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I try to imagine 20 workers below deck on an aging warship on a warm sunny day in Southern California in a small confined resonating space built out of steel, using grinders, impact wrenches, cutting torches, and delicate computer measuring devices with inspectors spreading "D" size sheets of paper interpreting shop drawings....... goodness that must be a little slice of heaven. ;)
I am one of the few former sailors of the modern navy that have experence in a steam plant engine room. (SSN) But when I was in prototype and in a S5W power plant, it got damn hot. And that was WITH air conditioning. I was luckily assigned to a submarine that had an oversized A/C plant, even at full steam flow I never saw it get above 90 degrees.
Also, always know where the Escape Trunk is, even though the ones on carriers are a freaking long way to climb.
Interesting story about the escape trunk on a Gato class submarine. The tour guide quoted a sailor who was of the opinion that escape trunks didn't offer much in the way escape; that they were installed just to calm the fears of mothers back home.
Also, always know where the Escape Trunk is, even though the ones on carriers are a freaking long way to climb.
If you think about it my friend, so were the BB's escape trunk to Broadway but in any case any climb no matter what ship would be long under those conditions no doubt.
Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.
Interesting story about the escape trunk on a Gato class submarine. The tour guide quoted a sailor who was of the opinion that escape trunks didn't offer much in the way escape; that they were installed just to calm the fears of mothers back home.
Most escape trunks have self closing doors on them, but since the steam rises it's probably not a good idea to try to go up. Notice previously I mentioned that if I were in the lower level I would have jumped into the bilge. The escape trunk is probably good for flooding when the crew is finally ordered out of the space. A friend of mine was the only surviving BT out of the forward fireroom on the USS Frank E Evans when it was cut in half. I wonder how he got out. In the few times he mentioned anything about it, no one ever asked any questions. I think he had a lot survivor's guilt.
If you think about it my friend, so were the BB's escape trunk to Broadway but in any case any climb no matter what ship would be long under those conditions no doubt.
I'm really starting to forget some things. I don't remember a thing about the escape trunks on the BB's. I'm visualizing the lower level, standing under the boiler with the steam fuel oil service pumps against the bulkhead, off to the side are the tiny firepumps, but I can't "See" the escape trunk.
Most escape trunks have self closing doors on them, but since the steam rises it's probably not a good idea to try to go up. Notice previously I mentioned that if I were in the lower level I would have jumped into the bilge. The escape trunk is probably good for flooding when the crew is finally ordered out of the space. A friend of mine was the only surviving BT out of the forward fireroom on the USS Frank E Evans when it was cut in half. I wonder how he got out. In the few times he mentioned anything about it, no one ever asked any questions. I think he had a lot survivor's guilt.
Shame to have such a thing on his shoulders. He was no doubt lucky either that or he has someone watching over him.
Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.
A SHIPALT was issued to LBNSY to replace the existing 18" X 36" doors at the bottom of all 8 escape trunks with Elliason self-closing doors. But we had some tremendous problems trying to fit them in without moving main intake valve reach rods, etc. I personally measured up the escape trunks both on Missouri and Wisconsin. They had identical interferences.
And I HATE Elliason doors. On the LHA's (Tarawa Class) the location of the lower door covered the vertical ladder when it was opened. So, only one person could get into the escape trunk and after he climbed up at least 7 feet then the next person could open the door to get in -- and then close it leaving the rest of the crew until he got at least 7-feet up.
Well, I'm not going to take up anymore band width. So, just buy my book and start reading the bottom paragraph of page 193 of how I solved that problem. I have a 3rd grandchild on the building ways and I plan to use the Royalties to spoil them rotten.
Also, always know where the Escape Trunk is, even though the ones on carriers are a freaking long way to climb.
when I was on the Essex, we did vertical attack's on main space fires going down the escape trunks, OBA and FFE's on and hauling a fire hose down with you.. talk about a long ways down.. the hanger bay to the bottom of the main spaces.. (even farther going back up).. on my current ship, the Halsey, there's a few escape trunks that run from the bottom of the main spaces to the aft missile deck.. makes for a long ways down as well..
I'm really starting to forget some things. I don't remember a thing about the escape trunks on the BB's. I'm visualizing the lower level, standing under the boiler with the steam fuel oil service pumps against the bulkhead, off to the side are the tiny firepumps, but I can't "See" the escape trunk.
The escape trunks from Engineering to Broadway. This is the escape trunk from Boiler room #4 to Broadway Deck 3.
when I was on the Essex, we did vertical attack's on main space fires going down the escape trunks, OBA and FFE's on and hauling a fire hose down with you.. talk about a long ways down.. the hanger bay to the bottom of the main spaces.. (even farther going back up).. on my current ship, the Halsey, there's a few escape trunks that run from the bottom of the main spaces to the aft missile deck.. makes for a long ways down as well..
The Halsey, cool, are there any pictures you can show us? Thanks for being there and making our Great Nation secure.
when I was on the Essex, we did vertical attack's on main space fires going down the escape trunks, OBA and FFE's on and hauling a fire hose down with you.. talk about a long ways down.. the hanger bay to the bottom of the main spaces.. (even farther going back up).. on my current ship, the Halsey, there's a few escape trunks that run from the bottom of the main spaces to the aft missile deck.. makes for a long ways down as well..
I think they're the same distance as on the LHA's, probably 5 levels. We used to carry our bags of large insulation pads to the escape trunk and then one of us would climb down there to block it off and then drop the bags.
One time my working partner and I were working next to the escape trunk so we decided to take it out to go on break. About halfway up his age and asbestosis kicked in and he couldn't move any more. Good thing there were two sets of rungs so I could climb by him as he rested. He was a nice guy, but I didn't want him to fall and knock me off on his way down.
There was also a trunk from the Control Booth that came up right up in the middle of the hangar deck. We could use that early in the overhaul, but as the sailors moved back and started hanging out in the booth they weren't too happy about it unless you had a female working partner they could chat with for a bit. Sometimes they'd just pop a lock on the scuttle hatch on the hangar deck to keep everyone out.
On Spru-cans there's an escape trunk to the main aux space on the starboard side, just aft of the mid-ships passageway. After the USS Merrill finished it's overhaul and was up in Port Hueneme testing, one of the evaps quit working. They took out the salt water heater and sent it back to Long Beach for a rebuild. They brought it back and the riggers put a chain hoist in the trunk and started lowering down the salt water heater. There was a pipefitter in the aux space guarding the trunk for safety reasons. The chain hoist must have sheared a pin because the salt water heater freewheeled all three decks down the trunk, taking out the light fixtures at each level and actually bending the deck plate at the bottom of the trunk when it hit. I got up to Port Hueneme the day after it happened, and the pipefitter who was already the jumpy type before this happened, was chain smoking like a fiend.
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