Jeffboat Delivers The Thruston B. Morton

Shortly after the motor vessel Thruston B. Morton was christened on July 8, 1978, at the River Front Plaza in Louisville, Ky., she joined the fleet of American Commercial Lines, Inc., moving tows on the inland waterways system.

The vessel was named to honor Thruston B. Morton, former Senator from Kentucky and a nineyear member of the board of directors of Texas Gas Transmission Corporation.

A native of Louisville, Ky., Mr.

Morton received his early education in Kentucky public schools and graduated from Yale University in 1929. Following his graduation, he worked for Ballard and Ballard, a grain and milling company, and served a tour of duty with the United States Navy.

In 1946, Mr. Morton was elected to the United States House of Representatives, serving as Congressman from the Third District of Kentucky until 1952. He was appointed Assistant Secretary of State in 1953, and in 1956 ran successfully for the United States Senate. As Senator, he served illustriously on the Finance Committee and the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, among others.

At President Eisenhower's request, Mr. Morton accepted the Chairmanship of the Republican National Committee in 1959, and in 1963, he was elected to the Chairmanship of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, a position he held for four years.

Since leaving the Senate, Mr.

Morton has been associated with several business corporations in Kentucky, including Texas Gas Transmission Corporation.

Designed and built by Jeffboat, Inc. in Jeffersonville, Ind., the Thruston B. Morton has been constructed for use on the Illinois River, with special features which allow optimum performance yearround.

Unusually heavy construction of the hull plate, rudders and shafts will aid in icebreaking operations and protect the vessel from damage.

A double-bottomed engine room gives extra protection from heavy-grounding damage. In addition, the Thruston B. Morton is designed to pull, as well as push, barges to facilitate continuous operations in adverse weather conditions while minimizing the risk of possible damage to its tow.

Powered with two four-cycle Alco diesel engines, the new towboat can safely and expeditiously handle tows carrying 22,500 tons or more of cargo. Outstanding features of maneuverability, safety, and crew comfort were built into her design.

A closed-circuit television system enables the captain or pilot on duty to maintain a constant visual check of the engine room, galley and crew's lounge.

Radar equipment installed on the new vessel makes possible continuous operation by providing the pilot an electronic picture of the shoreline, other vessels on the river, bridge piers and other obstructions which may be blocked from view by darkness, fog, rain or snow.

A voice radio provides communications with the ACL home offices, other vessels on the river and shore installations. An intercom system facilitates onboard communications, and a mobile telephone sound-powered phone allows ship-to-shore communications.

Ship-control equipment includes a Tugmonitor system that brings operating data into a central location.

This system permits continual observance of engine oil, water and fuel pressures, clutch air pressure, and oil and water temperatures for both main engines and auxiliary engines.

Other equipment includes a swing indicator, a digital waterdepth indicator, main engine and steering controls, searchlight controls, alarms for the main generators and main engines, and operating controls for the electric winches on the main deck.

Fire d e t e c t o r s are mounted throughout the upper and lower engine room and the generator room. When a detector is energized, an alarm sounds throughout the alarm system. This system includes CO bottles with outside pull cables for the galley, generator room and engine room.

Portable hand extinguishers are located throughout the vessel to provide additional protection.

All quarters on the motor vessel Thruston B. Morton, including the cabin areas, lounges, galley and pilothouse are fully airconditioned.

American Commercial Lines, Inc., and Jeffboat, Incorporated are subsidiaries of Texas Gas Transmission Corporation.

Specifications Thruston B. Morton Principal Dimensions Length 150' 0" Breadth 35' 0" Depth 12' 6" Draft, Normal Operating 6' 6" Draft, Loaded 8' 6" Displacement, Normal 910 tons Capacities Fuel Oil 61,200 gal.

Fresh Water 14,100 gal.

Lube Oil 2,825 gal.

Propulsion Main engines: Two Alco Diesel Engines, 12 cylinder, Model 251F, each rated 2,100 hp. Mathers Air Controls.

Reverse reduction gears: Two Falk, Model 2440 MR Ratio 4,708 to 1.

P r o p e l l e r s h a f t s : 10%-inchdiameter alloy steel forging.

Propellers: Two five-blade, 100- inch-diameter stainless-steel propellers.

Steering gear: Two steering rudders and four flanking rudders, all streamlined, operated by independent hydraulic steering rams.

Auxiliary Machinery Main generators: Two 75KW 460-volt, 3-phase, 60-hertz generators, each driven by General Motors Detroit Diesel 6-71 engines.

Switchboard: Enclosed, deadfront type, New Orleans Armature Works.

Heating and air-conditioning: Hot Water Kewanee Boiler 3R6- FO. Dunham-Bush air-conditioning, 20 tons total capacity.

Air compressors: Three Westinghouse compressors, Model 3 VC-B, each rated 23.8 CFM at 250 psi.

Sanitary water system: Brunner filter, Model AF30, with Wilson chlorinator.

Fuel oil filter: Four Briggs Filtration Co. filters, Model BFS-VVI.

Fire Protection: Six fire stations, with remotely started pump, Ingersoll-Rand Model 3x2x8HC 200 gpm at 230 foot head.

Fixed C02 system for engine room: Also semi-fixed C02 system in engine room and portable extinguishers throughout boat.

Galley Equipment Range: Toastmaster Model G20M1RA.

Freezer: 45-cubic-foot Jordan reach-in unit.

Refrigerators: 14-cubic-f oot Westinghouse night box and 45- cubic-foot Jordan reach-in box.

Deck Machinery Capstans: One Schoellhorn- Albrecht Co. type 21063, twospeed, 10 hp.

Winches: Two Beebe, Model 62, 5-hp electric.

Boat hoists: One iy2-ton electric units; electric remote control, 50 tons.

Navigation & Communication Equipment Radar: Sperry MK16.

Digital Depth Indicator: Raytheon DE-760.

Intercom: TOA/Moakler.

Sound-powered telephone: Hose-McCann.

Searchlight: Carlisle & Finch, two Xenon.

Air horn: Kahlenberg, Model Q-4.

Tugmonitor: National Marine Series W, Model 01038.

Closed-circuit TV: Sanyo-Model VM 4092 monitors, 4 Sanyo Model VC1600x cameras.

Swing-O-Meter: Shannon Model 2B.

Radio: Modar D80SCA SSB, 1-Modar Triton 5 5 / 7 5 VHF, 1-intech Vio8BB VHF.

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 6, Sep 1978

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Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.