Document k6pBa6bqBykXJ3rOkzqvJ4rdD

Experimental Cassette TV Sets Installed In 'Bangor' Two new video cassette color TV sets were installed recently on an experimental basis in the Exxon Bangor. One set is for each lounge. The experiment is being con ducted primarily to determine if shipboard personnel will find the TV-cassette method a convenient practical way to review safety films and other instructional pro grams that are now becoming available in video cassette form. The unit is simple to operate. A cassette is selected and inserted, a button is pressed and the pro gram appears on the TV screen just as though it were coming from a regular TV station. When safety or other instruc tional films are not being viewed, the TV set provides good color reception for personnel when the ship is within reasonable distance of TV stations. Plans are to place duplicate video cassette units on two other vessels in the near fu ture. The test period will be for about three months, during which time cassettes containing safety training films will be put aboard as the vessels call at Baytown. Equity Portfolio Unit Value $10.74 The Thrift Fund Trustee re ports the value of each unit in the Equity Portfolio as of the last business day in February 1974 is $10.74. AB Stanley T. Czerwinski, left, and 3rd Assistant Engineer John J. Botte, right, help Radio Officer Wallace A. Findlay set up new color TV cassette equipment in crews' lounge in the Exxon Bangor. Change In Paid Leave Box Score--Ocean Tanker Fleet Up to now pay vouchers have expressed the number of days credit able toward paid leave for ocean tanker employees. Effective with the voucher dated March 31, 1974, EARNED PAID LEAVE DAYS will be shown. This voucher accounts for earnings through March 15, and will also reflect EARNED PAID LEAVE DAYS through March 15, 1974. Like wise, succeeding vouchers will reflect EARNED PAID LEAVE DAYS as of the previous pay day. This improvement will eliminate some exist ing confusion and provide better information. Similar action will be taken to show EARNED TIME OFF on pay vouchers for Inland Water ways fleet personnel. i EXX-MOR-006535 included is "Surgeon's World" "The Last Cop Out," "Boys '& Ghouls," "Elephant's Can Remem ber," "1973 Worlds Best Science Fiction;" "World of Star Trek," "Queen Victoria," and the peren nial best selling "Hawaii." The paperback libraries were started as the result of requests from employees in the fleet to up grade ships' libraries by improv ing the quality and quantity of reading material. So, happy read ing and just remember to return the book to the library in the lounge when you finish reading it. Captain Edwin J. Fellows arranges first shipment of paperback books in book case aboard the Exxon Washington. All popular titles are featured. Conserving Energy Paperback Books Being Placed Aboard Ships What's your favorite reading? Do you like fiction, nonfiction, mysteries, detective stories, his torical novels? Chances are that whatever you like, you will find it in new paper back books now being delivered to each ship in the fleet. The paperbacks, which will be placed in the officers and crews lounges, will primarily consist of current best sellers. Additional books will be put aboard each month to in sure up-to-date reading. The paperbacks are considered property of the ship and should Manual Being Mailed To Branch Offices A newly revised Environmental Conservation Manual specifically for use by Branch Office person nel is being mailed. A similar manual for vessels was revised and issued in January, 1973. The two manuals include recom mended procedures for pollution prevention, guidelines for contin gency planning and response to oil spill emergencies, summaries of applicable laws and regula tions, and highlights of oil spill containment and clean-up tech nology. Material in the manuals will be updated as appropriate. not be taken ashore. If you take a book to your quarters, your ship mates will appreciate its return to the lounge as soon as you have read it. The initial delivery of paper backs will contain 10 current best sellers (fiction); 10 current best sellers (nonfiction); 5 previous best sellers (fiction); 5 previous best sellers (nonfiction); and 5 science fiction; 5 mystery/detec tive/spy books; 5 historical novels; and 5 modern novels. Paperbacks in the fiction category include "Papillon," a prison es cape story that was made into a movie starring Steve McQueen; "The