Vol 5 No 2 Spring Edition 1959

CONTENTS PORT PERSONALITIES
Giant Hypation Job Bo!Ised in Port . .
.Page I
.. Pages 6, 7, 13, I·t 15, 23
News and Views ...
Sfop and Go .• , Signal Service ..
Martin-Dader
"Wei9h~"
.. ..... Page 8
Oil World
... ......... ....... Page 16
........ Page 22
No-Name Railroad ... .. ..... ..
Port Business Directory
... Page 24
Harbor Map__ _
... Inside back cover
HARBOR COMMISSIONERS .... ...... President Joseph F. Bishop
..... "Vice-President Harry E. Ridings, Jr.
..... ....Secrefary
M. W. Daubney
... _Commissioner
John P. Devj" ..
......Commissioner
William A. Herrington
STAFF C. L. Vickers ....... .
Thom!!!5 J. Thorley ...
........ ....... ... ....
........ ElIecutive Secretary
Alvin K. Maddy . .
M. T. Courson ..
... ....... General M"nager
. .......... ... . ........... . .. .Aut. General Manager
. .. ................ Chief Accounting Officer
"an!.: J. Hardesty
..Chief Petroleum Engineer
B. N. Hoffmaster..
.............. ........... .Chief Harbor Engineer
Capt. John Rountree ..
.... " ..... Porl Traffic Manager
Roberl H. Mehgar .................. .............. ..Director of Public Relations
Orlo R. Peugh...
... Chief Maintenance Supervisor
Val J. DetJser........ Chief Electrical. Mechanical and Plant Supervisor
Samuel M. Roberls..
... ... .. ..Subsidence Control and
Repreuurization Administrator
Roy E. Nelson .. ...... .... .. ........ ......... ... ....... .
." ........ Chief Wharfinger
.,.., rr
COVER PHOTO
The new Roberl R. Shoemaker bridge connech downtown long
Beach to the long Beach Freeway, providing truch and autos with
fad, easy acceu to Lo, Angeles and other poinh.
INTRODUCING IRMA JEANE ROGERS
Work for Ihe Harbor De·
partment and live on Easy
street!
Sounds ideal-only Irma
Jeane Rogers of Ihe filing
and mail department at the
Port of Long Beach says it
isn' t Easy street, it's Easy
Avenue. But it's stili pretty
nice.
Born in Bluejackel, Okla.,
(named after the Bluejacket
Indians) Irma Jeane lived
with her family in 'Wyoming,
Washinglon Slale, and Wyo·
ming again on the way to Lon g Beach. Arriving here
the folks looked a round and said, "This is it." And here
the family remains: Irma Jeane and he r mother j her
brother Paul, of the City automotive department, who'
drove the Long Beach floa t in the Rose Parade for years
and years; and her daughter and son·in-Iaw and three
grandchildren. The son·in-law, by the way: is Roy
Robinson, a mechanic in the Harbor Department.
It was 1920 when hma Jeane came to Long Beach,
an d she took the last two years of her high sch ool work
al Poly High. In college preparalory work she had a
little trouble with history ~ and w changed to a com­
mercial COurse. In her last year at Poly she won a
scholarship 10 Ihe Californi a College of Commerce,
where she con tinued her commercial work.
Irma Jeane's first job was with the Los Angeles
Shipyards, a clerical job. From there. she went to the
Hammond Lumber Company on Terminal hland, as
sec retary to the general manager. Her first job with the.>
City began in the Civil Servi ce divi sion, when only she
and the head of the office were on duty - before the
office had expanded to what it is today. In her ten
years with Civil Service she helped adm inister exami·
nations to 50me who are heads of departm enls jn City
employment today .
He r most exciting job, J rma Jeane say£, was th e n::>xt
one - clerk of the minutes of the City Council me etings .
"Things really happened now and then in those
days," she said. "There were some emphatic meetin gs,
and now and then a fight in the co rridor outside." She
remained on that job ten years to a day - and the next
day aSter that she went to .....ork for the Harbor Depart·
ment.
Recipient of a 30·year pin the past January, Irma
Jeane sa id she has little tim e for recreation now. It is
some years sin ce she used to ride ho n:eb ack. Her respon·
sibilities have always included care of so me of the
family, she said, nearly all her business life .
"I became a Christian a number of years ago, at the
Asse mbly of Goo Church," Irma Jeane said, "and for a
long tim e was active in Sunday sc hool work and as an
officer of a young people's group in the church ."
Irma Jeane said she was looking forward 10 going
on working with the Harbor Departm ent.
" I feel that I'm pa rt of a great and growing industry
out here," she said . " I like that - helping in my way
to carry on the Port's service to shippers. And jud gi ng
from the volume of mail 1 handle, I guess a Jot of
shipp ers like Ih. Port pretty well , 100."
The Georg_ F. Ferris. under tow by two tugs out of the
piciure to the left, and being push.d by three others, patse, under
the 232~ft. high sp.n of the Golden Gete bridge at San Francisco.
This wu the ,tart of the barge's trip to the Port of Long Beach,
to prepare for work on the Hyperion outf.11.
GIANT HYPERION JOB BASED IN PORT
The Port 01 Long Beach has provided a setting lor
an industrial drama which, for its kind, surpasses in
sheer size and "depth" anything ever attempted anywhere
in the world.
You may explain that this undertaking is a contract
to build an ocean sewage outfall for the Los Angeles
treatment plant on the South Bay, but that doesn't begin
to tell the story.
You ~an point out that one phase of the job, the
manufacture of concrete pipe on outer Pier A, Port of
Long Beach, has made some new higbs in the pipe busi·
ne~ hut even that isn't a patch on the hig story.
How then, do you desaibe a joh tbat calls for laying
concrete pipe of 12-foot inside diameter, weighing nearly
800 tons per string 01 eight pipe sections, along 5'12
miles of ocean floor at depths down to 200 Ieet while
"standing" on the hottom with a fabulous four-legged
barge whose legs alone have almost the outside dimen·
sions of a two-car ~arage, and stand high enough to top
a 25·story building.
The over-all project is known as the HyperioD sewer
outfall, and the general contraetor is Hyperion Con­
structors. Hyperion Constructors is a joint vent.ure, con­
sisting of the fonowing contracting concerns: DeLong
Corporation; Healy.Tibbitts Construction Company;
Petcr Kiewit Sons Company j Macco Corporation; Ray·
mond International Corporation, formerly Raymond Con·
crete Pile Company j and Tavares Construction Company.
Heading the undertaking in the field are two men,
both veteran construction men. Arthur Ferten, project
manager for Hyperion Constructors, has been described
as a "rugged New Yorker who has spent much of a life­
time bossing construction jobs over the world." The
other, George Bauer of San Pedro, vice-president of
DeLong Corporation, is tbe operating bead of the Hyper·
ion project.
In a previous joint venture of Raymond and DeLong,
Bauer, as the Delong man, was in charg~ of the now­
famous Texas Tower radar defense network station off
Cape Cod.
(Bauer was marooned five days on that
"island," whieh stands on long supports going deep to
the ocean bottom, while a wandering West Indian hurri­
cane blew the sea to foam around him.)
The b~kground of the outfall construction brings
into focus the great Hyperion Treatment Plant, in its own
right a tremendous affair. The plant represents some
SSO,(K)(),OOO in current investment, with about 140,000,­
000 in expansion of facilities on the way, incJuding the
outfall.
1
Parkes said it i. 3,200 feet long and 2,000 feet wide. It
takes "isitors hours to walk through it, be said.
As to where the name H yperion came from, Mr.
Parkes delved into local history to supply one clue.
" Nobody seems to know exactly where the name came
from," he said, "but it is 8 beautiful name. It comes
from the Greek mythology, and I believe goes back to
the Titans. In later usage, as in Shakespeare, it was
synonymous with beauty.
UMany years ago, the Pacific Electric railroad, as we
know it now, built a line down along the shore through
this area. As is the custom with railroad companies, it
established stations at required intervals along the route.
One that I can recall was Fishcamp, where originally a
small fishing viUage stood. Another, for whatever reason
I don't know, was Hyperion. For many years., it was
just a sign on a pole beside the tracks, with the word
Hyperion lettered on it. But the upshot was that we
inherited a very dignified and pleasing name for our
treatment plant. And it's a name that, for some reason,
people remember easily."
Early work on the new outfall project consisted of the ·
laying of 4,000 feet of land line, from the treatment plant
to the shore and out to a point beyond the surf line.
There, the great undersea construction program will
take up.
Meanwhile, at Richmond, Calif., in San Francisco
Bay a year ago, Hyperion Constructors had launched a
singular undertaking, with George Bauer in charge.
Contracts were signed with three Bay area concerns for
Construction of the 9reat Iteel le9s of the Ferris hllrge is
shown here. Engineers lind workmen are lowering one element into
pOliti on, lifter which the welders will tllke over. The legl lire 275
feet long, and each weigh, 700 tons.
