Submarines, naval u-boats, not sandwiches.
In the early 1950's Admiral Rickover convinced the the US Navy to put nuclear propulsion power aboard submarines. He had been for a while at the Oak Ridge Atomic works during the war and saw the possibilities of submarines that were not dependent upon air for propulsion. The diesel electric propulsion required the subs to run on the surface to travel any distance. Submerged and running on battery power they only ran at slow speeds, as the batteries would be exhausted in only two hours running at full power.
So the plans were drawn up and construction started on the USS Nautilus, and the USS Seawolf. This is the Seawolf built in the mid 1950's, there were other subs named the the Seawolf, before this one, and after this one.
Westinghouse supplied the reactors and engine room machinery for the Nautilus, and General Electric supplied the propulsion equipment for the Seawolf.
These submarines were built at the Electric Boat Company in Groton Connecticut, which is just across the river from New London, CT. I was working in the Boston Office of GE, and was sent down to Groton the help with the installation of the GE turbines and gears, and the turbo-generators.
Now, I know not many of you have been aboard a submarine, so a little explanation will be helpful. There are certain requirements to work on a submarine. Number one is PATIENCE. This is a must. Other requirements are not to be claustrophobic, not to be fat, to carry a flashlight, it is awfully dark when the lights go out, and to know your job.
The job that required the utmost patience was to be an electrician working on the electrical gear in the Reactor room. The only passage through the reactor room was on the upper level, The reactor and associated equipment occupied the lower level. The fore and aft passage through this space was three feet wide between two rows of electrical cabinets with sliding drawers that could be pulled out to work on the equipment. So anybody going to or from the engine room had to go through this passage. Now electricians would be working on the equipment in these pulled out drawers, and when somebody came by they had to close the drawer, and turn sideways to let the sideways turned passerby squeeze through. Then he could open the drawer and continue work until the next person came through. Now that required a person with the utmost patience.
The Engine Room was the last compartment going aft. Going from forward to aft, There were the electrical switchboards, the turbo generators, the control station, the propulsion turbines, the reduction gear, an electric propulsion motor on the line shaft, the thrust bearing on the line shaft which then went out the stern tube to the propellor.
The layout of the rest of the sub was, starting from the bow, the torpedo room,
bearthing areas. Control room, messhall, more bearthing underneath, and then tha reactor room and finally the engine room.
As I said at the begining, the hull design was a surface ship that could be closed up to be water tight so it could submerge. And was not operated at full power when submerged. In the new atomic powered subs, they had more power than the diesel boats, and could operate at full power when submerged. The Nautilus realized that this was a problem when they could not pull out of a power dive,
and bounced off the bottom of Long Island Sound. It was back to the drawing boards.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Pavlov
I frequently have discovered that I do not know everything, so I bought books to try to cure this ailment. One such book had a chapter on Pavlov's experiments on dogs with ringing a bell, and then feeding the dogs. This developed a conditioned reflex, so that the dogs salivated upon his ringing a bell. Now dear readers, do not hold me to absolute accuracy, as this event occurred over 50 years ago.
I was on a flight from Seattle back to Boston, and reading about Pavlov's condition reflex experiments, when the stewardess's started serving lunch. This was in the day's when airlines served hot meals. The airplane had a center aisle, with two seats on each side. Since I was sitting in the aisle seat, I had to pull my shoulder in to allow the stewardess to pass by. On this plane the pantry was in the back of the plane, and she started serving those in the front rows first.
I could hear her coming so I would pull in my shoulder, and glance up at her as she passed by. She had a very nice wiggle to her derriere. On her way back from the front, I would glance up to let her pass, and appreciate the nice bounce of her bosom. Since I was reading about conditioned reflexes I realized what was happening to me. Each trip up the aisle became more amusing to me and I was laughing. She noticed, and stopped and said that must be a very funny book you are reading. I showed her the title, and explained that I was reading about Pavlov's condition reflex experiments. She said she was familiar with the experiments. So I said, you have no idea what you are doing to me. She hit me on the shoulder and went on with serving the lunch. When she got to my row she had three trays. Gave one the the fellow sitting next to me, and the other two to the passengers on the other side of the aisle. I was the last one to be served lunch. But, it was with a chuckle.
