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Vol. 7, No. 1 January 14, 1965 Esso Houston -- Critics' Delight Your correspondent boarded the Esso Houston at Baytown, Jan. 8, as she was loading her second cargo for Everett. The crew was happy -- as in "tired but happy" -- having been racking up plenty overtime. The recreation rooms have hard ly been used. It seems to be the normal thing for a new ship always to leave the shipyard not quite finished, or at least, not finished to the satisfaction of those who run her. The Esso Houston is no exception to the rule and hence a good part of the overtime is due to getting her "shipshape and Esso fashion", to paraphrase a phrase. Another general rule that runs true to form aboard the Houston is that there is not a manJack aboard who could not improve on the work of the designers and engineers. For example, the steering wheel is too low (for tall ABs) and the loran is too high (for short Mates). Vibration is mentioned but in one AB's opinion, it's no worse than in some other ships -- just in different places. Being such a radically new type of ship, fault finding has been the most popular indoor sport. To be fair, though, we must say that some real constructive ideas for betterments have been put forth. . It's going to take a little time but one by one the "bugs" will be ironed out. They're bound to be, with so many brains working on them. On the plus side, there is general agreement that she is the best feeder in the Fleet -- like a cruise ship, one fellow said. Then too, there is the little matter of lifting the largest cargoes ever taken out of Baytown, with the exception of one by the 108,000-dwt. Manhattan. The first one was 11 grades totaling 441,949 bbls. and the second, loaded in 19 hrs., Jan. 8-9, was also 11 grades totaling 449,983 bbls. Scranton Makes Fast Loading at Brega, Soon to Head for Home Harry Fendt, Radio Officer in the Esso Scran ton, has been putting out a Pulitzer Prize-worthy newsletter for the ship's personnel. "Hells' (that's right, there's more than one kind of hell) Bells Clanger", he calls it and the Dec. 7 edition was 2 pages, single spaced, covering the news of the world. He even had a sports section, edited by MM/2P Wilder J. Robbins. His lead article will interest you, to wit: Scoop! Esso Scranton First American Flag Ship to Load at Marsa Al Brega! With high winds and heavy swells delaying our berthing for over 27 hours (Dec. 4-5), our turn around time set a record for any American ship, inasmuch as we were the first to load at Brega. While awaiting the seas to subside, we had plenty of company accumulate, including the Esso Genova. Esso Hampshire and another Esso ship arriving as we made departure, too far off to make out the name. After the struggle to connect 2 12" under water hoses, due to swells, our loading time was 8 hrs. 20 min. for 122,282 bbls. Our Chief Mate, Arnold McBride, reported that the Brega pilot and loading master told him that it was the fastest he had ever seen a ship's crew connect and disconnect their hoses. With the rolling we were doing, this is quite a compliment to our able Deck Dept. It is of note too, that both these operations were per formed during meal times, supper and breakfast. So, orchids to our Deck Dept. Mac's comment was that now that they have familiarized themselves with this operation, it will go better next time. Due to the aggravation caused by the weather and uncertainty as to berthing in an unfamiliar port, Captain Stotts' parting remark was: "I saw the most beautiful picture this morning. It was when I looked over the stem and we were going full speed ahead after departure." Pretty salty water in that Gulf of Sirte with 1.027 specific gravity against the normal 1.025. According to the schedule, the Scranton loaded twice more at Brega and will make her last dis charge at Bizerte about Jan. 18. Then she will head for the U. S. East Coast after (we hope) loading a cargo in the Mediterranean for the return voyage. EXX-MOR-006982 Esso Miami Fi re Proves Value of Training Classes If there were