Contrary to popular opinion, this plant is located in
Los Angeles, on a small finger of land extending down
to the coast. The land originaIly was annexed to the city
in the early 90's for purposes of sewage disposal, accord·
ing to G. A. Parkes, chief engineer at Hyperion. In
other words, the plant is not located in EI Segundo, as
many seem to believe.
The reason for construction of the S21,OOO,(X)() sewer
outfall goes back many years to a Lime when the City of
Los Angeles first established a screening plant on this
ground in 1925. The small plant appeared to he adequate
to the city's purposes, Mr. Parkes said, as the recent
explosive growth of the city and county had given no
advance signals at that time. In 1950, the city of Los
Angeles built the present big treatment plant on the same
location, still unaware of the booming immigration and
soaring population figures ahead. A number of smaller
neighboring cities had contracted to have the Hyperion
plant handle their sewage, including such as Glendale,
Burbank, Santa Monica, and Culver City.
"This plant," the chief engineer explained, "reduced
the sewage to a fair degree of clarification, and dis·
charged it through an outfall line at a point about one
mile from shore. But with the demands made on it, there
just wasn't enough capacity, and thus the expansion
projects, including the outfall construction, were deemed
advisahle. We shall, however, probably continue using
the older outfall, even with the new one completed."
In mentioning the size of the present plant, Mr.
2
Thil dill9rllm Ihows the hllrge at work laying pipe on the
Hyperion Outfall. With legs weighted in position on the bottom
of the ocelln, the pipe sections, joined in II ltring. lire brought
into position beneath the harge while lIttllched to the hig pontoon.
When relldy, water is pumped into the pontoon, flooding it, lind
thus the pipe is lowered to where the workmen wllnt it. The enter­
ing end is then forced into place in the receiving end of the pipe
lIlrudy laid. Tho pontoon il detached. pumped full of air lind
f10llted off. A "fremie" pipe, (forked) pllues lIlong the new
section and spreads a hllnk of grllvel on either lide of it, to pre­
vent the pipe from straying out of line.
the fabri cation of the George F. Ferris, a 1,700·ton steel
barge, the one wlth the 700-ton "legs," to enable it to
"stand" in water up to 250 feet in depth. Pacific Coast
Engineering was to build the 190 ft. x 122 ft. barge.
Kaiser Steel Corporation was to fabricate and install the
legs. Yuba Consolidated Industries, Benicia, built the
hydrauli c jacks that raise and lower the legs to towering
heights Or ocean depths. "George F. Ferris;" by the way,
js the name of the president of Raymond International:
sponsors of the joint Hyperion enterprise.
It took about a year to build this floating monster,
th e lik e of which the Seven Seas had never seen. Once
built, it still had to be moved down the coast to Long
Beach Harbor.
On December IS past, work was finished, and all
inspection was completed. The Ferris was ready to start
on he r way seaward from her Richmond base. She was
cast off. Bauer said, at 5 A.M., and taken under tow by
two heavy tu gs, with three smaller towboats pushing and
guiding her along.
Because of shoals ahead in the Bay, the Ferris had
her legs high to assure clearance. Along through Raccoon
Strait, between Tiburon and Angel Island, the odd pro·
cession went. By this time, crewmen had begun jacking
the legs down again, preparatory to passing unde r the
Golden Gate bridge.
The trip of the monster barge under the bridge was
a momentous affair for San Franciscans, as it would
have been for New Yorkers or anybody else. It was
momentous for some painters, too, at work under the
span as the towering deyjce neared them . Suddenly
seeing it approach, they spidered up and out of there
to safety, a sight which Mr. Fertell did not fail to note .
The bridge's center span is 232 feet above the water.
To provide more than enough clcarance, the big legs were
lowered 62 feet. The under lengths of the legs dragged
through the water, where the depth was more than
enough to accommodate them. At II :40 A.M., under she
went, but there was no rest for the crew even then. At
the entrance to the Golden Gate channel, there is a
phenomenon known as a sand· bar-a phenomenon it
would be in Long Beach Harbor, anyway. It has to be
reckoned with, nevertheless. So up came the legs again,
notch by notch, until they were high enough to prevent
the Ferris from "stumbling" on th e shoal. Of all the
maneuvering the bulky craft had to do, this h urried leg·
hoisting after leaving the bridge was th e most criti cal,
according to Bauer.
"There wasn't much time for that adjustmen t," he
said. "That's why we had to sched ule this opera tion
when we had an incoming tide. to slow us down."
At sea, eventually, the legs were lowered until 37 feet
of them sloshed along in the water - a stability measure,
needed for the five·day voyage to Long Beach Ha rbor.
But the trip, it seems, was made without mish ap. Even­
tually, the great barge was towed in to Berth 13, Pier B,
where she lay for fin al lilling out, prior to sailing again.
Plans were to go to Hyperion Feb. 8 or 9, weather per·
mitting, there to stay lor about 15 months, building the
sewer outfa]!'
The George F. Ferris is considerably more, it should
be said, than just a steel barge with legs, remark able as
that fact is when you are measuring her size. In addition
to the bydraulic jacks used to raise and lower the legs,
the Ferns has on deck two 250·ton air-powered winches,
for placing the pipe, and a lOO·ton diesel-electric crane.
'The George F. Ferri! barge Itretches her leg5. On II test
",tand-up" near the condruction ,ite at Richm ond. Calif. , tha
great barge gets a footing on the bay bottom and literally climbs
up its leg 1 by "jading the leg' down." Large hydraulic jach do
the work. 'The picture ,hows how the Ferris will IIand on the
ocean bottom when HypeTion Con,trudon uu, it in the job of
laying the outf.a!! pipe.
A peek underneath the big George F. Ferri! barge was II f­
forded the photogrllpher here liS the legs took a stance o n the
bottom of SlIn Francisco Bay, and lifted the barge high . TIM
barge hilS upper and lower decks, the over-Ill! dimeniio ns being
190 ft. x ~22 ft.
3
At the United Concrete Pipe yerd an Pier A, ~ey aper.,tianl
in the m.,ling of the pipe are shown here. At left is tne locomo­
tive crane with a buc~et of cement, and a worlman aboard, com­
ing over from the batch plant to pour the mix down over the
cone, seen atop the form at left. Adjacent forms have the rein·
forcing steel in place, and the locomotive crane at right is pre­
paring to lift an outer mold and slide it down over the reinforcing
and inner mold.
She has two decks, of course - the bOllom of the harge
being the lower deck 17 feet below the upper one. In
and around that deck space, 18 regular crewmen will
work, eat and rest, in g·hour shifts. Then they go ashore
and are replaced. That is, when weather permits. Other­
wise, Hyperion Constructors has provided temporary
living quarters below. decks for all 18, in case tbey are
kept aboa rd overtime hy bad weather.
The barge when at sea is self·contained, even to
having its own electr ic power. There are three 350 KW
di esel genera tors aboard ber which supply all power
needs, including the galley.
Tbus, in a sense, the Ferris is a sea·going vessel ­
except th at she can't travel under her own power. And
tbe legs do not "walk" on tbe bottom - though some
writers witb fiery imaginations have conjured up that
Frankenstein notion.
As to how tbe Ferris and her crew will perform the
work for which she was designed and constructed, that
story begins at a place on Outer Pier A, at the plant of
the suh-cont ra ctor, United Concrete P ipe Corporation
of Baldwin Park , California.
Bud Edwards, superintendent of the pipe works,
meets you and sbakes hands in friendly fashion . Beside
the pike leading out the pier to Pierpoint Landing is the
71·ft. hi gh "batch" plant, where conveyors leed in the
elements of the mix, or batch. The mix in turn is
brought down by the plant to the chutes, to be poured
into a swinging crane bucket.
"This,>: said the smiling plant boss, indicating some
of the huge pipe sections standing near, "has been term­
ed the biggest concrete pipe - when you consider both
size and weight - ever manufactured. It is 144" inside
4
diameter (12 feet ) and 24 ft. laying length. Each sec·
lion weighs 90 tons, and it takes 40 cubic yards of
concrete to po ur it."
One almost has to be an engineer to explain all the
operations th at go on in "pipe row" at th e United plant.
First, a taB locomotive crane ca rries lhe pour bucket over
to the balch plant for a refill. There's an inside mold, a
great steel cylindcr standing on end, which is man·
handled lightly by a second locomotive crane till it is
correctly in position on the shakers. Around the inside
mold then goes a "wrapping" of shiny steel reinforcing.
Then the second crane picks up the outside form and
3lides it neatly down over the whole lhing, and caps the
open space in the middJe with a pouring cone, which
when the pour comes, sp reads the concrete around ilS
periphery so it goes into the pipe form.
Now crane No. 1 comes along with a full bucket,
3w ings it up over th e pouring cone - which looks like
a flattery ed-out ice·cream cone upside down - and pours
the load , a little at a tim e. Underneath, a heavy shaker
keeps jiggling the form as the concrete seules down .
through the reinforcing, to compact it.