I was on a flight from Seattle back to Boston, and reading about Pavlov's condition reflex experiments, when the stewardess's started serving lunch. This was in the day's when airlines served hot meals. The airplane had a center aisle, with two seats on each side. Since I was sitting in the aisle seat, I had to pull my shoulder in to allow the stewardess to pass by. On this plane the pantry was in the back of the plane, and she started serving those in the front rows first.
I could hear her coming so I would pull in my shoulder, and glance up at her as she passed by. She had a very nice wiggle to her derriere. On her way back from the front, I would glance up to let her pass, and appreciate the nice bounce of her bosom. Since I was reading about conditioned reflexes I realized what was happening to me. Each trip up the aisle became more amusing to me and I was laughing. She noticed, and stopped and said that must be a very funny book you are reading. I showed her the title, and explained that I was reading about Pavlov's condition reflex experiments. She said she was familiar with the experiments. So I said, you have no idea what you are doing to me. She hit me on the shoulder and went on with serving the lunch. When she got to my row she had three trays. Gave one the the fellow sitting next to me, and the other two to the passengers on the other side of the aisle. I was the last one to be served lunch. But, it was with a chuckle.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Until next year
Saturday, the last day of the fair until next year.
There was no more to do at the fair that evening one year back in the 30's, so we made our way out, but going through the buildings as we left, we went through the cooking arts building. A nice lady tending the displays asked if we would like a cake. There were many cakes that were not reclaimed by their bakers, and since there was nothing more to do with them she offered them to us rather than throw them out. We gladly accepted her kind offer, and I was the recipient of an angle food cake that had been baked with all the skill and care of the maker. So carrying them on a paper plates, we thanked her, and left the fairgrounds eating cake. We had no forks, but hands were used before forks, and there were no mothers there to scold us.
The mile and a half walk home gave us plenty of time to have our fill of cake, and I don't remember whether there was any left by the time I reached home.
What a nice way to finish up a week of fair time pleasures.
There was no more to do at the fair that evening one year back in the 30's, so we made our way out, but going through the buildings as we left, we went through the cooking arts building. A nice lady tending the displays asked if we would like a cake. There were many cakes that were not reclaimed by their bakers, and since there was nothing more to do with them she offered them to us rather than throw them out. We gladly accepted her kind offer, and I was the recipient of an angle food cake that had been baked with all the skill and care of the maker. So carrying them on a paper plates, we thanked her, and left the fairgrounds eating cake. We had no forks, but hands were used before forks, and there were no mothers there to scold us.
The mile and a half walk home gave us plenty of time to have our fill of cake, and I don't remember whether there was any left by the time I reached home.
What a nice way to finish up a week of fair time pleasures.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Thrill day at the fair
Most people around here have heard about the airplane's crashing at the fairgrounds. Not too many remember it, as it happened in 1946. I read about it on the moving news bulletin sign around the Times building in Times square in New York City. Cha, Howard, and I had landed in NYC that afternoon from our flight from GF to NYC to start work with GE the coming Monday. The crash was two military fighter jets from the East base who were doing a close order flyby in front of the Grandstand. They touched wings an crashed. One into the race horse barns, and the other further away. This was a terrible tragedy.
How ever, not too many remember when Captain Ffrank Ffrakes crashed his aeroplane on Saturday afternoon Thrill Day during the 1930's. These crashes occur ed each year for three years.
Captain Ffrakes had a WW1 biplane in which he took off from just out side the fairgrounds and circled around a few times before coming in from the East to crash into a burning barn set up in the infield of the horse racing track. The crash knocked of the wings of the plane, and the fuselage came through the burning barn to hit the ground just beyond. The fire engines and ambulance that were standing by, rushed over as Captain Ffrank Ffrakes hopped out of the cockpit of the plane to take his bows for the cheering audience.
The next year they had set up a group of trees in the infield of the race track. There were two small trees in a line in the center of the woods, and two large trees on each side to catch the wings as the fuselage hit the small trees. Again, the fire engine and ambulance rushed over to the plane, sirens screaming. As Captain Ffrakes hopped from the plane to the cheers of the crowd.
The next year Captain Ffrakes engaged in a dogfight with another WW1 fighter. The two aircraft engaged in a dogfight out in front of the grandstand and Captain Ffrakes got shot down to crash in the infield again. However, Captain Ffrakes did not quite make it to the infield, he landed outside the fairgrounds in Third Street!
