SPRING 1959

Stories contained herein were published by and for Mooremack Employees Ashore and Afloat.

(Courtesy of Bob and Ken Bradsell)

Fred Heess:

  New Construction

 The big event, since the last issue of the "Mooremack News" was the keel laying for the first of our seven new freighters, five of which will be built at Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.  The keel was laid for hull 617.

Sun is building hulls 617, 618, 619, 620 and 621.  Todd Shipyards in Los Angeles is building hulls 74 and 75.  It is customary for shipyards to assign numbers to the vessels they build which numbers usually run consecutively from the time a shipyard is founded.

Since the keel laying on January 15, 1959, work has proceeded methodically so that in the two months that have elapsed, practically the entire innerbottom is either in place on the building ways or being fabricated in the shop.  Sun has some of the most modern equipment being used in this country.  By means of a photographic negative one-one hundredth the actual size of a plate to be cut, an almost microscopic line on the negative is followed electronically and one or two plates are cut to shape and size automatically.  Todd Shipyards in Los Angeles has just completed installation of two identical machines to those being used by Sun.  By simply air-mailing small negatives about the size of one from your "Brownie" a shipyard over 3000 miles away will duplicate what is being done in Chester.  Years from now, either shipyard could conceivably remove these negatives from a small file drawer and build the exact same ships.  In the former days an entire warehouse would have been required for the storage of full size templates.

Once the job is done properly for the first vessel, the second and later vessels should proceed almost automatically.  The entire construction sequence has been reduced to an IBM business machine proposition by the shipbuilder.

The above photograph is a broadside view of a small scale model constructed by the shipbuilder as a check on the outward appearance of these vessels.

The keel of the next vessel, Hull 618, is scheduled to be laid in May.

LINDQUIST, King-Size Gastronome

Today's traveler is both gourmet and art enthusiast.  He recognizes that superlative cuisine is an art and he finds that art best demonstrated in the gastronomical delights created by the mastery of K. H. (Harry) Lindquist.  This genial giant Commissary Superintendent of Moore-McCormack Lines, is a man dedicated to making the epicure happy and the connoisseur of wines exultant.

Towering in his galley, Swedish-born Lindquist is now busy devising delectable dishes and menus for the cruise of the new luxury-liner Brasil to the Northlands of Europe on May 14th.  "For each of the 14 ports, we will have a specialty for our passengers from my own recipe file," Mr. Lindquist promised.

This world-renowned file is the collection of the culinary accomplishments of the true artist.  The talented Mr. Lindquist has devoted years to his work.  He was Grand Prize Winner at the Brussels World's Fair 1928-1929.  His entry was a sea-landscape, completely edible, depicting a lighthouse surrounded by the sea — a triumph in clear aspic.  This innovation in the delicate culinary art so impressed the judges that Mr. Lindquist was awarded the first prize ribbon.

During World War II, he was honored by the U. S. Army for his development of mass-feeding techniques.  Earlier, he had been elected to the Society of International Chefs and feted by the Societe des Gastronomes.  Thousands of Mooremack passengers who have complimented his cuisine add their unofficial laurels to these.

"The wine lists of the Brasil and the Argentina encompass every label worthy of our guests," said Mr. Lindquist.  "But, we are adding several, little known, delightful local wines for this Brasil cruise.  Besides that we will feature a special Swedish punch, smooth and vigorous."  The latter was a favorite of the passengers to Scandinavia in the 1930's on the famous Scanships of Moore-McCormack's American Scantic Line.  The thought of the punch reminded Lindquist of his service with Mooremack since 1927.

The $26,000,000 Brasil will also have an extra chef for this Northlands Cruise: Chef Herman Otto, specialist in Scandinavian and German dining.

Melamine Plastics On New Liners

 Decorated melamine plastic serving trays and ash trays are part of the specially styled service equipment aboard Moore-McCormack Lines' two sparkling new cruise liners — S.S. Brasil and S.S. Argentina.  Gleaming white salad mixing bowls and individual serving bowls are also used at luncheon and for outdoor buffet service.

All are molded of CYMEL 1077 melamine molding compound by Consolidated Molded Products Corporation. Scranton, Pennsylvania.