Once the pouring is done, and the concrete is placed,
cu ring begins. The pipe is steam ·cured, an d membrane·
cured. During th e concrete placement, the pipe forms
are trea ted to intense hi gh. frequency vibration. The
vibrators make a whining scream that sets your ears to
ringi ng. In the curing stage, the pipe sections wear an
:'overcoat" of canvas, to retain the steam and prevent
too· rapid cooling.
The huge pipe is made with a receiving end and an
entering end, as in fact is most concrete pipe. In this
case, where so much end·joining has to be done under
water, th e questions of impact an d seal are not left to
chance. According to Bud Edwards, the entering end of
each sectlon has a "built· in bumper" made of resin
epoxy, which is somehow fu sed on lhe concrete end so
it appears to he just some more dark-colored concrete.
But hard as it seems to the touch, the bumper takes up
shock at impact, and thus assures a higher protection
against chipping and breakage than otherwise.
As to tbe seal, the huge entering end of each section
has two deep grooves formed in it. 1n these grooves are
fitt ed rubber gaskets. These give, under the compression
of th e pipe stringing, and form a perfectly tight yet
slightly flexible joint. One reason for going to all this
trouble is that th e sewer pipe will have to carry some·
lhing like 52 psi pressure at the upper end, decreasing
to 35 Ihs. at the outlet end. Apply a pressure of 52 psi
to the interior of the huge pipe section, with all its
square inches of surface, and some idea of the immense
pressure total can be gained.
Hundreds of shorter pipe sections were made at the
plant for use in th e land line, which is co mpleted, Bud
sai d, and to date, about 400 sections of the hig pipe are
completed and on hand, waiting to go out on the joh when
George Bauer wants them.
Every so many sections on the line, there must be
a manhole, according to specifications. Two other sizes
01 pipe to be used at the outlall end, where open dis·
charge of the waste will take place, bave diameters of
102 inc hes and 72 inches. Into the latter, which are led
out on the ocean bottom in a spreading Y, the company
builds wbat are known as diffuser ports, or openings
lhrough which the contents can seep out, for final disposal
by action of the sea.
"How do you move such big pipe sections without
damaging them?" was the next question addressed to
Superintendent Edwards.
The pipe man pointed to an ominous-looking steel
frame, which reared up to about 40 feet high, and had
wheels, equipped with super.thick pneumatic tires.
"We move pipe with this lifter· tipper," Edwards said.
"At least, that's what we call it. Of course, if it mal­
functions, we have some other names for it," he added,
grinning.
The lifter-tipper, hriefly, is wide, tall and mobile
enough so it can be moved in over a section of the pipe,
tilted, and given a grip on the pipe with a heavy collar
and cable that forms a noose around it. Then the lifter­
tipper rocks back and raises the pipe about a foot off
the ground, so it can be trundled around at will.
Proceeding over the grounds of the United plant, you
pass acres and acres of the standing pipe, and suddenly
come face-to-face with the Outer Harbor- and another
strange critter, the huge "launching platform" of
Hyperion Constructors, built to handle and assemble the
pipe for the outfall job.
To get the story behind this device, you look out to
seaward about 150 yards. Floating at a buoy there is
an immense pontoon, 212 feet long and of a diameter
of 14 ft., with approximate buoyancy of 1,100 tons when
full of air (though, of course, you can't see that!)
Now look again at the launching platform. You will
see a number of cradle cars, made to travel along the
barge deck. The cradle tops of these cars are shaped
that way to support the big pipe as it is tipped over on
its side. Eight of the pipe sections are strung out on the
cars, lined up carefully, then forced together. When that
operation is finished, the 192-ft. string of pipe, barge,
legs and all are submerged, "down, down underneath
the sea," in 52 feet of water. Then the big pontoon is
hauled in over the submerged pipe string. The platform
is again raised with the pontoon in place atop the pipe,
and fastened to it by 24 cable .ling.. After this, the
platform is again lowered, and the pontoon, with the
string of pipe suspended beneath, is floated off and towed
out to the Ferris.
Once the string arrives at the Ferris, another unusual
development takes place. Two closed-circuit television
cameras, directed on the submerged work, keep minute
track of every operation connected with the pipe-laying
project. On tbe deck of the Ferris, Mr. Bauer can watch
the whole job by TV.
On these pages is a sketch of the handling, lowering
and attaching of the pipe string by the Ferris crewmen
in their work of building the outfall. The drawing
describes better than words could do what goes on­
how the pipe string is lowered by flooding the pontoon
into position on the ocean £lor - how, once positioned,
the string is pulled into place on the main line through
use of an air winch and a cable hook-up - how the
"tremie" forked pipe leading down from the barge
spreads banks of gravel on either side of the pipe, to
keep it from traveling away from location.
Once the line is laid, it probably will remain there
indefinitely. Engineering calculations say 99 years,
which to an engineer is slightly less than infinity.
It was fitting that the Port of Long Beach should play
a key part in the unfolding of this drama. For the Port
is no stranger to gigantic engineering feats. In fact, one
or two are going on now - the rockwork in preparation
for the fills in the construction of Piers F and G, for
example, to be built for hundreds of feet out from Pier
A, where there is only water now.
So as host to Hyperion Constructors in this interlude,
the Port salutes a fellow-worker in the business of making
world's records, and wishes Arthur Fertell and George
Bauer well in their mighty project . . . America's Most
Modern Port to America's most unprecedented marine
construction job!
Aerial view of Pier A Ihowing United Concrete operations in foreground.
Mrs. Robert Shoemaker, widow of the late chief h,ubor
engineer, cuts ribbon opening new bridge named for her husband.
Filinling Mrs. Shoem.lar .!Ire Joseph F. Bi~hop, left, president of
fhe Long Beach Harbor Commission and , at right, ~·1o!Iyor Raymond
Kuler.
SHOEMAKER BRIDGE OPENS
The Rohert R. Shoemaker Bridge, largest ever built
in Long Beach, spanning the Los Angeles River for a
total length of one and one·quarter miles, was formally
opened April 1, wilh 200 officials and others of the City
and Harbor present.
The structure~ crossing the ri ver "on the bias" and
opening the way for freeway traffic to speed directly to
and from Long Beach, was named aher the former chief
Harbor engineer of the Port of Long Beach, the late
Robert R. Shoemaker.
Guests for th e occasion included Mrs. Shoema ker, the
late en~neering chief's widow ; Ma yo r Ray C. Kealer of
Long Jjeach; Joseph F. Bishop, Long Beach Harbor
Commission president; Charles L. Vickers, general mana·
ger of the Port of Long Beach, and Llewellyn Bixby, Jr.,
2nd vice president of the Long Beach Chamber of
Commerce.
After a hrief talk by th e mayor, Mr. Vickers intro­
duced Gu y F. Atkinson, the bridge contractor, and John
Moffatt and Frank Ni chol of Moffatt and Nichol, the
bridge designers. Mrs. Shoemaker th en spoke to the
group, followed by Commissioner Bishop, who paid tri­
bute to Mr. Shoemaker as One who " had a personal hand
in helping Long Beach Harbor to become known as
'America's Most Modern PorL'
"So when it became necessary to select a proper
name for this bridge . . . known to some as the 9th
Street Bridge," th e Commission president continued, "my
colleagues on the Harbor Board and I readily agreed
that it should bear the name of a man who literally gave
his life to his work, and that man was our friend , Robert
R. Shoemaker."
6
The commISSIOner then invited Mrs. Shoemaker and
Mayor Kesler to accompany him to the ribbon stretched
across the bridge. At one side of Mrs. Shoemaker was
P atti Caraco, " Miss Port of Long Beach," and On the
other, Jacki Carter, "Miss Welco me to Long Beach,"
each holding in her hand 100 lOy balloons carrying meso
sages an nouncing the opening of the new bridge. As
Mrs. Shoemaker cut th e ribbon, the two " Misses" released
the balloons, and at the same moment in the Harbor area,
the balance of 1,000 such balloons, bearing the announce·
men~ were loosed to rise into the sky.
With the cUlling of the ribbon, traffic began rolling
across the bridge for the first time.
The backgrounds of the Shoemaker Bridge reach into
the past to about 1950, when the planning first started.
The first phase of tbe contract was approved by the Long
Beach Harbor Commission in 1952, and in the next two ·
years; the chaunel piers were co nstructed by the Maceo
Corporation.
Final bridge plans were approved in 1954, though
further co nstruction was held up pending court decisions
to det ermine whether the tideland oil funds could be
used in building the bridge. With favorable decisions in
hand, the Harbor Department awarded the final contract
to the Atkinson co ncern in 1956, for the bridge to be built
at a total cost, including purchase of right of way and
bridge facilities, of 811,583,000, financed by tideland oil.
The complete span of the Shoemaker Bridge reaching
from 9th Street on the west to 6th and 7th Streets on the
east is 6,600 feet, as pointed out. Tbe width of 120 feet
accommodates eight traffi c lanes.