doubts in anyone's mind about the value of the Company's fire fighting classes at Baytown and Baton Rouge, the recent fire aboard the Esso Miami should remove them completely. The fire started on the morning of Dec. 15 while the Miami was anchored at Philadelphia and discharging gasoline into a barge. It lasted about an hour and was extinguished by the ship's personnel. Of the 35-man crew in the Miami, 19 men had attended the firefighting classes -- the Master and 2 Mates, the Chief Engineer and 2 Assts., the Radio Officer, all the ABs, 2 Ordinary Seamen and 4 men in the Steward's Department. "The crew aboard this vessel was very coura geous and brave during this ordeal," Captain William N. Sims said. "Everyone went to his station under the most trying conditions and did a wonderful job. My thanks and appreciation Frying Pan Shoals Lightship, her anchors up, gives a 3-blast farewell to the station she has served for the past 34 years. Taking her place is the tower, which started operating at the shoals (28 miles SE of Cape Fear, N. C.) on Nov. 24. The tower is supported by 4 legs encased in 36" dia. steel piling driven 293' below the ocean floor. Braced portions of the legs shown above water are 70' high. An 86' square deckhouse contains operating equipment and quarters for a crew of 6 Coast Guards men, compared with 16 to 20 in the lightship. Lantern atop the 32' corner tower is 3.5 million candlepower, visible for 17 miles. 'AAr; mM' zi. (zG-'-tv-. * s*j 1- } rraisu&i * :? go to each and every one in my crew. I am very proud to be Master with such a fine group of men, on a very fine ship." Considering the seriousness of the fire, casual ties were remarkable few. Chief Mate Edmund F. Mahoney fractured an arm and ribs when he fell but continued to direct fire fighting operations. UM Jose G. Santos was hit in the face by a water hose nozzle and FWT Raymond J. Bastone suf fered from inhaling smoke. j Highlights of 1964 January -- Company announces decision to build second 67,000-dwt. tanker on Jan. 9 . . . ESA and Company agree on terms of Amendment No. 3, providing higher wages, increased overtime and job security features . . . Esso Boston loads record clean cargo at Baton Rouge, Jan. 26 --- 47,688 tons (354,724 bbls.) of heating oil. . . Esso Lexing ton loads at Aruba, Jan. 28-29 for Los Angeles . .. Keel laid for Hull No. 573 (Esso Houston) on Jan. 27. February -- Esso Newark sails from New York, Feb. 14 for Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela and Avon, Calif. . . . Humble's plans for Bayport development (between Houston and Galveston) announced Feb. 4 . . . Esso Baltimore loads 48,012 tons (376,570 bbls.) of crude at Harbor Island, Feb. 17; Esso Boston lifts 47,763 tons (407,313 bbls.) of heating oil at Baton Rouge, Feb. 18-19, both new records. March--W. F. Robinson heads Operations Dept., March 15, as Captain J. G. Moffitt starts assignment with Jersey in New York... ESA members vote to accept Amendment No. 3, re ceive wage adjustments, Mar. 15 .. . Esso Scranton docks at Philadelphia, Mar. 8, completing 5th India voyage; writer-photographer Bill Tyra, AB, "discovered". April -- J. Stumbleprone McFracture helps "innerduce" Company's polypropylene hosiery. .. Esso Lexington arrives at Port Everglades, April 8, after being towed from Cristobal with loose propeller . . . Esso Chester awarded Certificate of Safety for operating through 1963 'without a per sonnel injury resulting in lost time or sick leave .. . Esso Scranton sails from Baton Rouge, April 27 on 6th India voyage. ESSO FLEET NEWS is published for the seagoing em ployees of the Marine Division, 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. EXX-MOR-006983 May -- Company drops plans to purchase west ern properties of Tidewater .. . Esso Seattle joins the Fleet, sailing from Newport News, May 14 for Aruba, the Azores, LeHavre and the Per sian Gulf. . . Esso Tampa turned over to Pioneer Tankers, Inc., May 19 and renamed Sea Pioneer .. . U. S. Public Health Service's Special Citation awarded to Company for 9th time. June -- Keel