Page 40: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 1969)

AWO Region 3 Meeting Highlights Ways To Improve Navigation Safety i . j' W | H1HI - lllil m Attending AWO luncheon meeting on July 25, left to right: William C. McNeal, a vice-president of Region 3 and of Oil Transport Company, Inc.; Rear Adm. Russell R. Waesehe, commander Second Coast Guard District; Braxton B. Carr, president of The American Waterways Operators, Inc.; Major Gen. R. G. MocDonnell, president of the Mississippi River Commission and division engineer of Lower Mississippi Valley Corps of Engineers, and Jesse Brent, former chairman of AWO and president of Brent Towing Co. Methods of improving naviga-tion safety as well as improving efficiency of operations held the at-tention of barge and towing execu-tives from throughout the United States at the summer quarterly meeting of The American Water-ways Operators, Inc. members in Region 3 and related sessions held in Greenville, Miss, on July 24-27. More than 450 top industry offi-cials and over 50 officers of the Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Coast Guard worked together in the sessions on a general theme? improvement of navigation safety ?which is part of AWO's contin-uing efforts and interest. The business sessions were open-ed July 25 with a navigation con-ference under the joint sponsor-ship of the Army Corps of Engi-neers, U.S. Coast Guard and AWO at which navigation matters per-taining to the Lower Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast areas were discussed in detail. Topics discussed in the interest of safety included proposed licens-ing of the operators of uninspected towing vessels, bridge-to-bridge radio communications, better ob-servance of Rules of the Road, and the movement of dangerous car-goes. (The American Waterways Operators, Inc., endorses the li-censing proposal for operators of towing vessels as embodied in H.R. 4154 and urges its enactment. The Association also supports and urg-es enactment of bills H.R. 6971 and H.R. 5189, "to require a radio telephone on certain vessels while navigating upon specified waters of the United States." The Associa-tion, further in the interest of safe navigation, support and urges en-actment of H.R. 214, a bill "to unify and consolidate the rules for navigation on the waters of the United States.") The AWO Region 3 membership meeting followed the navigation conferences. William C. McNeal, AWO Region 3 vice-president, presided at the navigation confer-ence and business meeting of AWO. George H. Blohm, chair-man of the board of AWO, was in attendance and participated in both sessions. Mr. McNeal is vice-president of Oil Transport Company, Inc. of New Orleans, La., and Mr. Blohm is vice-president and general man-ager of Cities Service Tankers Corporation of New York, N. Y. Heading the delegation of offi-cers and representatives of the Corps of Engineers at the naviga-tion conference was Major Gen. R. G. MacDonnell, Lower Mississ-ippi Valley division engineer, who was accompanied by Col. Paul R. Sheffield, deputy division engineer, and three members of his staff. Other Corps of Engineers officials who took part in the discussion were Col. John W. Brennan, Vicks-burg district engineer and five members of his staff; Col. Herbert R. Haar Jr., New Orleans district engineer and two members of his staff; Col. R. E. Snetzer, Mobile district engineer and two members of his staff; Col. Charles T. Wil-liams, Memphis district engineer and two members of his staff; Col. Edwin R. Decker, St. Louis district engineer and two members of his staff; Col. I. M. Rice, Southwestern Division engineer, Dallas, and three members of his staff; Col. Franklin B. Moon, Galveston dis-trict engineer and a member of his staff; Col. Charles L. Steel, Little Rock district engineer and two members of his staff; Col. John F. McElhenny, Jacksonville district engineer and two members of his staff, and Billie J. Bishop, repre-senting the Tulsa district engineer. The Coast Guard delegation was headed by Rear Adm. Russell R. Waesehe, commander, Second Coast Guard District, St. Louis, Mo., and nine members of his staff. The Eighth Coast Guard District in New Orleans was represented by Capt. Donald D. Davidson and Capt. Merle L. Harbourt. AWO members were hosts at a reception and luncheon following the navigation conference at which Braxton B. Carr, president of The American Waterways Operators, Inc., presented General MacDon-nell an engraved certificate on be-half of the Association in apprecia-tion of his "understanding of and assistance in solving inland water-way navigation problems during his term as president of the Missis-sippi River Commission and divi-sion engineer, Lower Mississippi Valley Division, December 1, 1966 to July 31, 1969." General MacDon-nell also was presented a certificate naming him an honorary citizen of Greenville by the city's mayor, Pat Dunne. At the afternoon business ses-sion of the Region 3 members there was a full discussion of the As-sociation's program and activities. The president of the Association outlined in detail legislation of in-terest to AWO members pending before the Congress. Representa-tive Bill Alexander of Arkansas made a presentation of the AWO Region 3 members on the proposed maritime academy at Helena, Ark. The activities on July 25 con-tinued with a catfish fry at the Greenville armory which was given by Jesse E. Brent. Among those in attendance was Sen. James O. Eastland of Mississippi. Mr. Brent is president of Brent Towing Com-pany, Inc. of Greenville, Miss. The fall meeting of AWO Re-gion 3 members will be held Octo-ber 15 at the Royal Coach Inn, Beaumont, Texas. The Region 3 annual meeting will be held Jan-uary 14, 1970 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans. Oakland, Calif. Names Crandall To Two Posts The Oakland, Calif., Port Com-mission has named Robert W. Cran-dall as manager of its marine termi-nals department and also as port traffic manager. Mr. Crandall joined the Port of Oakland staff in 1966, as traffic representative and analyst. He previously had been export traffic manager for Kaiser Steel Corporation. Moore-McCormack Names Col. Marquette Director-Container Div. William J. Marquette Moore-McCormack Lines has an-nounced the promotion of Col. William J. Marquette, USA (ret.) to director, Container Division. Colonel Marquette joined Moore-McCormack in December, 1966 as a full-time consultant. In his new position he will be in charge of all container-related services. Colonel Marquette was formerly vice-president of Waterman Steam-ship Line and he had a long career in both the civilian and military sectors of containerization. He served as an assistant to the vice-president, International Service of R.E.A. Express after his retirement from active duty as commander of the Brooklyn Army Terminal. Colonel Marquette was gradu-ated from Rutgers University. He is a member of the National De-fense Transportation Association, Traffic Club of New York and the Downtown Athletic Club. Fishing Boat Ordered From Marine Constr. An offshore fishing vessel is to be built by Marine Construction & Design Co., Seattle, for Gudjons-son, Sorensen & Petersen. To be named Sea Spray, the boat will be 94 feet by 25 feet by 12 feet and powered by a single-screw 565-bhp diesel. A NEW HYDROTRAIN RAIL BARGE is now in service following the recent launching at Bethlehem Steel Corporation's San Francisco shipyard. The 48-car-capacity barge is 400 feet long, 76 feet wide and 20 feet deep, and is one of the largest to be built in the Bay Area. It is shown on drydock at the shipyard during final outfitting. Named McKinley, the new barge is the last of five of this type built by the yard and operates between Seattle and Alaska. It was constructed for the Harbor Tug & Barge Company, San Francisco, and will be operated by Puget Sound-Alaska Van Lines. The keel for the first of four more barges, scheduled to be built at the yard, has been laid. These are of the same size as the rail barges but without rails. They will also operate in Alaskan waters. 42 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News