Into the total construction project went the following
materials:
21,400 tons of asphaltic concrete; 31 ,700 tons of
structural concrete; 5,920 tons of structural steel; 2,160
tons of reinforcing steel; 45,000 tons of crushed rock;
211,000 lineal feel of piling; ll,070 lineal feet of hand
rails; 7,870 lineal feet of concrete pipej and the latest
type of freeway illumination.
Benefits dire ctly accruing to Long Beach and the
Harbor area as a result of the freeway and the Shoemaker
Bridge are as follows:
Communities to the north will have a fast, direct
route to the City, moving traffic across the river without
the necessity of a 90.degree turn on ei ther side. Long
Beach now has become 30 minutes closer to Los Angeles.
When the Long Beach Freeway is completed all the way
to the San Bernardino Freeway in 1960, Long Beach will
have a direct connection to the agricultural industry in
Coachella Valley. Also, completion of the Golden State
Freeway in 1960 will give Long Beach Harbor through
access to the rich San Joaquin VaUey.
The Shoemaker Bridge is the second major crossing
over the river to he completed by th e Harbor Depart.
ment in recen t years, the first having been the modern
bridge at Anaheim Street. Work is progressing on a
third major bIidge, to be known as the Ocean Boulevard
Bridge, which will connect the Harbor District directly
with Ocean Boulevard and main traffic coming up the
coast from tbe south. This bridge is scheduled for com­
pletion this summer, Harbor engineers say.
GLAMOROUS GRAIN
Thomas Thorley, Port
Irving Koppel, president
mod,,1 Marianne Miller to
anticipated at the Port of
euislent general manager, at left, and
of Koppel Bulk Terminals, make US" of
demonstrate the vast quantities of grain
long Buch when the new grain "levator
gOllls into operation.
This facility
will b. the only port side bulk grain elevator in
Southern California and will b. conltructed at Berth 21 I, Pier A.
Port of long Beach.
Construction of the half-million-bushel capacity facility now
being designed by Marshall, Barr and Associates, Seattle, will ,tart
July fint, according to Port Gener,,1 Manager Chari., Vickers.
Estimated co,1 of the project will b. $1.000,000.
The new grain elevator, unmatched on the Pacific coast in its
ability to load and unlo.!ld ships, will be built by the long Beach
Harbor Department and operated by Koppel Bulk Terminals.
Among the nohbleli who attended the formal opening of the
Van Camp Sea Food Company building, on Pier A east at 8040
Van Camp St., were these distingui5hed men, I_r: Mayor Kealer
of long Beach; Joseph F. Bi5hop, president of the long Buch
Harbor Commission; Gilbert Van Camp. Sr" chairman of the
board of the Van Camp company; and Art linkletter, famous
T-V personality. In the picture. Mr. Bi,hop is prasanting a gold
key to the new building, erected by the Herber Department. to
Mr. Van Camp.
VAN CAMP OPENS WORLD HEAD9UARTERS
Van Camp Sea Food Company, Inc_, formally opened
its new world headquarters offices on Pier A East at B40
Van Camp Street, Port of Long Beach, On Feb. 4. The
building was built by the Long Beach Harbor Depart­
ment.
TERMINAL ANNOUNCED
Plans for construction of a $3,409,574 bulk oil ter­
In a salute to the Van Camp Sea Food Company,
Inc., and its famous brands, Chicken of the Sea and
minal to accomrpodate supertankers have been announced
White Slar tuna, hundreds of employees, friends, ceIeb­
rities and officials took part in the special event. Other
thousands saw the event on television.
Art Linkletter arrived by telecopter bearing a live
by the Port of Long Beach_
Thc Harbor Commission has approved a recommenda­
tion by Cbarles L, Vickers, general manager of the Port,
to construct a terminal on Pier E, Berths 118-119, to be
leased to Richfield Oil Company.
Terms have been reached, but final papers have
not been signed at this writing. Signing is contingent on
approval by the State Legislature of a Long Beach city
charter amendment which would permit the City to lease
waterfront property for a maximum of 40 years. The
charter limit now is five years.
COPRA MILL EXPORTED
An entire faelory-3,OOO tons of machinery and
buildings-was loaded aboard a Greek freighter, the
St. George, on March 28 at the Port of Long Beacb.
The 51,500,000 vegetable oil refinery was disassem­
bled at Maywood by the Keith Engineering Co. of Los
Angeles. Its destinat.ion is Legaspi in the Philippine
Islands, where it will produce coconut oil for the Legaspi
Oil Co.
Calartex, Long Beach freight forwarders, arranged
the shipment.
mermaid, emblem of Chicken of the Sea brand tuna.
She was presented to Gilbert Van Camp, Jr., presi­
dent of the firm, who placed her on the label of a buge
tuna can for all to sec. She: in turn, presented him with
a special gold can of tuna representing the 3 billionth
can Van Camp has produced. Important historically, it
was packed with tuna from the first catch made by an
Ameriean tuna clipper, the "Chicken of tbe Sea", off
the coast of South Africa.
Joseph F. Bisbop, president of the Long Beach
Harbor Commission, welcomed Van Camp to tbe Port
of Long Beach and its employees to the community. He
then presented the key to the building to Gilbert C.
Van Camp, Sr., who is chairman of the board and an
active participant in tbe management of the business.
The new Van Camp office is only the first of several
to be built and leased by the Long Beach Harbor De·
partment in its long-range plans to make the Port of
Long Beach one of the largest, busiest and most beautiful
in the world.
Scores of imported can stand in line, "waiting their turn
Truc~ing Service, Inc., at the
"t the refurbishing shed, of Signal
STOP AND GO
Our booming economy and automobile-oriented SQ­
ciety bave created new markets for cars, both large and
small.
Familiar on the scene by now are foreign cars of
many makes and various sbapes, a great preponderence
of them arriving in Southern California from overseas
vi. tbe Port of Long Beach. In fact, tbe Port bas be·
come known in foreign-car circles as the auto -import
Harbor. That, too, is nothiDg new. It has been going on
for years, as tbose who drive aJong Harbor streets wen
know. They bave seen the rows and rows of tbe foreign­
made cars parked in open storage at the Port, awaiting
the drivers or automobile trucks that will remove them
to some central point for cleaning and refurbishing
before tbey go out for sale.
But where do they go? They do "disappear" for a
tim~ as you would know if you had seen the arrival of
a brand-new foreign-made car at the Harbor. It would
be severaJ days, at least, between the time tbe cars were
hauled off the Harbor storage area and the time you
first saw them on a dealer sales floor.
So where do they go?
8
far end of thi5 W.rehouse No. -4 yard. The autos show the soil
and windshield .tickers that mar~ them 1115 just off the ship.
SIGNAL SERVICE
Ask Signal Trucking Service, Ltd., operating one of
the biggest and busiest foreign·car-refurbishing and
warehousing operations in the world - Signal Trucking
Service Imported Automobile Division at Warehouse
Nos. 4 and 6, Port of Long Beacb. Ask Martin H.
Richards, Harbor district manager of the company, and
directly responsible for the division.
Here's a brief description of the background of the
Company: lohn E. Carroll, about 32 years ago, decided
to be his own boss. He selected the trucking business­
a fortunate decision as time has demonstrated. Mr.
Carroll's first truck, a Model T Ford, has grown to a
fleet of 1,000 units of overall transport equipment. Ter·
minal properties in Los Angeles (Vernon) at 3747
Bandini Blvd., encompass 13 acres and represent the
central operating and dispatcbing facilities of the Com·
pany.
.
Signal entered the field 01 public warehousing in
1950, with acquisition of the warehouse property at
4455 Fruitland Avenue, Vernon. At trus location today
are the general offices 01 the Company. Mr. CarrolL
assisted by his two sons, John, Jr., and Michael Carron,
This picture, taken from a helicopter, provides a comprehen­
$ive view of the operations of Signal Trucking Service, Inc., at the
Porl of long Beach's Warehouses Nos. 4 end 6. The locetion is at
1500 West 8th St. At upper and lower right ere tenk$ of the Rich­
field Oil Corporation's m... in terminal on Channel 2 of the Harbor.
P<'Ir.... lJeling the r.. . ilro... d tracks from top center down left center
are the deaning, body-working and p.... inting facilities of the com­
pany, along with a big recant shipment of cars awaiting proceu­
ing. The longer warehouse is No.4, the wider one No.6, which
has only recently been completed. Both are under lease to Sign"r.
The area et right. nut to the '''nk farm, will be convened into ....
truck 'ermiMI. AI the lower edge of the picture is seen the
property of J . H. Barler end Co., wood procenors. At upper left
is Ninth St., and one of the appro... ch" to the Robert R. Shoe­
maker Bridge .
head up this successful transport and serVIce company.
Some 600 employees together with an experienced staff
of supervisors are engaged in providing the Company's
many and varied services, including warehousing, auto
transport, truck leasing, petroleum transport, and gen·
eral freight transportation.
During 1955, Signal's attention was drawn to the
Port of Long Beach, and the tremendous potential for
future growtb evident here. At tbis time, an application
was filed with the Harbor Commission for permission
to use Warehouse No.4, then under co nstruction in the
Inner Harbor on West 8th Street.
