Monday, March 15, 2004
LOUIS....A JOB WELL DONE
I would have to say there were two things Louis was proud of concerning his working years. One was being in the Regular Army of the USA and developing the generators needed for Operation Deep Freeze.
I think Mechanical Engineers are born, not made. You either have the stuff in you or you don’t. Here was a man who had two and one half years of high school who was designing generators to keep the power running for the US Navy and scientists who stayed at the South Pole.
When the arduous task was finished he was to accompany the delivery of them to set up and get them running. He and two of the men who worked on the project made arrangements to go. They were briefed and transported by the Navy, flying out of Sea-Tac to Hawaii and then taken to Bellows Air Force Base. They were fed at the Officer’s Club, more briefing followed.….finally a cottage on base for sleep.
They were transported to Hickum AFB …..and got the last three seats together on a C-141 which carried dependents and family as well. Departure was on time….to Pago Pago for a 45-minute layover to refuel and get some coffee … glance at the sights which were beautiful and back on the plane. The runway was built so you were taking off right into the sea…….it was quite a take-off.
Christchurch , New Zealand was the next stop and they were outfitted for their stay at McMurdo. “The food was nothing but mutton“….Louis complained about the meat in his notes. “Nothing on the island but sheep.”
They arrived at McMurdo Pole Station at 9:00 am and were met by Capt. Glen Shorb (U.S. Army) who motioned them away from the plane. They loaded their gear on a banana sled with the Capt. in the harness and Dewy pushing. The three of them were shown around and taken to their quarters to stow their gear….then chow and briefing.
They had a short time-frame to get their job up and running due to the weather socking them in until Spring. There were many set-backs due to the length of travel it took to get them there. Also because the air was so thin everything was twice the effort. Louis and Al had terrible colds and Louis couldn’t eat much of the time he was there. They worked through problem after problem and by the end of the month their work was finished.
Louis spent his last day writing his report and the next day the three of them were flown out in a Herc #319. The notation for the day was “Goodbye South Pole.” ETO McMurdo 5:00 pm. Their return trip made the same stops in reverse.
From his personal notes I copy the beginning of the project.
I was told by my friend and Chief Engineer that I was to head up the project of Operation Deep Freeze. He went on…“it’s a Power House for the South Pole, must be constructed, tested and shipped in 45 days.” Also all long lead items had been ordered. My mind reflected back to the many Power Houses we shipped to the North slope, and many in a mere two or three days effort.
Monday morning brought in a ream of blue prints and reality. Most of the prints were so complicated, you could only tell top from bottom by the Title Block. What I thought would be a Power House the size of a mobile home was actually 25 ½ ft. wide X 10 feet high X 70 feet long. As Power Houses go this is not large but about now I begin discovering the complications.
#1 After the project was completed it had to be reduced into packages no larger than 8 ½ feet X 8 ½ feet X 36 feet. This would permit it to be delivered by truck to Davisville, R.I. and from there by cargo ship to Christchurch, New Zealand….on to the South Pole by air.
#2 Because of the company work load at that time I was informed I had to do my thing somewhere else. I believe it was Fred Ward, also an Emerson employee who located an empty factory at 3301 So. 1st street. It had two ancient overhead bridge cranes which after some repair saved many days work. Everyone remarked of room enough for an indoor Stock Car Track as well as Operation Deep Freeze. That remark was short lived.
#3 Because of the company work load I could have no Emerson personnel. This is the one that hurt most of all. I had been told by several shop personnel including the Shop Foreman that no way could it be done. I was in no position to express my doubts and now I feel why should I? Most help came from agency’s and a few off the street. I did manage to make off with two heads from the company….one a Ben Harwood who acted as my straw-boss, the other fellow was Dick Barnett, a fine person but no longer with Emerson Diesel. Last heard he had moved to California.
Dick acted as my Purchasing Agent. Within a few short days materials began rolling in by truck and the indoor Stock Car Track rapidly vanished. The floor within our construction site was about as flat as a dragons back, so was the underside of the compex. However, inside the compex the decks were flat all due to the manner the complex was to be reduced to modules.
In an effort to save time I ordered cement blocks adequate to build a Holiday Inn, along with a transit. At that time a friend and neighbor, Bill Goddard (also an Emerson employee) doubled in many areas; crane operator, liaison to the company and most important, Bill ran down steel, tell sticks and procedure for construction of supporting base frames. Reason being, steel structure at low temperature is equal to dropping a fine piece of china on concrete. All weld joints had to be preheated prior to welding…the reason for tell sticks. If a joint was pre-heated properly, a tell stick similar to a crayon, would melt when touched to the area.
As the sub-bases arrived from our fabrication shop we bolted to them 3-in.X 6-in. fire retardant wood stringers and over that three laminated layers of ¾” ply wood. All with a fire, water, temperature proof glue which was prescribed by Uncle Sam.
The nails used were the size of standard writing pencil’s and some 5,000 were used. The team met the 45-day deadline and the prescribed shipments were made. At this juncture Louis, Al and Dewy made plans to hook up with their “baby” at McMurdo.
