The S.S. Brazil articles contained herein were published by and for Mooremack Employees Ashore and Afloat.

Rube Goldberg Harris

("The Mooremack News," October 1948)

(Courtesy of Vincent Fiorenza)

Captain Jim Harris, stevedoring superintendent of Moore-McCormack Lines, has been on the waterfront of the Port of New York some thirty years and in that period has handled dozens of problems of all kinds. But he came upon a new one in late August.

The afternoon of the scheduled sailing of the liner Brazil, a power shut down tied up a section of Manhattan, including the facilities at Pier 32, North River.  Among the tasks to be performed were the transfer of passengers’ luggage from pier to ship and the removal of the gangplanks.  Both tasks normally are handled by electric power.

In the matter of baggage, Captain Harris got down to that basic equipment, hand power. Some 2,000 pieces which should go aboard by endless belt were carried aboard by hand. But the removal of the gangplanks was something else.  Nothing daunted, Captain Harris ordered a steam-powered crane brought to the south side of the pier.  The Brazil was berthed on the north side.  He linked ropes to the crane’s power facilities, strung the ropes across the lower level of the pier, then up the side of the ship to the falls of the gangplank and affixed them.  When sailing time came, the power of the crane, about 150 feet from the gangplanks, was applied to free them and let them down.  Off went the ship, only seven minutes behind the scheduled five o’clock departure.  Captain Harris watched her go, turned and headed for home. Simple as that.  Tomorrow’s problems would come tomorrow.

PS.   The New York Times thought well enough of the stunt to give it a box on Page 2 next morning.

The Brazil in Color

("The Mooremack News," April 1949)

(Courtesy of Vincent Fiorenza)

The Moore-McCormack liner Brazil made its bow in millions of American homes in recent months, through the medium of the printed page.  Some weeks ago the brewers of Pabst beer, in a campaign to associate their product with well-known people and popular places, had Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Tibbett pose aboard the Brazil.  The resulting photograph, in color, was used in a nation-wide campaign, that included Life, Look and Collier’s magazines, our line being identified with the famous opera star and his wife.

The Captains

("The Mooremack News," December 1949)

(Courtesy of Vincent Fiorenza)

For more than twenty years, travelers between North and South America have known Harry N. Sadler, master of the S.S. Brazil, as Captain Sadler. To the Navy, however, he had been Lieutenant Commander Sadler, U.S.N.R., this despite the fact that he commanded the Brazil throughout the recent war, taking her into the Atlantic and the Pacific, in the Mediterranean invasion and various other areas of fighting.

In June Captain Sadler left his ship and reported at Norfolk, Va., for a fourteen-day tour of duty as part of his responsibility to the Naval Reserve. When he returned to his ship he was Captain Harry N. Sadler, U.S.N.R. Word of his promotion preceded him to South America when he again sailed on the Brazil in September, and along the route at the various ports of call he received the congratulations of his many friends.

During Captain Sadler’s absence, the Brazil was commanded by her chief officer, Howard F. Lane, and when he arrived back in New York he commented smilingly, that, while he had spent the major part of his maritime career in the South American trade, this was the first time he had commanded a passenger ship operating in it. Captain Lane became a third officer back in 1927 and came to Moore-McCormack in January 1939, as first officer of the Brazil.

During the war he commanded several ships, including the Mount Evans, the Mormachawk, the Sweepstakes, the Mormacsun and the Mormacdawn. He has made thousands of friends in the Latin- American area through his time as Captain Sadler’s first aide, and in his first assignment as her master carried off the honor in his usual capable manner.

After the above had been written the editors checked a bit farther and discovered that Captain Thomas Simmons of the sister ship Argentina, who had also commanded his ship throughout the war and whose status had been the same as Captain Sadler’s in the reserve, had also been raised to the rank of captain. Captain Simmons is only one year back of Captain Sadler in his experience in the Latin-American trade.

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