In 1957, the growing importation of automobiles was
studied by Signal, and for the next several months,
serious analysis was given the probable market future
Here is the fint dation on the way to renewing th. imponed
can at Signal Trucking's station at Warehouses Nos . 4 and 6, Port
of long Beach. This is the deaning establishment, where the C,H'
ore woshed, stum·,crubbed. "nd cle... ned thoroughly iMide and
out. with all transit sticken and other p"per removed. Here, too,
ore affixed such appurtenances as windshield wipers, hub caps,
etc., that come across the se" un"Hoched.
Station No.2 on Ih& routo down the Signel Trucking reo
furbi,hing line "t War&hou5e No. 4 is this inspection and body
shop. Her&, workm&n hav& equipmonl to bump out ... ny dents in
the meto!!ll co!!lus&d in shipping, and in g&nera! prepare the cars
for the paint job ahead.
of imported automobiles. Beginning in 1958, Signal
programmed a complete service operation encompassing
transport, warehousing, and body shop to meet import.
ers' needs. And where better handle the job than right
at the Harbor, where so many cars come in? That's
what Signal asked the importers, and the answer was
favorable.
Soon, the growing needs of the Company, on location
at Warehouse No.4, requi red additional warehouse space
and yard area. In planning with the Port management,
it was decided to implement the remainder of available
land at the West 8th Street site with an additional large
warehouse and service yard. As a result, the entire 13­
acre parcel was completely developed and a IIturnkey"
job turned over to Signal on January IS, 1959. This is
now desi gna ted as Warehouse No.6, and it adjoins the
original warehouse with a forty rail·car ( 2~spur) siding
placed between the two structures. The facility thus
created provides 181,000 square feet of warehouse sur­
rounded by paved, lighted and fenced outside storage
and service areas.
The Signal plant, operating as it does on a production
Jine basis. refurbishes imported automobiles at a rate of
100 cars a day, handles some 13 various makes of cars
from overseas, and has storage capacity for about 2,0CK)
of them, Signal's proximity to the Port's automobile piers
ena hles the importer, in consigning for Long Beach
ves.sel discharge, to avail himself of the most expeditious
and economical method of handling, processi ng and dis·
tributing vehicles to dealers.
This is the picture: A ship from Europe or Japan
comes alongside a Port of Long Beach berth, carrying
a cargo of foreign-built automobiles. In the customary
manner, the auto cargoes are discharged from the
ves.sel, and moved to a point of transit storage, either in
the nearby transit shed or on a paved outdoor storage
area,
The cars are IItired" after a long trip at sea, Dust lies
over them, Some, racked around on a rough voyage,
have dents or scratches here or there, thou gh they are
put ahoard as carefully as can be at the shipping point.
Virtually all of them are plastered with various tickets
and shipping papers, inside and out. By the wildest
stretch of the imagination, you could not visualize them
on a dealer's sales floor. They need terminal service.
Most of the cars carry dry·charge batteries, to which
water must be added, Also, the marine insurance com­
panies want the cars surveyed in Port for transit damage.
9
P"inten, trained automobile men, here touch up the ,pots
left by the body men, and brighten other needed places on the
foreign cars as they move tow{lrd the drying operation and then
warehousing again. Thelo men are fllctory-tr"ined automobile
p{linters.
This interior of the new Porl of long Beach Warehouse No. b
gives tIn idea of its vast storage sp.ces. Built in two uctions, <liS
are other I{lrge H.rbor dOTage dructurel , the warehoule h<lls been
iaten over by Signal Tructing for holding ca~ on inventory, after
they have been refurbished by Signal's crews. A number of the
cen afe shown lined up in the west end, in this picture. The door
to the east section c{ln be sun in the right background.
10
M,ntirtg and all, the re-painted cars are run into the
"tunnel" where scores of infrlll-red lamps generate enough
he"t to finish the job in "bout 10 minutes. Then, of coune,
surance inspectors go over the work done on them , and
turn them over to the warehousemen.
drying
drying
the in­
finally
Once these functions are discharged, however, Signal
Trucking Service's Imported Automobile Division is
ready to take over. The cars are loaded on Signal trucks
for transport to Warehouse No. 4'8 yard, or are driven
in by some of the men, depending on the size of the
movement.
Warehouses Nos. 4 and 6 are easily overlooked as
you pass by on Pico Avenue between Ocean Boulevard
and Anaheim. The address is 1500 West Eighth Street
just bebind the Richfield tenninal on Channel No. 2
and immediately east of J. H. Baxter & Co.'s yard.
As you drive up to the east end of Warehouse No.4,
the first one you come to, you see a lar?"e fence-enclosed
yard filled with standing foreign cars--' stacks" of them.
Park your car there as the sign says you may not enter.
The camera interrupts a business discuuion between Martin H.
Richards, left, manager of Signal Trucking's Imported Automobile
Division, lind C. D. Rippee, superintendent of the operating wor~s
at Wllrehouses Nos. 4 and 6, Port of Long Beach.
_..\long the north side of the yard as you walk westward
heside the warehouse, you see several smaller open-front
buildings, in and around which men and cars are clus­
tered. These buildings, erected there by the Harbor
Department for use by Signal, are literally the heart·beat
of the Signal operation - a general refurbishing and
conditioning job on the various incoming shipments.
Standard automobile cars supplied by the railroads sometimes
are not adapted to the smaller sizes of the imported cars handled
by Signal. Here a shipment of DKW's is put abollrd a car, and
locked in position on the carrying frames.
Temporary storage, to await "treatment," is afforded
the cars in the west end of Warehouse No.4. From here,
they are moved into open storage in the yard until their
turn comes to undergo the "reconditioning," though
that may not he the proper word. The cars go first to
the open-air structure containing a fully automatic wash­
rack. In that structure, the vehicles are washed and
cleaned thoroughly, inside and out, and all the stickers
and labels are removed. Here, too, hubcaps, windshield
wipers, lights and reflectors are installed - they come
with the cars, but not in place.
Then the cars are gone over again by the insurance
surveyor, who estimates the cost of needed repairs where
there has been damage. This concerns about 40 per cent
of the cars. The others, undamaged, are taken to the
warehouse and placed in readiness to be shipped out.
The damaged cars go down the processing line, first
stop heing the metal shop which is in another of the
open-front structures. In the metal shop: Signal has
established and operates a complete "body shop" with
all the equipment necessary to bump-out dents in bodies
or fenders, and effect any other surface metal improve­
ments needed.
From the metal shop, the car moves down the line to
the largest of the service buildings, the paint shop. First
steps there are the masking of car surfaces with paper
and tape, readying them for the spray-painting to come,
and the priming. Then they are moved into a full·sized
paint hooth, where highly skilled spray painters touch
up the spots left by the body work, and turn out the
same quality finish as did the factory across the sea,
Powerful fans and tight screening and spraying keep
the air clean as possible, to prevent deposits of dust or
lint on the newly-sprayed surfaces.
From the paint room, the cars are hustled two at a
time into the infra-red drying tunnel- another room in
which a frame of infra-red electric lamps forms a tunnel
through which the autos are moved. The paint jobs are
baked on in 10 minutes. Then the masking is stripped
off, the cars are examined again, and then driven over
to the warehouse to be placed on inventory.
Signal can ship the cars out via its own modern
transports, connecting truck carriers, trains or ships.
Everybody knows the big Signal carriers one sees moving
on the highways, loaded down with foreign autos. For
rail shipping, the railroads furnish regular auto-shipment
cars which are shunted into the double-spur 4Q·car tracks
The long automobile tTai/ers of Signal Trucking Service, Inc"
are a familiar sight to South landers as they move along the streeh
and highways, laden with one ma~e of imported car or another.
The company is equipped to ship cars out by rail, truck or by sea,
11
Fin.t load of German-ma'd . DKW cars at Warehouse, N05. 4
end 6, Port of lon9 Beach, for processinl;l by 5i9nal Trucking
Service, Inc•• was it.,t.d by this group of officials, Left to ri9ht,
they are: Walt.r 80rg, Signel Trucking: Martin H. Richerds, dis·
trict maneger, Signal Trucking: Gunther Drah.im, technical direc­
tor of Auto Union, Dun.lderf, Germany, manufacturers of the
between Warehouses 4 and 6, 40 at a time if necessary
for a big shipment. The sea-going shipping operation is
just the opposite of that involved in getting the caTS here
from their overseas factories.
On a loading platform 8 crew of men were working
in an automobile·type boxcar, loading AHa-Romeos, an
Italian sport type_
_
"The bracing to hold the cars en roule has always
been too wide a nd too long for our smaller cars, but
here you see the wheel supports have been made wider.
so as to accommodate our cars. But the 'packages' are
still too long, SO we have to use 4x4's as cross members
to keep the cars in position," Mr. Richards said.
