A Marine Casualty

    When I was with Irving on their tugs we towed a lot oil petroleum
products to various ports along the eastern seaboard.

    There was one bridge in Fall River, Mass., that we had to pass through,
invariably stiking one or the other of the bridge abutments. So sure were
the city fathers that we would eventually destroy the structure, that they
would close it completely to all vehiclar traffic whenever we were in bound.

    Some may find the following a bit humerous; some may not, but after
walloping that bridge so many times I can see this scenario actually
happening.

    A ship's master writes a report to his owners, goes like this:

Gentlemen:
I write in haste so that you will get this report before you form your own
preconceived opinions from reports in the world media, for I am sure they
will tend to over dramatize the affair

We had just picked up our Pilot and the apprentice had returned from
changing the " G "flag  to " H " and being on his first voyage was having
trouble folding the " G " flag up. I therefore proceeded to show him how,
and coming to the last part told him to ' let go ' The lad, although
willing, is not too bright, necessitating my having to repeat the order in a
sharper voice.

The Chief Officer, over hearing the order from the chart room, and thinking
it was the anchors that were being referred to, repeated the ' let go ' to
the Third Officer on the forecastle head. The effect of having the anchor
drop from the pipe while the ship was procceding at full harbour speed,
proved too much for the windlass brake and the entire cable was PULLED OUT
BY THE ROOTS! I fear the damage to the chain locker may be excessive. The
braking effect naturally caused the vessel to sheer in that direction, right
tpward a swing bridge that spans a tributary of the river.up which we were
proceeding..

The swing bridge operator showed great presence of mind by opening the
bridge for my vessel. Unfortunately he did not think to stop the vehicular
traffic. The result being that the bridge partly opened and deposited a
Volkswagen, two cyclists, and a cattle truck on the foredeck; in his effort
to stop the progress of the vessel, the Third Officer dropped the starboard
anchor, too late to be of any practical use, for it fell on the bridge
operators control cabin.

Up to now I have confined my report to the activities taking place at the
forward end of my vessel. Aft, they were having their own problems. At the
moment the port anchor was let go, the second officer was supervising the
making fast of the after tug.and was lowering the ships towing spring down
to the tug. The sudden braking effect of the port anchor caused the tug to
run in under the stern of my vessel just at the moment when the propellor
was answering double ring ' full astern ' The prompt action of the second
officer in securing the inboard end of the towing spring delayed the sinking
of the tug by some minutes, thereby allowing the safe abandoning of that
vessel.

It never fails to amaze me- - the actions of foreigners during moments of
minor crisis. The Pilot, for instance, is at the moment huddled in the
corner of my day cabin, alternately crooning to himself and crying, after
having consumed a bottle of gin in a time worthy of inclusuin in The Guiness
World Book of Records. The tug Captain, on the other hand,reacted violently
and had to be forcibly restrained by the Steward, who now has him in
handcuffs in the ships hospital.

I enclose the names and addresses of the drivers and their insurance
companies for the vehicles on my foredeck, the Third Officer collected after
his somewhat hurried evacuation from the forecastle. These particulars
willenable you to claim the damage they did to the railings of # 1 hold.

I am enclosing this preliminary report, for I am finding it difficult to
concentrate with the sound of police sirens and their flashing lights. Had
the apprentice realized that there was no need to fly pilot flags after
dark, none of this would have happened.

********
I have sailed with captains that could be this guy's double.

Don