How ever, not too many remember when Captain Ffrank Ffrakes crashed his aeroplane on Saturday afternoon Thrill Day during the 1930's. These crashes occur ed each year for three years.
Captain Ffrakes had a WW1 biplane in which he took off from just out side the fairgrounds and circled around a few times before coming in from the East to crash into a burning barn set up in the infield of the horse racing track. The crash knocked of the wings of the plane, and the fuselage came through the burning barn to hit the ground just beyond. The fire engines and ambulance that were standing by, rushed over as Captain Ffrank Ffrakes hopped out of the cockpit of the plane to take his bows for the cheering audience.
The next year they had set up a group of trees in the infield of the race track. There were two small trees in a line in the center of the woods, and two large trees on each side to catch the wings as the fuselage hit the small trees. Again, the fire engine and ambulance rushed over to the plane, sirens screaming. As Captain Ffrakes hopped from the plane to the cheers of the crowd.
The next year Captain Ffrakes engaged in a dogfight with another WW1 fighter. The two aircraft engaged in a dogfight out in front of the grandstand and Captain Ffrakes got shot down to crash in the infield again. However, Captain Ffrakes did not quite make it to the infield, he landed outside the fairgrounds in Third Street!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
State fair
The State Fair here moved to it's present location in the early 1930's. The local VFW built a food stand which later became "The Jewel of the Midway." I went over with my father while it was being built by the members of the local VFW post. And ate there when I had some money.
The fair in those days was much different than today. We were in the depression and work was scarce. The night shows were on a stage in front of the grandstand. The bleachers were off to the left. People did not have much money and the prices were low. The night shows were lavish with a large troop of actors and dancers. And an orchestra inside a wooden fence in front of the stage.
The night shows always packed the grandstand and bleachers. When we were in Junior High and High School we kids went to the fair every day. And we always saw the night shows standing in front of the orchestra up against the wood fence around the orchestra. I do not remember how we got in, but we did not have tickets.
There were singing soloists, duets, Quartets, and choruses. Dance soloists, couples and a chorus line. The back of the stage had a vertical set which changed with each act.
There were dramatic presentations. comedy skits, and our favorite, a group of carpenters building a small house on the stage. It was total orchestrated chaos. One guy was walking around with a 15 foot long 2x12 balanced on his head. As he went by behind another guy who was puzzled with his task, and who's derby hat fell off as he bent over, he caught the derby and stood up and put it back on his head. Except the guy with the board on his head was passing by and the derby did not end up on his head, but instead on the board. So they continued their tasks, and later when the hat less one reached up to take off his hat, it was just passing by on the board, and he took it off the board as if it had been on his head all the time.
After 15 minutes of this chaos the they got their building finished. It was a small out house. The walls all fell down exposing a guy sitting there in his long johns with his bib overalls down around his ankles.
It was fun.
The fair in those days was much different than today. We were in the depression and work was scarce. The night shows were on a stage in front of the grandstand. The bleachers were off to the left. People did not have much money and the prices were low. The night shows were lavish with a large troop of actors and dancers. And an orchestra inside a wooden fence in front of the stage.
The night shows always packed the grandstand and bleachers. When we were in Junior High and High School we kids went to the fair every day. And we always saw the night shows standing in front of the orchestra up against the wood fence around the orchestra. I do not remember how we got in, but we did not have tickets.
There were singing soloists, duets, Quartets, and choruses. Dance soloists, couples and a chorus line. The back of the stage had a vertical set which changed with each act.
There were dramatic presentations. comedy skits, and our favorite, a group of carpenters building a small house on the stage. It was total orchestrated chaos. One guy was walking around with a 15 foot long 2x12 balanced on his head. As he went by behind another guy who was puzzled with his task, and who's derby hat fell off as he bent over, he caught the derby and stood up and put it back on his head. Except the guy with the board on his head was passing by and the derby did not end up on his head, but instead on the board. So they continued their tasks, and later when the hat less one reached up to take off his hat, it was just passing by on the board, and he took it off the board as if it had been on his head all the time.
After 15 minutes of this chaos the they got their building finished. It was a small out house. The walls all fell down exposing a guy sitting there in his long johns with his bib overalls down around his ankles.
It was fun.
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