Foreign cars handled by Signal Trucking Servicc,
Ltd_, include the following:
Toyopet (J apanese-made) _
DKW (German-made)-"Das Kleine Wunder" means
"the Httle marvel" a product of the Auto Union
(company) now owned by another company at
Dusseldorf, Germany)_
Simca (French-made, handled in U_S_A_ by Chrysler
Corporation ) _
Renault ( French-made )_
Fiat (ltalian-made)_
12
DKW; Herman Win~ler, export manager for Auto Union; Thomas
J. Thorley. aui,tant general manager, Port of Long Beach; E. S.
Hoppe, 'tice-president, Daimler Benz of North America, Inc.;
Peter Satori, pr.,ident, Peter Satori, Ltd" western U. S. distributor
for Auto Union; H. Fleisher, manager of Auto Union for N.w
York; and Bob Metzgar, public relations director, Port of Long
Such.
A1fa Romeo (ltalian-made)_
Lancia (ltalian-made)_
Jaguar (English-made)_
Austin-Healey (English-made)_
Morris-Minor (English-made)_
MG (English-made)_
Prinz (new German.made car).
Peugeot (French-made)_
It's a complete service package including transport­
ing, processing and warehousing_ It is all handled at
one location, under one management. The Company
issues negotiable or non-negotiahle public warehouse re­
ceipts for the cars. Some of Signal's importers require
financing, others do not. But they all require, in fact
demand, that the cars be delivered to their sales
floors ready for sale_ And that's where Signal comes in_
Signal's tenancy arrangement with the Harbor De­
partment had resulted in increased automobile importa­
tions for the Port, above and beyond the original esti­
mates. On the other side of the picture, the Port's engi­
neers and architects worked with Signal Trucking Service,
Ltd., and their executives in designing Warehou§e ·No. 6.
The Harbor Department also built a loading-platform
acrOss the west end of the two warehouses, connecting
them and cove ring rhat part of the structure with a roof.
Thus the two warehouses can be used by Signal as a unit ,
with Iift·trucks c rossing from one to another ~t will by
means of the junction platfonn .
In the big yard to the south of Warehouse No.6,
Signal ultimately plans a truck servicing cen ter for its
vast H arbor dra ya ge operation_ A four-bay repair depot
is there, ready for Signal's use, erected by the Ha rbor
Departmen~ as are a truck wash-rack and a 20,OOO'galion
und erground storage tank Jor gasoline. Bri gh t lighting
is arranged over the yard, with a sunrise·sunset au to­
matic turn ·oIE and turn·on switch.
Walking around with Signal's Terminal Manage·
ment among so many different kinds of foreign cars.,
people are always asking, "How much is thi s car?" and
"How much is that?" In virtually every case, One needs
only to step over to a tiny price slip pasted somewhere
on the car to name the suggested retail price.
Under the "Monroney" Act, Signal is req uired to
post the retail deHvered seHing price on each vehicle at
the time of shipment. The manufacturers have to furnish
Signal the labels a nd they put them on. About the only
difference it makes is that when somebody asks how
mu ch this ca r or that ca r seUs -for, it isn't necessary to
make a bad guess - it's right there on the ca r, For
that., we have to thank Senator Monroney.
At any rate, Jor those who have firmly decided the y
will stick to the larger American cars and never, never
own one of those sleek racy sports models., it is dangerous
to go through the Signal operation at the Port of Long
Beach. There is something about the gleaming vehicles,
compact, distin ctive· looking and lightweight., that starts
you figuring.
Let's see, now, Signal, that what-do-you ·call·it over
tbere - how much does that sell for in tbis country?
WORLD TRADE WEEK SLATED
Willia", A. Harrington, Long Beach Harbor com­
missioner and Southland shipbuilding executive, has
been appointed general chairman oj the 1959 W<>rld
Trade Week, to take place May 17-24.
Mr. Harrin gton's ap}X)intment was an nounced by
J. E. Fishburn, president of the Los Angeles Chamber
of Commerce. Mr. Harrington is manager of the ship­
building division of Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Cor·
pOTation.
World Trade Week is sponsored by Harbor interests
here in cooperation with the Los Angeles Chamber,
whi ch originated it in 1927. Tbe annual observance
each yea r is proclaimed nationally by the President of
the United States.
Mr. Harrington was vice chainnan of the 1958 World
Trade Week observance, and has been acti ve in mari­
time affairs for many years. He is a former president
of the Long Beach Harbor Commission , and is a past
president of the Propeller Club of the Port of Los An ­
geles-Long Beach.
Mr. Harr ington has been associated with shipbuilding
for more than 40 years. In World War I, he was ap­
pointed t<> the U. S. Shipping Board as an inspector of
ships. In 1923, he joined the Bethlehem company, an d in
1947, was named manager of the local plant.
Break fast, luncheon and dinner meetings of many
civic and service organizations will feature speakers on
William A. Harrington
world trade and related su bjects. The press, radio and
television will carry articles and programs on world
trade, shipping and the Port of Long Beach, and neigh­
boring Los Angeles Ha rbor. Trade papers and journals
wiU use special stories to inoicate the reJalionship and
importance of world trad e to the various segments of
business and industry. Windows of stores and oHices
will display material on Long Beac h Harbor, transpor­
tation , exporting and importin g.
Harbor Days will be observed Saturday and Sunday,
May 23 and 24, with the Port oj Long Beach holding
open house. The public is invi ted to inspect the Long
Beach Harbor, known the world over as America's Most
Modern Port. There will be free boat rides about the
Harbor, and many Harbor centers of activity will be
open for inspection.
Special events scheduled for World Trade Week in·
clude an observance May 17 at Disneyland. with a pa·
rade and special programs, also foreign dance groups
performing. A fasbion show of imported wearing ap·
parel wiH take place there, wi th suitab le musical back­
grounds.
On Monday, May 18, the annual Consular Corps
Luncheon will take place at the County 1ail in Los An­
geles. Sheriff Peter 1. Pitchess is giving the luncheon
in honor of the Corps and variou s civic dignitaries. Tues­
day, May 19 will feature the annual World Trade lunch­
eon of the L.A. Transpo rtation Club, and on Wednes­
day, the 20th, the annual World Trade Week Breakfast
will be served at the Breakfast Club, 3201 Los Feliz
Blvd., in Los Angeles, with a number of featured
speakers.
On Wednesday, the Long Beach H a rbor Department
will be host at a major luncheon in the new transit shed
on Pier B. After the luncheon, guests will go on a sight·
seeing boat ride through both Los Angeles and Long
Beach Harbors.
The 33rd Annual World Trade Week Luncheon will
take place Thursday in the Biltmore Bowl, sponsored by
the Foreign Trade Association of Southern CaJifornia, and
on Friday, the Propeller Club of Los Angeles-Long Beach
will sponsor the annual Maritime Day Luncheon. Co·
sponsoring will be the Women's Division of the L. A.
Chamber of Commerce. Week-day observances of lhe
occasion will be crowned by the Tenth Annual World
Trade Week Dinner Dance, presented by the L", An­
geles Stea,mship Association at th e Beverl y Hilton Hotel ,
featuring dinner, entertainment, an d dancing.
Details as to who the various speakers will be are
due for announcement welJ in advance of World Trade
Week.
13
HARBOR REVENUES UP
Revenues from Long Beach Harbor operations for
the first balf of the 1958-59 fiscal year amounted to
$1,318,24<), an increase of $103,390, Harbor accountants
reported recently.
The net operating profit was shown as more than
five times that of the same period a year earlier, when
the figure was $20,910. Most of the in crease was re­
flected by wbarfage cbarges, which totaled 8564,034, an
increase of 867,505 over tbat of tbe first half of the
previous fi sca l year. Other revenue sources were rentals,
$329,909; dockage, $82,549; pilotage, $109,293; and
storage and demurrage, $50,292.
The Port's leading 'pier from a revenue standpoint
was Pier C, as heretofore, with a profit of $46,840.
Harbor oil operations for the six-month period re­
turned $16,999,700, a decrease from the figure for the
previous year, which was 84,069,171 greater. Net gain
to tbe City was $8,245,260.
CAPT.
Capt. John Rountree, U. S_ Coast Guard, Ret., and
former commander of the Eleventh Coast Guard District
with headquarters here, was appointed traffi c manager
of the Port of Long Beach, effective March l.
Announcement of Capt. Rountree's appoinunent came
at the Harbor Commission meeting of Feb. 26. Capt.
Rountree succeeded Capt. E. F. Manning, wbo left Har­
bor employ to join the staff of Parsons Engineering Com·
pany of Los Angeles, and bas been assigned to foreign
service, effective April l.
The new traffic manager retired from the Coast
Guard Sept. I, 1958, at the end of a distinguished career
in that service which began with his graduation from
the Coast Guard Academy witb the Class of 1925. The
Coast Guard District of which he had been in comma nd
includes much of California,
of Arizona, the south·
east portion of Nevada, and areas of the Pacific Ocean
an
from Pt. Arguello southward to the equator. He had
served in that connection for three years and 10 months,
at his retirement.
