Page 19: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 15, 1971)

National Marine Service

Captain Cited For Heroism

Making the presentation, left, is David A. Wright, presi- dent of National Marine Service, Inc. Captain Howell, right, was accompanied by his wife at the reception.

At a Houston, Texas, reception held in his honor, Capt. D.H. Howell Jr. was presented with a citation for the heroic part he played in averting a major disaster at Port Arthur, Tex- as, last September.

While navigating the narrow passage of the

West Port Arthur Bridge, the stern of one barge in Captain Howell's tow was cut open by the steel fenderwork of the bridge, and the gasoline cargo caught fire. Surrounded by flames in the pilothouse, the captain remained at the controls of his burning tow and maneu- vered it clear of tankers loading at the huge refinery on Texaco Island. This devotion to duty averted what could have been a disaster of major proportions. After his tow had cleared the refinery area, Capt. Howell ran it aground in a safe location. He then jumped from deck to deck of the burning vessel to make sure all members of his crew were off, and only then did he abandon the boat himself, having suf- fered a broken foot in his search.

In making the presentation, David A. Wright, president of National Marine Service Incorpor- ated, owner of the boat, said: "Captain Ho- well's actions were in the best tradition of sea- farers everywhere, inland and oceangoing.

They reflect great credit on him and are a source of pride to his shipmates and to Na- tional Marine Service Incorporated."

Captain Howell, 42, has spent his entire career on the waterways, having been pilot and captain on inland vessels for 20 years, a pro- fession also followed by his grandfather be- fore him. Now fully recovered from his in- juries, Captain Howell has returned to duty with National Marine.

ABS-USCG Study Underway

To Eliminate Duplication Of

Effort In Approving Ship Plans

The Coast Guard and American Bureau of

Shipping are conducting a joint study aimed at identifying and eliminating duplication in their approval of plans for new merchant ships which are both ABS classed and USCG certificated. The announcement was made by

Adm. C.R. Bender, Commandant of the Coast

Guard, and Andrew Neilson, chairman of the board of the American Bureau of Shipping.

As one of the major components of the De- partment of Transportation, the Coast Guard enforces Federal laws and international treaties governing the design and inspection of mer- chant ships. The Coast Guard's merchant ma- rine safety program includes technical offices which approve ships in blueprint stage, and inspection offices which inspect ships under construction and periodically thereafter.

The ABS is an international classification society which establishes and implements rules for building and surveying various types of

April 15, 1971 21 merchant ships. The surveys and assigned classification of ABS are used by the shipping fraternity as a certification of ship condition.

Since the Coast Guard and ABS have many similar objectives—in particular safe hulls and reliable machinery—the heads of the two or- ganizations expressed confidence that progress would be made in reduction of any duplication of effort in the approval of plans for Ameri- can-flag ships which are both ABS classed and Coast Guard inspected.

Florida's Secretary Of State

Proposes Use Of Syncrolift

For Cross-Florida Canal

A barge in a portable tank is being transported overland in Belgium. A similar method is proposed to complete the

Cross-Florida Barge Canal utilizing the Syncrolift System.

Florida's Secretary of State, Richard (Dick)

Stone, recently proposed a plan to the State

Cabinet which he said would enable the Cross-

Florida Barge Canal to be completed, and yet leave Florida's ecology unharmed.

The plan would utilize the unique "Syncro- lift" system to lift the barges floating in port- able tanks completely out of the water, then transport them overland on railroads across a 55-mile route through the Ocala National For- est. This location was recommended by con- servationists for the canal route when the

Cross-Florida Barge Canal first came up.

The system basically consists of a "Syncro- lift" marine elevator which raises a floating vessel out of the water in an open-top rectan- gular tank. The tank is supported on wheeled carriages which have standard-type railroad wheels. The tank, with vessel afloat, is towed across the land on a railroad track to a ter- minus, where another "Syncrolift" lowers it into the water, and the vessel proceeds under its own power. Railroad officials have been consulted about the idea. They say it is feasi- ble and could work, Mr. Stone said. He de- scribed them as enthusiastic about the proposal.

The proposal means the state could use the portion of the canal which has been completed, and leave untouched the remaining uncom- pleted portion. The Secretary said: "It is my feeling that this project will be acceptable to

Barge Canal proponents and opponents alike.

This new system will allow many inland cities to enjoy the lower prices of bulk items, such as fuel oil, etc., that seaports presently enjoy."

Since the Secretary's proposal, interested businessmen, industrial coordinators, and members of the Department of Natural Re- sources have visited Port Everglades Shipyard to inspect a 6,000-ton "Syncrolift" drydock in operation. It exemplifies the feasibility and practical aspects of lifting and transferring heavy vessels on rails to shore areas.

E. Canadian Section, SNAME

Hears Paper On Arctic Voyage

Of The Research Ship Hudson

Shown above at the meeting in Montreal, left to right, are: R.F. Swain, guest; Capt. K.P. Farrell, RCN, Section chairman, and Dr. C.R. Mann, author.

Dr. C.R. Mann of the Atlantic Oceanograph- ic Laboratories, Bedford Institute, department of energy, mines and resources, was guest speaker at a recent meeting of the Eastern

Canadian Section of The Society of Naval Ar- chitects and Marine Engineers in Montreal.

Dr. Mann's paper, titled "The Arctic Voyage of the Research Ship 'Hudson,' " was present- ed to a group of approximately 40 members and guests. The research vessel sailed from

Halifax in November 1969, voyaging complete- ly around South and North America, return- ing to Halifax in October of 1970. During the voyage, scientists from all the disciplines— biology, chemistry, geology, geophysics, phy- sical oceanography, and hydrography—took part in the expedition. During the evening, Dr.

Mann described the work performed by the scientists and the unusual nature of the sup- porting role of the ship's crew.

At the conclusion of the paper, a film was shown which illustrated much of the work undertaken by the expedition. This was fol- lowed by an interesting and lively discussion from the floor.

Containerization Said To Save

Puerto Rican Manufacturers

About $26.7 Million Annually

The efficiency of containerization is saving manufacturers in Puerto Rico about $26.7 mil- lion a year, according to Richard J. Gage, chairman of the Puerto Rico Ocean Service

Association (PROSA).

Addressing a PROSA sponsored public meeting of shippers in the Puerto Rican trade on March 16 at the Plaza Hotel, New York

City, Mr. Gage said savings are made possible by lower costs of insurance, handling, trans- portation and packaging, all inherent in the containerization method.

According to research estimates, an esti- mated 13,825 jobs have been created directly and indirectly due to the cumulative savings resulting from containerized service to the manufacturing sector in Puerto Rico, Mr.

Gage told the shippers.

Noting that the Puerto Rico Planning Board estimates that for every dollar of extra income generated in manufacturing, $1.25 of additional income is generated in all the sectors of the economic system, Mr. Gage said that this means, for example, that containerization has generated $7.6 million in indirect income to the wholesale and retail sector of the island

Commonwealth, and in the process creating 1,934 jobs.

He added that under this "multiplier effect" principle, it is estimated that the additional income to the Puerto Rican economy result- ing from containerization has generated some $66.7 million in bank assets and $52.5 million in bank deposits.