Defection of A. J. Lewinter," the winner of a European award for the best mystery of the year; "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three," about the hijacking of a New York subway; and "Semi Tough," rated as the funniest book about football and football players ever written. Nonfiction books include titles such as "Harry S Truman;" "Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye," an intimate look at John Kennedy; "Chariots Of The Gods," featuring unsolved mysteries of the past; and "I'm O.K., You're O.K.," a book on how the mind works. Also mometers periodically to make sure that everything is o.k. One such check is being made by Robert E. Howard, above, 3rd assistant engineer, who is reading the outlet temperature of the fourth stage boiler feed water heater in the Exxon Lexington. Feed heaters help maintain the heat balance in a ship's power plant and they save fuel when operating at normal temperatures. Although feed heaters seldom give trouble, it's still necessary to check their temperature periodi cally to make sure that they are functioning properly and to insure that drain traps are in good order to permit the kind of economical feed heating that saves fuel. And saving fuel is what energy conser vation is all about. Page 2 Exxon Fleet News 3 c o m u FROM THE COLLECTIONS IN THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN HIST! SEAGOING EMPLOYEES whose ships call at Baton Rouge now have a convenient waiting room (arrow) in which to wait for their ships when reporting for duty, or from which to make phone calls, freshen up, or wait for friends or taxis when going ashore. Previously, those needing to call a cab had to cross busy Scenic Highway to a pay phone--a congested situation, especially at night. The new waiting room is located just inside the refinery's Main Gate. It contains a free phone for calling cabs, a pay phone, a head, wash basin, cold water fountain, and other conveniences. The facility was made available by the Baton Rouge Branch Office in cooperation with the refinery. Robert M. Spear Is 3rd Mate In Ocean Fleet Robert M. Spear, 3rd mate, re cently joined the Exxon Balti more. Mr. Spear is a native of Maine and a 1972 graduate of Maine Mari time Academy. Upon graduation he spent four months as skip per aboard a 60foot charter sailboat. He next worked for 2Vz months in the Gammage Shipyard in South Bris tol, Maine, and then served for 2 months aboard the tug Cathleen Moran. Mr. Spear had formerly served as 3rd mate in the Exxon Sunshine State. Matthew L. Cote Is New 3rd Mate Matthew L. Cote is the fleet's newest 3rd mate. He joined the Exxon Lexington on February 22. Mr. Cote is a 1973 graduate of Kings Point where he studied Nautical Sci ence. During his period of acad ?/* v , emy training, he served as deck cadet on several tanker, cargo, and container ships. He has also had considerable ex perience on commercial fishing boats in New England waters. After graduation, he joined the Barbara Jane as 3rd mate. She is the sister ship to the Exxon Seattle. Mr. Cote lives in York, Maine. Baytown Sets New Security Rules A new procedure to improve security is being initiated by Bay town Refinery which will require that all vehicles entering company property, including the docks, have a permit. All vessel and branch personnel who currently have passes for the docks will also receive car decals. Cars used by family members who have personal passes will also re ceive decals. Taxis will be per mitted entrance when the pas senger has a valid gate pass. Details of the new procedure and the forms to be filled out are being mailed to present pass hold ers. "It is necessary that the forms be completed and returned to this office by mail or in person at the earliest opportunity," said W. A. Scott of the Baytown Branch Office. "The windshield decal will be issued when the completed form is received." Procedures are being devel oped for headquarters personnel who need to go to the docks. In the event that an automobile is used which does not have a decal, permission to drive it to the docks must be obtained from the Branch Office by phone. The office will make arrangements for a tem porary pass to be issued. Add In Brokerage Charges When a representative from the Marine Benefit Administration staff visited a ship recently, a crew member remarked: "It seems that when I ask the Thrift Trustee to buy stock for me on a single occasion