During World War II, Capt. Rou ntree was com·
mander of Escort Di vision 20, also was commanding
MAID OF COnON VISITS
A beautHul Okie named Malinda Berry visited the Port of
long Beach on March 16 en fhe 21" Nilltionlll Maid of Cotton on
one of the forty stops ,h.....ill make on III world tour.
After inspecting the Pori's cotton shipping faeilities with Pori
Manager C. L Vickers (above, left), .he ww her name c.nt in
bronze on a plaque honoring the visih by previous Maids of CoHon.
The 21 · yur.old blue·eyed beauty from Stillwater, Oklahoma.
is a Junior at Oklahoma State Univenity. Malinda won her title
at MemphJs, Tennessee, December 3Ofh. defeating 20 other finalists
from 14 eotion·producing st..l f.s. Her tour to ~lamoriIe cotton will
take her fr om coast to coast and bad again-then to Canada,
Europa and the Far East.
°
& P NAMES TITUS
Warren S. Titus: vice-president and steamship de·
officer of tire USS General William Mitcbell, an AP·1l4.
He was chief of staff, ·Third Coast Guard District, New
York, before bis assignment as commander of the II th
District in 1954.
Capt. and Mrs. Rou ntree have their home at 4429
Olive Ave. Tbey have three daugbters, the oldest of
whom lS married and the mo ther of two boys. -These
Rountree grandsons are the captain's pride and joy, by
the way. The other daughters are unmarried, and the
younger attends UC, Berkeley campus.
Capt. Manning's departure from the Harbor De·
partment concluded a 12-year tenn of serviCe here. A
former shipmaster, he had two vessels torpedoed under
bim in World War II, and piloted a life raft containing
partment manager of Theo H . Davies and Co. Ltd.,
32 other survivors and himself in from 1,100 miles at!
sea to safety on the Brazilian coast. He also served -"as
Honolulu , was recently nam ed gene ral manager of Orient
and Pacific Lines for North Ainerica with offices jn San
Francisco.
Harhors after the war. "Cap" Manning is widely known,
and leaves a grea t many weU ·wishers here.
14
civilian port captain of Long Beach -.and Los Angeles
SWEDISH SHIP CALLS
long Beech gave .!II civic welcome to the Swedish Naval
Academy VllJnel Alvs"ebben end her crew on the occasion of "
visit here recently en rout. to a round.th.·world cruise. Among
observances wei " dance at Long Beach Stet. College, at which
Mayor Kular eddreued the contingent, commended by Cept.
Gunnar Norstrom, captain of the ship. As perf of the ceremonies.
Cept. Norstrom wu greeted "board ship by Walter G. Danielson.
Swedish consul at Los Angeles, who presented the skipper with
flowers. Also. Nonlrom and Danielson were formally greeted .It
City Hell by Mayor Kealer end Joseph F. Bishop, president of
the Long Beech Herbor Commission.
TERMINAL O.Ko'D
A new cargo-passenger terminal for the Port of
Long Beach, to be built at a cost estimated at $5,500,000
on one of the two piers, F and G, under construction off
the southerly end of Pier A, has been approved tenta·
tively by the Harbor Commission.
The piers are expected to be completed and ready
for surface construction work by July, next year, engi­
neers said.
Preliminary plans for the cargo-passenger terminal
call for one of the finest such structures ever built. Major
use will be by Orient and Pacific Lines, one of the great
passenger-carrying steamship lines of the world, newly
organized through joint agreements by Orient Lines and
the P & 0 System.
The building will be three stories high, and 1,000 feet
long. Several of its features will be unique. First floor
is designed for cargo operations. Baggage and customs
will occupy the second floor, and on the top floor will
be a restaurant, cocktail lounge, waiting and visiting
rooms, and an area for world trade exhibits.
The manner in which customs operations are to be hand·
led in the proposed terminal will be an innovation . A sec­
tion of the second level will be enclosed by sliding doors.
Incoming passengers wilI enter this section by two gang­
ways direct from the ship. While awaiting customs in­
spection, they will have access to a snack bar, telephones,
rail, air and travel agents, and other services.
On ded aboard the U.S.T.S. Bay St.te, trainin9 ,hip 01 the
Mauachu,eth Maritime Academy on a recent visit to the Port
01 Long Beach, il a welcoming committee from the Port. At left
is Chesley W. Lumbert, Port supervisor of stores and properties,
.n alumnus of the MMA, having 9raduated from the Academy in
1932. At his left is Capt. John W. Thompl0n, U.S.M.S., head of
the Audemy, and at right in the picture is Charlel L Vickers,
gen.,al menager of the Port of Long Beach.
TRAINING SHIP HERE
The arrival of the U.S.T.S. Bay State, Massachusetts
Maritime Academy training ship, on her annual cruise
from ber home port, Buzzards Bay, to the Pacific Coast
via the Canal Zone was an event of interest last Febru­
ary at the Port of Long Beach, to which she voyaged
non·stop from the East.
Aboard to welcome the Bay State and her command
and crew were Charles L. Vickers, Port general man·
ager, and Chesley W. Lumbert, Port supervisor of stores
and properties, a graduate of the Academy in 1932. The
superintendent of the Academy, Capt. lohn W. Thomp·
son, U.S.M.s., was aboard on the cruise.
The Bay State, native to these waters, is 415 feet
long overall, has a draft of 21 feet, gross tonnage 8,700,
and carries 203 midshipmen aboard. The Bay State was
one of two ships of the type built in 1943 by the Can·
solidated Shipbuilding Company of Long Beach. Origin·
ally named the Doyen, the vessel served in World War
11, and afterward was placed at the Academy's dis­
posal for training purposes.
After a five·day visit here, the Bay State sailed for
Olympia, Wash., reb. 24.
Escalators will be installed to handle foot traffic
between the various leve1s. Ramps will be provided to
allow a utos to utilize the ~car parking space afforded
on second and third floors.
15
I.
T
The world's highest c~p~city lifting device is this shearleg
derrick cro!lne which depends on five Mo!Irlin-Decker erMe weight
indicllItors to weigh IOl'lds lind prevent overlollding.
CHine set
l'I
The derric~
world lift record of 800 tons in its builders' test in
1956. One of the oper<!ltions of the craine is to place complic<!Ited
units onto offshore drilling platforms. Handling the pref.. bricaded
units from the be<!lch with ih 240 foot booms the craine c<!In place
platform structure lind have it reo!ldy for use in 24 hours.
l'I
MARTIN-DECKER' 'WEIGHS"
Martin-Decker Corporation oj Long Beach,
long a Jhipper (U.Jlomer oj the Port oj Long Beach,
export; mil/iom oj dollar; worth oj equipment a
year. The Long Beach Harbor Department UUJ
many M-D gauge; on it.s oil well;, If gi'VtJ u.s
pleflJure, therejore, 10 preJent the story oj (iIis
major industry oj Southern Calijornia 10 our
reader; :
Back in the early days of oil well drilling a Pennsyl­
vania operator drilled so far off course that his drill bit
actually drifted from the summit of a hill into the vaults
of a nearby brewery-and brought in a "beer well." The
crew was amazed to bail up a nice sparkling fluid that
smelled strongly of hops_ And being oil men they didn't
need any analyst to tell them that this was beer - one
small sip did the trick.
Whether or not the colorful language of the brew­
master or the sight of slightly inebriated gophers for
miles around helped bring ahout present day oil well
drilling instrumentation may never he known.
One thing is sure today, however, operators with the
aid of instruments know precisely where their drill bit
is heading.
16
OIL WORLD The company that pioneered the necessary oil well
drilling control instruments was formed right here in
Long Beach, July 5, 1927.
The firm is the Martin-Decker Corporation, 3431
Cherry Avenue, which does 85% of the world's business,
~'outside the iron curtain," in their field.
Elmer L. Decker, president of the thirty-two year old
orga.nization: quite simply defines the purpose of the
corporation. "We provide the driller with the instru­
ments needed to control the drilling of an oil well, similar
to those provided an airline pilot or t.he captain of a
sea-going vessel."
It was in 1927 that Elmer L. Decker and W. R.
"Frosty" Martin} then members of the Loomis Oil Well
Control Company, began their own operations by ac­
quiring the necessary patents and licenses to permit
manufacture of a weight indicator, which they called
the Martin-Loomis Automatic Recording Weight Indica­
t.or.
The name of the company was changed to- Martin­
Decker in 1930, at the same time moving to- its present
location.
A Mortin-Decker 10,000 lb. capacity tension cell system equip­
ped with a double pointer batching dial i, us.d in a foundry coning
operation. Thjl system is particulorJy adaptabl. here becou.e the
gauge can be remotely located ouhide the heet area end is
easily reed by the operator. The batching dial is important be­
cause, in eddltion to normo! wei9hin9, it direetly Indieotes weight
subtraeted eliminating the ne.d for written calculation. Prior to
installation an extto quantity of metal had to be poured to usure
sufficient material for a caltin~on.uming extra remelting and
casting time_ The system i. proteet.d from the intense 2,000
d89ree heet by an asbestos ,hield.
