time and tide
TIME & TIDE: THOMAS E. SMITH '69
By RICK HARDEN '69
InMay1969,118ofusgraduatedfromMaine routinelydoneatthistimeofday.Waterwas Tomwenttodothis,everyoneelselefthimalone
Maritime Academy. Most of us had jobs wait-
encountered in the fuel (probably from the fuel
in the dark and very hot engine room.
ing and were anxious to begin our careers. We
we had just taken on), and fires in the boilers
After five to ten minutes on deck, it was no-
didn't think much about the dangers of the job.
were extinguished. Tom secured both boilers and
ticed that Tom had not yet come above decks. A
My classmate Tom Smith and I went to work
notified the Chief Engineer.
few engineers went into the engine room and at
for States Marine­Isthmian Lines as the 8-12
1300 found Tom unconscious forward of the star-
third assistant engineer and 12-4 third mate,
board boiler on the deck plates. He had abrasions
respectively. one of the reasons that we chose this
and burns on his forehead, hands, and side.
company was that it reportedly paid more over-
Additional crew was sent into the engine room
time than other companies. This was particularly
with a litter to move Tom to the cooler shaft alley.
true for the engineers because the ships were
The attending crew placed blankets over Tom
old and required lots of overtime to keep them
initial y thinking he had heat exhaustion. He was
running.
perspiring, his skin was cool to the touch, and he
We started our adventure in mid-June 1969 by
was having convulsions. It was not exactly clear
flying to Nagasaki, Japan to join the SS STEEL
to the crew what had happened until later when
KING, a C3 built in 1944. The vessel, damaged
it was determined that he had fallen from the top
by a fire in the No. 1 cargo hold, was undergoing
of the boiler.
extensive repairs. When we arrived, the ship was
Tom was moved to the main deck where he
not habitable because, during the firefighting
remained unconscious, and his temperature rose
efforts, the fire mains had burst, putting stagnant
to 106. Various efforts to cool Tom's temperature
water in the living quarters. The engine room was
and control his convulsions were made through-
in disarray with many steam lines missing or lag-
out the afternoon without success. Radio com-
ging, and at least one ventilation fan inoperable.
munications were eventual y made at 1520 with a
We worked for about two weeks to get the
doctor onboard a Coast Guard cutter. Treatments
vessel ready. The quarters were made habitable,
recommended by the doctor were unsuccessful.
and the engine room made somewhat seaworthy.
Tom passed away at 1745.
However, the engineers complained that it was
The death certificate stated that Tom died
extremely hot in the engine room.
of "acute pulmonary edema due to massive
Except for the No.1 cargo hold, the ship stil
sub-endocardial hemorrhage and thermal burns,
had a ful cargo of military supplies. We departed
Photo of Thomas Smith '69 from 1969 Trick's End Yearbook.
al symptomatic of hyperthermia." There was
Nagasaki for Yokohama on June 23 and then,
no indication that injuries from the fal caused
Cam Ranh Bay, Viet Nam, and Sattahip, Thailand,
The Chief Engineer called al the engineering
his death. His mother, Regina Smith, and his
discharging our cargo.
personnel in order to get the plant back on line.
younger brother, Chester Douglas Smith, both
We started our voyage back to the U.S. in
They worked in the heat of the engine room for
of Bucksport, Maine, survive our classmate and
bal ast. We departed Yokohama for Seattle on 24
about an hour. The two operating generators were
friend.
July. Tom called home from Yokohama to order a
taken off line to conserve steam, and the emer-
Not a week has passed over the last 45 years
Corvette. He was excited about this and the fact
gency generator was put on line. As a result, al
when I have not thought of Tom and the incident
we had survived our first visit to Viet Nam.
ventilation in the engine room shut down while
that took his life too early. It is fitting that the
So far, the voyage was not trouble-free. We
stil maintaining emergency lighting. The crew
Class of 1969 remember Tom through our new
had a number of steering failures and lost two
was able to relight one boiler and raise enough
scholarship ­ the Tom Smith Scholarship Fund,
of our three generators, among other failures.
steam to power one ship's service generator.
Class of 1969, Development office, Maine Mari-
The ambient temperatures in the engine room
However, that generator tripped offline for un-
time Academy, Castine, ME 04420.
were 120 ­ 130 degrees on the operating flat with
known reasons, shutting down what ventilation
somewhat lower temperatures in the fire room.
there was. Additional y, the emergency generator
Editor's Note: Jerry Markley '69, engineering
We had no operable Loran. The radar, a WWII
tripped offline, leaving the engine room in the
instructor at MMA, worked with Rick Harden
vintage Raytheon, could only be operated for a
dark. At 12:30, the Chief Engineer ordered al
'69 to bring this story to you. Rick left the sea but,
few minutes before it overheated. During the stay
hands out of the engine room where the tempera-
because of the loss of his friend, was inspired to
in Yokohama, the two disabled generators were
ture had risen to 140 degrees.
become a U.S. Coast Guard inspector. Retired now,
repaired. Clearly, the ship was tired.
When the order was given to evacuate the
Rick lives in Stratham, New Hampshire, where he
27 July was just another day. The weather was
engine room, the Chief Engineer ordered Tom
is active with his local MMA Alumni Association.
nice with calm seas and 87 degrees at noontime.
to secure the steam stop valve on top of the star-
Both Jerry and Rick encourage you to support
Tom was standing the 8-12 watch in the engine
board boiler and then go topside. Tom had been
young mariners through the Class of 1969 Tom
room. At 11:30, he completed switching settlers,
in the hot engine room for over five hours. While
Smith Scholarship.
42
MARINER / 2015 - ISSUE 2

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