laid June 1 for second 67,000-dwt. supertanker (Hull No. 576) at Newport News . . . M. F. Spellacy, Inland Waterways Dept. Man ager, honored for 40 years' service, June 1 . . . Joseph Andreae, Marine Division General Man ager, appointed to Maritime Advisory Committee by President Johnson ... Certificates of Safety presented to Esso Bangor, Esso Washington and Esso Lima. .. Jones F. Devlin Awards for 4 years without a lost-time accident made to Esso Bangor and Esso Jacksonville; 2-year awards to Esso Gloucester and Esso Jamestown . . . Esso Boston rescues 4 persons from drifting 26' yacht, June 7 . . . Sea Pollution Avoidance Program for Com pany vessels announced June 17 . . . Retired Asst. Port Captain Harry E. Heffelfinger died June 29. July --- Better coordination at Baytown im proves ship turnarounds; over 15 days' dock time saved in first 6 months, compared with 1963. August -- Plans to convert Esso Chester into a hot asphalt carrier announced . . . First class in fire fighting training for seagoing personnel held at Baytown Refinery, Aug. 6 . . . Bayonne Store house to close, ships to store at Gulf loading ports. September -- A. Giallorenzi made Manager, New York Branch Office (effective Jan. 1); Cap tain S. V. Gardner, Manager at Baton Rouge (Oct. 1); and R. H. Boyce, Operations Supervisor at Norfolk (Sept. 15) . .. Chas. F. Jones succeeds J. K. Jamieson as President of Humble, Sept. 10 . . . Esso Houston launched Sept. 26. October -- Esso Bangor re-enters service Oct. 10 after installation of bow thruster. . . Esso Jack sonville sold Oct. 6, renamed Ocean Pioneer. . . New crew for Esso Scranton takes off from New York, Oct. 7; old crew flown from Tunis to New York, Oct. 11... Masters' and Chief Engi neers' Conferences held in Houston, Oct. 5, 6 and 15, 16 . .. Esso Baltimore takes record 48,484 tons of crude out of Harbor Island, Oct. 7 . . . ESA and Company reach accord, Oct. 27, on manning conditions for Esso Houston and vessels with auto matically fired boilers. November ---Men in Esso Seattle, in Far East ern service for 6 months, report "all in all, we're doing fine out here". That's a real live Santa Claus there, whiskers and all. It's Alfred Fieldman, Third Asst, in the Esso Dallas. With him is his wife's uncle, Elmer Ripley, who is also known as "Mr. Basketball." He teaches basketball at Englewood Boys School and for merly coached at West Point and spent 3 years with the Harlem Globe Trotters. Mr. Fieldman said he rented the Santa outfit for a week and "had much fun giving about 1,000 lollypops and sweets to happy little faces. On the plane to Portland to join the Dallas on Dec. 11, Al met Lowell Thomas, famed newscaster and author. Mr. Thomas asked Al to get another costume and pose with him for pictures to send to his family. Al did. December -- Esso Houston, largest and most economical petroleum carrier in U. S. Gulf -- Eastern Seaboard trade, enters service Dec. 11; sails from Baytown, Dec. 24 with first cargo. RECENT RETIREMENTS r Captain Milton Breece. Since A his retirement as Manager of the New York Branch Office on Jan. 1 (and for some time before that), Captain Breece has been plotting a new course for his wife and himself. The sailing directions call for a southwesterly passage from Fort Lee, N. J. to Lexington, S. C. --10 miles west of Columbia. There, in process of being established, is the "M & R Seahorse Ranch", the M and R standing for Milton and Rita and not maintenance and repair, although there may be some of that, too. Among the Ranch's assets are: 12 acres of pasture, one of woods; a 5-room house; 18 box stalls for horses; 2 quarter horses; 3 Black Angus steers; a riding ring and 2-acre pond stocked with bass and breem. One of the first projects is to build a new house. Captain Breece's retirement comes after 36 years in the tanker industry. A graduate of Massa chusetts Maritime Academy in 1928, he sailed with Cities Service for 4 years, joined Esso in Sept. 1933 and advanced to Chief Mate in the next 3 years. After 3% wartime years in the Navy, during which he attained the rank of