In keeping with the colorful ports of call is the colorful molded-in decoration of the white serving trays, which pictures scenes from four of these major port cities.  The ash trays, used throughout the ship, are primarily brilliant green but feature the Line's insignia, the letter M, in red against a white bottom.

The melamine trays are shown in the photo below.

This is Commissary

Not only the Army moves on its stomach — MOOREMACK, too, is very much concerned with the appetites of its passengers, a condition which is reflected in the gigantic grocery bill every time one of our new ships is stored in New York.  For $100,000 the Commissary Department puts aboard the standard groceries and meats in abundance, plus such exotic foods as kangaroo tail and bird’s nest soup, together with special black beans from Brasil and other national dishes.

The Commissary is concerned also with the Stewards' Departments aboard ships and is responsible for chinaware, glassware, silverware and all the stateroom supplies needed, not only on our luxury liners but also our many freighters.

They also operate the restaurant on Pier 32. — Roy Kuester

Mooremack Begins Vast New Cargo-Ship Program

The keel for the first of seven fast, new cargo ships contracted for by Moore-McCormack Lines was laid at a ceremony in the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Corp. yards in Chester, Pa., January 15th.

This is the first of five to be built by the Sun Corporation for Mooremack.  The other two vessels are to be built by Todd in San Francisco.  Mooremack’s overall new ships’ program, including two recently completed luxury cruise vessels provides for a total expenditure over the next several years of more than $430,000,000.

At the keel laying ceremony in Chester, the speakers were Hon. John Allen, Undersecretary of Commerce: Mr. R. L. Burke, president of Sun, and George L. Holt. executive vice president of Mooremack.  Mr. Holt, following the short addresses, cut a ribbon as the keel was laid in place.

Mooremack’s new ships are of a new design — Type I 624 especially created for the company — and are considered to embody features that will make them the "most modern cargo-liners ever built," according to Mr. Holt.

Their features include:  Deep tanks constructed within the hull of the vessel are plastic lined and they arc capable of carrying a wide variety of oil products and chemicals in liquid or dry form; 40,000 cubic feet of refrigerated space and a total bale cubic capacity of approximately 600,000 cubic feet; quick acting hydraulic hatch covers over all cargo spaces and deep tanks; full-scantling hull construction designed to eliminate interference to hatch combings and other obstructions in the shelter deck; hydraulic cargo winches and electric topping lift winches – 10 tons lifting capacity at all hatches and 50 tons lifting capacity at Numbers 3 and 4; highly efficient hull form for high speeds at minimum power during good weather and to minimize hull and topside damage during adverse weather without sacrificing speed: provision for stowage of 8,000 cubic feet of cargo under cover on deck; open type stern frame with balanced rudder: nialite corrosion resisting propeller.

Specifications also provide for a 12,100 SHP main propulsion plant sufficiently powerful to develop 19 knots under normal operating drafts.  The plant consists of cross-compounded turbines coupled together through an articulated type of double reduction gear.  Two "D" type boilers generate steam at 600 psi, 850 degrees F.

Two 600 KW turbine driven generators furnish 440V alternating current through a group control type electrical system.  These are supplemented by a 75 KW diesel driven emergency generator. Auxiliaries are electrically driven, except for the feed pumps and cargo oil pumps, which are steam driven.

Control of the engineering plant is centralized, with operating consol at the centrum of the machinery space.

"Flash" evaporator equipment, capable of distilling 10,000 gallons a day, is specified.  Corrosion resisting metals and plastic materials in piping systems are used extensively.

Lifeboats are of plastic.  The ships are to he equipped with the most modern radar, radio and other electronic systems.  An electric steering system, controlling an electro-hydraulic steering engine, is provided for.  The specifications call for widespread use of plastic paints, compositions, and tiling to lessen corrosion and reduce maintenance time.

As in the case of Mooremack’s two new luxury passenger liners, these ships will have dummy stacks — smoke gases are emitted through kingposts on the after deck.

Each ship will have de luxe accommodations for 12 passengers, a luxuriously furnished lounge for use of passengers. and a swimming pool.