Identifier
0655
Title
Memories of Robert I. Dennis
Description
These are memories coming straight from the source, Robert I. Dennis. He goes on to explain what daily life was like for him as a Seaman on the U.S.L.H. Tender (SHRUB).
Source
Koziara, O'Reilly and Skuncik, LTD.
Type
Document
Format
PDF File
Contributor
Robert Dennis (Mary Dennis)
Rights
Robert I. Dennis
Transcription
There were always half the crew on board, The Seaman had ever other week end off, the fireman had every third week end off, the officers were on a different schedule.
The Shrub was about 125 ft. long and 28 ft. beam, with two coal fired boilers. She carried 150lb of saturated steam. The main engine was a compound 2 cylinders, and oiled. The fire room and engine in the same compartment. Forward of the boiler was the winch room and the crews quarters were forward of that.
In the winter months we maintained the vessel in between other duties.
Good weather work outside, bad weather inside. When lights were reported out we proceeded to that light and put it in operating order. Ice made a lot of extra work. In 38 and 39 the bay was frozen as far south as Dyer Island. Most of the buoys were over run by 1C©, causing them to put out. Hank and myself had the job of jumping from SllP to the buoy which was ice covered. We would hang on the best we could until the ship backed away, then it was to open the lantern bale out the watr dry out the light and relight it.
These lights operated on Acelylene. After the buoy was lit we waited for the ship to come and pick us up not always that easy. The buoy was not as steady as the ship to jump from. As long as we had ice this would continue all day breaking ice, relighting buoys
The CG cutter Algonquin came to help us keep the channels open.
One morning the meat said to me I want you to make a new cover for the lifeboat. I was given a bolt of canvas, needles, and sewing palm, right handed I am left handed.
Well I never made a book cover before and never sober him before the sewing palm was right handed and I am left handed. So I had to teach myself to soul right handed
First of all how do NT real and I run the material four and aft or thartship. I went back to the ship to take a look at the old one. Now with some measurements and a small drawing I started on my project.
I laid out the whole thing in the loft so far so good. Learning to sew right hand it took a while but I made it.A week we had a new boat cover on the lifeboat.
In the fall was time for coaling and delivering supplies. The lighthouse tenders would deliver to various lighthouses their yearly supply of (SOFT COAL) it was the dirtiest, wettest ,coldest duty that the crew on a tender had.
Let me describe about how we called the last lighthouse in 1939. This was rose island in Narr. Bay.
second we left the Bristol depot for staples cold company in Fall River to load on Dec 10 to 12 ton of soft coal (loose).
Anyone who is not handled this material has not missed a thing. This material is dusty, lumpy, powdery, all at the same time.
While proceeding down Narragansett Bay to rose island the crew (this called for all hands) would bass as much as we could Curry Perry. each bag weighed about 75 pounds. These were canvas so they could be used over again. The stern of the tender we towed a 28 foot motor work boat in one 28 foot workboat.
On arrival at the light the modal workboat in other would come along side of the tender to be loaded with bags of coal both would be loaded until there was six inches freebord. At that time the workboats would proceed to the beach and be run up on the beach. Two men would stay in the boats the other five jumped bullet up to their wastewater. (salt water cold).
As the men backed up to the boat you would have that coal back and you start for the lighthouse up the bank across the lawn, down so it is a cold in where you dumped your bag and went back for another one.
This routine continues until the boats are then returned to the tender for another load, this is an all day affair so you are cold and wet all day. Now that is just one lighthouse. Rhode Island with easy ones for you
The next day we could spend the fall. The catch of the tenders were conducted group. Windows website, whalerock, not were more difficult to call because of the weather you would work out of the workboat and it depended on the weather how much you could deliver at one time. Very early in the morning was the best time period this meant we were up at 2:00 AM.
The Shrub was about 125 ft. long and 28 ft. beam, with two coal fired boilers. She carried 150lb of saturated steam. The main engine was a compound 2 cylinders, and oiled. The fire room and engine in the same compartment. Forward of the boiler was the winch room and the crews quarters were forward of that.
In the winter months we maintained the vessel in between other duties.
Good weather work outside, bad weather inside. When lights were reported out we proceeded to that light and put it in operating order. Ice made a lot of extra work. In 38 and 39 the bay was frozen as far south as Dyer Island. Most of the buoys were over run by 1C©, causing them to put out. Hank and myself had the job of jumping from SllP to the buoy which was ice covered. We would hang on the best we could until the ship backed away, then it was to open the lantern bale out the watr dry out the light and relight it.
These lights operated on Acelylene. After the buoy was lit we waited for the ship to come and pick us up not always that easy. The buoy was not as steady as the ship to jump from. As long as we had ice this would continue all day breaking ice, relighting buoys
The CG cutter Algonquin came to help us keep the channels open.
One morning the meat said to me I want you to make a new cover for the lifeboat. I was given a bolt of canvas, needles, and sewing palm, right handed I am left handed.
Well I never made a book cover before and never sober him before the sewing palm was right handed and I am left handed. So I had to teach myself to soul right handed
First of all how do NT real and I run the material four and aft or thartship. I went back to the ship to take a look at the old one. Now with some measurements and a small drawing I started on my project.
I laid out the whole thing in the loft so far so good. Learning to sew right hand it took a while but I made it.A week we had a new boat cover on the lifeboat.
In the fall was time for coaling and delivering supplies. The lighthouse tenders would deliver to various lighthouses their yearly supply of (SOFT COAL) it was the dirtiest, wettest ,coldest duty that the crew on a tender had.
Let me describe about how we called the last lighthouse in 1939. This was rose island in Narr. Bay.
second we left the Bristol depot for staples cold company in Fall River to load on Dec 10 to 12 ton of soft coal (loose).
Anyone who is not handled this material has not missed a thing. This material is dusty, lumpy, powdery, all at the same time.
While proceeding down Narragansett Bay to rose island the crew (this called for all hands) would bass as much as we could Curry Perry. each bag weighed about 75 pounds. These were canvas so they could be used over again. The stern of the tender we towed a 28 foot motor work boat in one 28 foot workboat.
On arrival at the light the modal workboat in other would come along side of the tender to be loaded with bags of coal both would be loaded until there was six inches freebord. At that time the workboats would proceed to the beach and be run up on the beach. Two men would stay in the boats the other five jumped bullet up to their wastewater. (salt water cold).
As the men backed up to the boat you would have that coal back and you start for the lighthouse up the bank across the lawn, down so it is a cold in where you dumped your bag and went back for another one.
This routine continues until the boats are then returned to the tender for another load, this is an all day affair so you are cold and wet all day. Now that is just one lighthouse. Rhode Island with easy ones for you
The next day we could spend the fall. The catch of the tenders were conducted group. Windows website, whalerock, not were more difficult to call because of the weather you would work out of the workboat and it depended on the weather how much you could deliver at one time. Very early in the morning was the best time period this meant we were up at 2:00 AM.