purchase, the price on the transaction date is always higher than that day's highest market price. Is this true or am 1 imagining this?" The answer is: Published mar ket prices do not include broker age charges. The brokerage charge, when added to the cost of Exxon stock, can result in the total cost per share being higher than the highest market price quoted for that day. March 11, 1974 Page 3 i r P EXX-MOR-006537 comi) FIIOM THE COLLECTIONS IN THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN HiSTOK Ship Runs Aground In Pass; Six Exxon Tankers Delayed Normally, vessels in the fleet carry products from one location to another in a fairly routine man ner, pretty much on schedule. Ad vance planning and scheduling involving the cooperation of both shoreside and seagoing employ ees make this possible. Occasion ally, however, a problem arises that quickly upsets the best of plans and schedules and requires great effort to solve. Such was the case when the Mary Lou, a 41,000-dwt foreign flag vessel loaded with grain, ran aground in the Southwest Pass near the mouth of the Mississippi River on February 23, delaying six Exxon tankers between then and March 4 when she was refloated. Although there is never a con venient time for a grounding, this one occurred at one of the worst times for our refineries at Baton Rouge and Bayway. A large pipe still at Baton Rouge, a 200,000barrel per day unit, was shut down for repairs and crude flow ing in at normal rates via pipeline was building up an inventory that would cause a major storage problem if tankers were not avail able to load as originally planned. In the meantime, Bayway Refinery was in need of the crude. On the day the grounding oc curred, the Exxon Baltimore was loading at Baton Rouge. Later that day, she sailed for Southwest Pass but had to anchor at Mile 13 above Pilottown. On March 1, arrangements were made for the Baltimore to move to a terminal at the Empire, Louisiana, for lightening in order to pass the grounded vessel. She then pro ceeded to Baytown where she loaded the balance of her cargo and then sailed for Bayway to help relieve the crude shortage there. The Exxon Jamestown, Exxon Huntington, and Exxon Houston, all coming from the north in bal Salvage crews work to refloat the Mary Lou which ran aground just off the jetties in the Southwest Pass, Mississippi River, partially blocking shipping. last, were able to pass the grounded tanker inbound. They loaded at Baton Rouge to relieve the crude inventory problem and in expectation that the Mary Lou would be refloated by the time they reached the Pass on the re turn voyage. But she was still aground when they finished load ing. Arrangements were made to lighten the Jamestown at Empire on March 3 so that she could go around the Mary Lou, as the Bal timore had done, and steam full ahead to Bayway. After a 3-day delay at Baton Rouge, the Exxon Houston pumped part of her cargo back to refinery storage and sailed on March 4, anticipating that if she could not pass the grounded vessel with her present draft, she would be further light ened at Empire. While anchoring above New Orleans, in the fog, she sustained damage that re quired her to go to New Orleans for repairs. The Exxon Huntington completed loading at Baton Rouge and anchored in the Mississippi on February 27. She sailed for New York on March 4. The Mary Lou was refloated on the high tide late on that day. The Corps of Engineers closed the river intermittently as salvage crews worked to refloat the Mary Lou. Because of this, the Exxon Lexington and the Exxon Phila delphia, both bound for Baton Rouge, were delayed for several hours. At Fleet News presstime, every thing was back on schedule and the forecast was for smooth sail ing ahead--hopefully without any more problems. I Obituary ] CHARLES S. CICERO, 47, died on March 5 in Baltimore after a long illness. He was originally em ployed in April, 1952, as OS in the Esso Suez. He later became messman and wiper. In February, 1970, he received an AB endorse ment and sailed in this rating in many vessels including the Exxon Lexington, his last ship. Mr. Cicero is survived by his mother and one sister. 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 Contributions and suggestions are invited and should be addressed to the Editor, EXXON FLEET NEWS. Exxon Company, U-S.A., P. O. Box 2180, Room 4193, Hous ton, Texas 77001. Page 4 Exxon Fleet News I P i i i ... EXX-MOR-006538