by Melbourne Z. Myerson
M
Luckily , no enemy subs y being assigned as an Engine ter on the exterior of the found us during our preRoom Cadet to the SS Mormac - boiler drums with the main dicament. gull, a C 1 dry cargo carrier, made Octo- fire system-a risky step Several hours later, when ber 26, 1943 a fateful day for the mari- but necessary if we were to order had been restored and time service. I had doubts about becom- get steam back up anytime we were underway again, ing a marine engineer; I wanted to be a soon. the chief came to call. Acdeck officer--certainly a more romantic The chief engineer had position, where I might utter phrases come down from hi s office at the first tually he did not appear angry , just consuch as "Hard a-port!" rather than com- sign of trouble and instructed me to go cerned. He asked whether the first engiplain about the heat in the engine room. topside to my cabin and await him there . neer had queried me as to what was to be In planning the job, I had overlooked done, and I replied he had. The chief Unfortunately, the cadet corps assigned me to an engineering section, as the deck the fact that the pump was also a stand- then gave me an assignment to chart the by boiler feed water pump, and I hadn 't feed water system. It was to be comofficer quotas were filled. On a beautiful autumn day , we were isolated the discharge side. This allowed pleted by 0800 hours the following steaming along at a good 15 knots in the a goodly portion of the water in the morning . That meant I would be bilge and bulkhead climbing the whole night South Pacific leading a convoy of six boiler to dump into the bilges. More problems were to come. The to locate all lines and control valves. ships. We had aboard the Convoy ComAs I re-entered the engine room to modore, who sported a four-inch stripe escorting destroyers commenced dropon hi s uniform sleeve. ping depth charges almost immediately commence the task, the men on watch That day a leaky relief valve on the after the valve blew . They had heard had a great time giving me a bad time. stand-by fire pump caused the first en- suspicious underwater noises and de- They gave me verbal instructions as to gineer to order me to repair it. He was termined that enemy submarines were what I could do with the next relief careful to ask if I knew what to do. nearby . (Probably what they had heard valve I would work on. (Impossible.) Always optimistic, though inwardly was the sound of our valve exploding But their badinage did not last long . somewhat doubtful, I answered affir- skyward !) So there we were, convoy At dinner time, which 1 dreaded because of the further roasting I matively. I realized I must isolate the pump before disfully expected, there came a The valve blew up and away as a tremendous knock on my cabin door and mantling it and proceeded stream ofscalding water rose, like Old Faithful, the Convoy Commodore enwith the removal of the valve tered. I could hardly believe bonnet. Hot water under to a height of twenty to thirty feet. that a high-ranking, goldpressure began spewing from the base of the valve. I waited a leader, dead in the water with a pos- braided officer would lower himself to short time for the pressure to dissipate, sible sub licking its torpedo tubes come and further berate me, but that was but failed to ask myself why it was hot waiting for us. The remainder of the notthecase. "Well, cadet," he said, "you've water flowing out. Thinking the flow convoy sa iled off into the sunset leav- had a helluva day and I think you should have dinner in the wardroom with me had lessened, I put the pipe wrench back ing us one destroyer for protection . It was lonely in my cabin and I was tonight. Let's go!" on the valve for a few more turns. All As we entered the wardroom, I could hell broke loose! The valve blew up and desolate for several hours waiting for away as a tremendous stream of scald- the chief engineer to arrive. I can't pos- see the gleams in the eyes of those ing water rose, like Old Faithful, to a sibly describe my feelings. My inepti- awaiting me, but their smi les vanished tude placed our ship in harm's way and when the Commodore put an arm about height of twenty to thirty feet. To keep from being burned I hopped we could take a torpedo at any moment. my shoulders and announced: "Gentleback a few steps and called for help-a Sitting on my bunk I wasn ' t sure whether men, Mr. Myerson is my guest tonight needless action, as the watch engineer I preferred the torpedo or the tongue and I would be very unhappy should could see the problem and hear the lashing that was sure to come. I peered anyone here take it upon himself to boiler low-water- level alarm. There out my cabin porthole to see the de- castigate him for the day 's events." And seemed no way for anyone to approach stroyer circling about the Mormacgull no one did. I completed the chief engineer's asat flank speed, dropping depth charges. the valve and cap it. signment, which he personThe bridge, notified imAbove, the author during his naval service in 1948. al Iy reviewed and approved. mediately, understood our Below, the Mormacdove, a sister to the Mormacgull , in warFunny thing, though, no one problem and we secured the time service. Photo courtesy the Frank 0 . Braynard Collection. ever again asked me to remain engines, as water pair a relief valve. t carryover from the boilers to the turbine blades could damMr.Myersonservedinthemerage the engine. To make the chant marine from 1943 to si tuation worse, the boilers 1945,then was an engineer in were now overheated and the both the maritime service and water reintroduced immedithe US Navy. He is now a ately flashed into steam . It freelance writer in California. was decided to spray cold wa-
SEA HISTORY 74, SUMMER 1995
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