Com mander, he returned to the Company and had several special assignments abroad before coming ashore in Jan. 1947. Since then he has held numerous posts in the Operations Dept., including that of Manager. He is an expert on ship handling, safety and tanker terminals. Captain and Mrs. Breece have 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren. Raises in Grade Michael C. Hickey Chief Mate to Master............. James E. Fowler Second to First Asst. Engineer Michael J. Olejnick Third to Second Asst. Engineer Dec. 21 Dec. 15 Dec. 18 TAFFRAIL TALK ^ -- Captain Cecil P. Sperl is now on a tempo rary shore assignment in the Port Captain's office, Houston, after 8 months as Asst. Marine Superintendent in Marsa al Brega, Libya. Cap tain Sperl has 22 years' service in the Fleet and, during the past 5 years, has had numerous foreign assignments with Jersey affiliates in connection with port facilities and tanker ex pediting. * ** Donald Shaver, recently First Asst, and reliev ing Chief in the Esso Jacksonville, resigned Jan. 4 and is now with Atco Marine Corp., New York marine equipment dealer. ** * Kenneth A. Davis has been elected into the Crescent Biver Pilots and began his apprentice ship on the Mississippi on Jan. 1. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank my many friends in Esso for their loyal support in helping me achieve this wonderful position," Mr. Davis said, "especially Captains Logan, Llewellyn and Craw ford. There will always be a special place in my heart for Esso people, ashore and afloat." ** * Frederick W. Woerner transferred from the Traffic Dept, to the Material Supply and Con trol Section of the Operations Dept., Houston, effective Dec. 14. Mr. Woerner is Materials Control Asst., a position made necessary by the shifting of vessel storing from Bayonne to the Gulf. ** * J. F. Koehler, who was one of our first Coating Inspectors and more recently in Humble's Sales Engineering for Rust-Ban coatings, transferred Jan. 1 to Esso Chemical Co. in New York. Frank is working on export sales of coatings, particularly Rust-Ban 191. John Trainor, the radar and TV man at Bay town, presented a plaque to the Baytown Elks Lodge on Dec. 17 in recognition of a bequest by the late Captain Charles Warner. Captain War ner, a retired Esso Master who died in 1961, left a large part of his estate to the Baytowm lodge, specifying that its income was to be used only for charitable purposes and particularly to aid crippled children. * ** Esso Chester was to go to the Newport News shipyard about Jan. 13 for alterations to provide for the carrying of hot asphalt. The work will require about a month's time. c- ; OBITUARY x Alvah B. Strout, 64, retired Chief Engineer, died Dec. 3 at his home in Cherryfield, Maine. He is survived by his wife, Emma and his mother; Sarah. Mr. Strout had over 27 years' service with the Company when he retired Dec. 1, 1957. He started to sea in his teens, work ing in a wooden side-wheeler running between Boston and Portland. He also spent a season on the Great Lakes and sailed in coal colliers before joining Esso in Nov. 1922. He advanced from 4th Asst, to Chief and served in the latter rating throughout World War II. Beginning in Dec. 1945, he sailed regularly in the Esso Norfolk for 8V2 years. Austin P. Wolfe, 51, who retired as FWT in June 1963 because of a heart condition, died Dec. 15 in Galveston. Surviving are his wife, Edna and 3 children-- James, 21; Robert, 12, and Linda Jo, 10. During his nearly 22 years of credited service in the Fleet, Mr. Wolfe sailed mostly as FiremanWatertender. He survived the torpedoing of the Esso Nashville in March 1942 and shipped out in 3 more vessels during the War. He was born in Miss, and lived in Houston. Charles L. Wieland, 67, for-mer employee in the Seagoing Personnel Section, Port of New York Office, died on Dec. 11. His wife, Lillian and 2 daught ers survive. Mr. Wieland (Roy, to his friends) joined the Company in Feb. 1942 and had over 16 years Personnel Section service when he retired on Julv 1. 1958. His home was in Madison, N. J.