. Goetz is looking around for part-time work and may return to school to study oceanography. He also ,>W' . - - plans to do some fishing and .. bowling. The time to do it all _ became available when Mr. Goetz retired last month after some 30 years on the high seas, \ . - better than two-thirds of it in ' . Esso Fleet tankers. He first sailed in 1939 as ordinary seaman in the Fairfield City. He acquired a third mate's license in 1943 and sailed as deck officer in various ships until 1947. Mr. Goetz also served a stint in the Navy on convoy duty off the U. S. East Coast. He was hired by Humble in 1948 and sailed as third mate in the Esso Binghampton. Two years later he was second mate in the same ship. Looking back over the years, he recalled be ing in the first Allied convoy to sail into Ant werp, Belgium, during World War II, staying almost two months in Shanghai in 1946 "just two months before the Communists took over," and two trips to India with Esso. . Mr. Goetz lives in Dania, Florida. He has three children, Peter 24, a lieutenant in the Marine Corp; a daughter, Mrs. E. Rudich, 21, and William, a Florida State University student. Second Cook Antonio G. Penha is going to be a very ' ' busy man now that he's re- .. ' tired. "I'm going to visit my : ' 19 grandchildren," he said. ' s: He'll be traveling to the homes -- of his three sons and four J daughters in Connecticut and v. New York. Mr. Penha, of Nor- ' wich, Connecticut, made his last voyage with Humble in the Esso Chester and retired in November with 21 years' service. "In all these years with Humble, I enjoyed every day of it, and I've never missed a ship during all that time," he said. "I am going to miss all of my friends in the fleet now." Mr. Penha operated a turkey farm for 17 years before joining the fleet in 1949 in the Esso Rochester as second cook. He was born in Portugal. Last lost time injury in the Esso Fleet reportable to the National Safety Council occurred NOVEMBER 2 ESSO FLEET NEWS U< S u I LJ EXX-MOR-007646