The notes he kept are very special to me. He worked in a world I could never know. The value of a man is measured by the work he does, his family, friends and a God he fears. I would say Louis was “all man.”
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
I think Mechanical Engineers are born, not made. You either have the stuff in you or you don’t. Here was a man who had two and one half years of high school who was designing generators to keep the power running for the US Navy and scientists who stayed at the South Pole.
When the arduous task was finished he was to accompany the delivery of them to set up and get them running. He and two of the men who worked on the project made arrangements to go. They were briefed and transported by the Navy, flying out of Sea-Tac to Hawaii and then taken to Bellows Air Force Base. They were fed at the Officer’s Club, more briefing followed.….finally a cottage on base for sleep.
They were transported to Hickum AFB …..and got the last three seats together on a C-141 which carried dependents and family as well. Departure was on time….to Pago Pago for a 45-minute layover to refuel and get some coffee … glance at the sights which were beautiful and back on the plane. The runway was built so you were taking off right into the sea…….it was quite a take-off.
Christchurch , New Zealand was the next stop and they were outfitted for their stay at McMurdo. “The food was nothing but mutton“….Louis complained about the meat in his notes. “Nothing on the island but sheep.”
They arrived at McMurdo Pole Station at 9:00 am and were met by Capt. Glen Shorb (U.S. Army) who motioned them away from the plane. They loaded their gear on a banana sled with the Capt. in the harness and Dewy pushing. The three of them were shown around and taken to their quarters to stow their gear….then chow and briefing.
They had a short time-frame to get their job up and running due to the weather socking them in until Spring. There were many set-backs due to the length of travel it took to get them there. Also because the air was so thin everything was twice the effort. Louis and Al had terrible colds and Louis couldn’t eat much of the time he was there. They worked through problem after problem and by the end of the month their work was finished.
Louis spent his last day writing his report and the next day the three of them were flown out in a Herc #319. The notation for the day was “Goodbye South Pole.” ETO McMurdo 5:00 pm. Their return trip made the same stops in reverse.
From his personal notes I copy the beginning of the project.
I was told by my friend and Chief Engineer that I was to head up the project of Operation Deep Freeze. He went on…“it’s a Power House for the South Pole, must be constructed, tested and shipped in 45 days.” Also all long lead items had been ordered. My mind reflected back to the many Power Houses we shipped to the North slope, and many in a mere two or three days effort.
Monday morning brought in a ream of blue prints and reality. Most of the prints were so complicated, you could only tell top from bottom by the Title Block. What I thought would be a Power House the size of a mobile home was actually 25 ½ ft. wide X 10 feet high X 70 feet long. As Power Houses go this is not large but about now I begin discovering the complications.
#1 After the project was completed it had to be reduced into packages no larger than 8 ½ feet X 8 ½ feet X 36 feet. This would permit it to be delivered by truck to Davisville, R.I. and from there by cargo ship to Christchurch, New Zealand….on to the South Pole by air.
#2 Because of the company work load at that time I was informed I had to do my thing somewhere else. I believe it was Fred Ward, also an Emerson employee who located an empty factory at 3301 So. 1st street. It had two ancient overhead bridge cranes which after some repair saved many days work. Everyone remarked of room enough for an indoor Stock Car Track as well as Operation Deep Freeze. That remark was short lived.
#3 Because of the company work load I could have no Emerson personnel. This is the one that hurt most of all. I had been told by several shop personnel including the Shop Foreman that no way could it be done. I was in no position to express my doubts and now I feel why should I? Most help came from agency’s and a few off the street. I did manage to make off with two heads from the company….one a Ben Harwood who acted as my straw-boss, the other fellow was Dick Barnett, a fine person but no longer with Emerson Diesel. Last heard he had moved to California.
Dick acted as my Purchasing Agent. Within a few short days materials began rolling in by truck and the indoor Stock Car Track rapidly vanished. The floor within our construction site was about as flat as a dragons back, so was the underside of the compex. However, inside the compex the decks were flat all due to the manner the complex was to be reduced to modules.
In an effort to save time I ordered cement blocks adequate to build a Holiday Inn, along with a transit. At that time a friend and neighbor, Bill Goddard (also an Emerson employee) doubled in many areas; crane operator, liaison to the company and most important, Bill ran down steel, tell sticks and procedure for construction of supporting base frames. Reason being, steel structure at low temperature is equal to dropping a fine piece of china on concrete. All weld joints had to be preheated prior to welding…the reason for tell sticks. If a joint was pre-heated properly, a tell stick similar to a crayon, would melt when touched to the area.
As the sub-bases arrived from our fabrication shop we bolted to them 3-in.X 6-in. fire retardant wood stringers and over that three laminated layers of ¾” ply wood. All with a fire, water, temperature proof glue which was prescribed by Uncle Sam.
The nails used were the size of standard writing pencil’s and some 5,000 were used. The team met the 45-day deadline and the prescribed shipments were made. At this juncture Louis, Al and Dewy made plans to hook up with their “baby” at McMurdo.
The notes he kept are very special to me. He worked in a world I could never know. The value of a man is measured by the work he does, his family, friends and a God he fears. I would say Louis was “all man.”
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