This first weigbt indicator was a simple diaphragm­
atic gauge, actuated hy the tension of the dead line, to
which it was attached. It had hydraulic lines from the
diaphragm to the gauge to convert the deflection of the
diaphragm into movements of tbe gauge pointer and tbe
pen on recording instruments.
Measurements were in arbitrary figures which bad
he trans1ated to poundage, wben it was necessary, by
the use of mathematical fonnula or by reference to a
table. However, that was seJdom necessary, since the
observation of relative movement as indicated on the
gauge and chart was aU that the driller then needed to
10
17
Illustrated hero is another of the wide range of load measure·
ment applications accurately hl!lndled by Martin·Deder load cell
,ydems. This sao lb. capacity tension cell and remote 9aUge is
applied to an en9ine dynamometer for m8l!lsurement of automobile
engine torquo by the tostin9 laboratory of a leadin9 automotive
manufacturer.
guide him in his operation. In those days, there was no
provision on the derrick floor for instrumentation, SO
the gauge was attached to a girt above the pump, and
the driller had to do his best to read it from his position
at the brake lever. The recorder was usually installed
in the belt house.
Drilling crew members, who suspiciously felt that this
instrument was there to check up on their work, failed to
welcome this "new fangled gadget" with the warm glow
of sincere friendship. As a matter of fact the so·called
"scientific snooper," often called a " stool pigeon," was
not welcomed at all- at first.
In lime the skepticism of drilling contractors, who are
so footage·cost conscious, began to give way to that old
"show me" attitude. To help overcome resistance the
company first sold their instruments in Texas on a
"money back if not satisfied" basis, and gradually the
reaction improved.
A series of events followed that had a profound
effect on the future of the weight indicator, and on the
Martin·Decker Corporation.
Oil companies began requiring that a weigbt indi­
cator be used on drilling jobs. Operators were becoming
more and more conscious of the crookedness of rotary
holes, and began to set deviation limitations for the con­
tractors. Drillers, themselves, were beginning 10 reaHze
the advantages of the instrument for many purposes other
than that for which is was original1y designed.
Meanwhile, the firm developed a vernier gauge
movement, and thus increased the sensitivity of the
indicator so that it could bc used much more effectively
in more sensitive operations such as fishing jobs. Another
improvement came with the casing of the indicator and
the vernier in a steel box that was positioned where the
driller could easily see it. New applications and supple·
mentary recording devices. notably a mud pump gauge,
were also designed. Then followed the so·caJJcd "Quinti­
plex," simplifying tbe growing1y complex system of con­
trol devices by inc1uding thc weight indicator, vernier,
torque gauge, mud pump gauge, and rotary table tacho·
meter, all in a single case.
These instruments measured the four principal factors
18
affecting drilling progress. These are the weight resting
on the bit, the amount of power applied to twisting the
drill pipe. the ~peed at wbich the bit is spinning, and the
pressure at which the "mud" is circulating down through
the pipe, and back out 01 the hole (bringjng with it the
pieces of earth cut out by the drill bit).
At 15,000 fee~ the weight of drill pipe suspended
from the steel cable may be 300,000 pounds. No drill
bit could stand sucb pressure: but part of it is needed
to drive the cutter down. Only by use of the weight
indieator can the driller select that portion of the total
suspended load which he needs to drive the bit cutters
into the formation. Tbe weight selected may vary from
a few hundred to as much as 80,000 pounds, depending
on rotational speed and the size of the bit.
Rotary drilling today has become a very scientific
process, and there is no longer any argument about the
need for weight inclicators, and other drilling control
instruments. Crooked hole drilling, once frowned on
rather badly, has today become a premedita,ted and pre·
planned technique that very successfully pinpoints pro·
duction from formerly inaccessible, sub-surface reservoirs ..
All this made drilling control instruments more
indispensable than ever j the old driller who once relied
on the "feel" of the brakes became a part of the past;
and the name Martin-Decker was now known, and
respected wherever men searcb for oil.
Martin-Decker manufactures many other types of
instruments for the petroleum industry, but bas ne...·er
ceased to look on the weight indicator as its number
one item. The instrument bas been constantly refined
and improved over the years.
An important development occurred in 1947, when
in conjunction with the National Supply Company, the
anchor·type weight indicator was placed on tbe market.
The new indicator utilized a dead end wire line anchor
to actuate a hydraulic pressure transformer. The trans­
former, in turn, transmits pressure to operate the weight
indicator which shows both total weight and net weight
being carried on the drilling bit. Weights are shown
directly in thousands of pounds.
The heart of the weight indicator, the diaphragm,
resulted from seven years of extensive research and
development by the Drilling Research Division of the
Humble Oil and Refining Company, Houston, Texas,
the largest American producing company, and Martin­
Decker.
The instrument is substantially unaffected by tern·
perature change or by a small amount of air in the
system. Today, thousands of Martin ·Decker instruments
using the same diaphragm are currently in use in every
country of the world, including the coldest northern
Arctic regions., the humid swamps and jungles of New
Guinea and the Amazon, and the blistering sands of the
Sahara.
Since 1926 there have been more than two dozen
world depth r""ords broken in oil fields throughout the
globe. In each of these operations Martin ·Decker instru­
ments have been used in drilling control. The Company's
tools have also been used in the breaking of sectional
records such as the deepest well drilled in Japan, Vene­
zuela, Rumania, Germany, France, Mexico, and Canada.
The current depth record, more than 25,000 feet, is held
by the Phillips Petroleum Company, and was set in
West Texas early this year using the latest in Martin.
Decker drilling control and recording instruments.
As drill bils continued 10 bite deeper aDa deeper into
the earth, the importance of controlled drilling, and along
with it the weight indicator, has increased tre,mend.
ously. The old two-dial instrument, has grown Into ,a
very complete indicating and recordtng assembly t~a~ IS
now an integral, built-in part of the most modern drIlling
rig console. 1ncluded are t~e weight indicator and
vernier, mud pump pressure gauges, rotary speed tac~lO­
meter, torque gauge, drawworks speed ~ele~tor, engme
tachometer, pump speed and volume IndIcator, tong
torque gauge, and a complete electronic t~lemete~ing
recording system which is cap,able of recordmg V.'lrJO~S
drilling data at a remote locallon such as the engIneer 5
office.
Elmer Decker purchased the interest of W. R.
"Frosty" Martin in 1945, when the prominent civic
worker retired from business. Mr. lVIartin will be well
remembered as past president, and as a member of the
Port of Long Beach Board of Commissioners from 1939
until his death in 1955.
A check of the visitors' registration book in the
Company's reception room reveals a list of names as
impressive as a roll-call of the United Nations. From
every continent on earth where there is oil, those en­
gaged in the search for the precious "black g?l~1> come
to visit the world's largest manufacturer of drillmg con·
troJ instruments.
A walk through the shipping department reveals
many destinations for instruments: France, Holland, Ger­
many, Italy, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecua­
dor, Chile. Argentina, Brazil, Trinidad, Algeria, French
Morocco, Africa; Egypt, Iraq, Iran: Saudi Arabia,
Denmark, Indonesia, Mexico, Canada, and many more.
When relations were better with the "Iron Curtain" oil
producing countries, they too were good customers of
Martin-Decker products. However, our State Depart­
ment considers those products as strategic, and classifies
them "restricted" for export into most Communist domi­
nated areas. It was interesting, however, that alruost
immediately after our Statc Department authorized a
loan to Poland that a substantial order for Martin·
Decker material was received from that country. Yugo.
slavia has long been a customer for these products.
During 1958, 53% of the Company's instrument
output was shipped to foreign oil fields, and, of course,
our own Port of Long Beach handled a good share of
these overseas shipments.
Decker enjoys relating how Mexican drillers refer
to the weight indicator as "EI Tecolote," which in
Spanish means "The Owl," and carnes the same co~no·
tation as "stool pigeon" in English, and which denves
from the fact that the recording instrument with which
the weight indicator is equipped writes down, day and
nigh~ many of the drilling activities for the hoss to see.
Also, how on his trip South of tbe Border, the friendly
Mexican crews always greet him, not as Mr. or Senor
Decker, but rather as uSenor Tecolote."
In Spanish speaking South American countries, the
translation of weight indicator is ulndicador de Peso."
However, drilling crews seldom use the Spanish trans·
lation, and invariably refer to the weight indicator on
their rig as the "Marleen·Deckaire."
Wherever drilling is going on, drill pipe, at some
time or other, is hound to get stuck. One of the impor.
tant functions of th e weight indicator during a pipe
pulling operation is to indicate the weight being pulled
J ne rugged Martin-Decker Senuder crane scale pid.ured here
is being used in an aluminum cluting foundry. The function of the
scale is to accurately measure the IIomount of molten metllol poured
into the ladle prior to cading. Although the heat is in excess of
1,000 degrees no protecting asbestos shield is required.
to avoid overloading rig equipment. However, drillers
have their own way of describing an unusually heavy
load. It seems that when a driller has a hard puU, and
the indicator hand makes a complete circle from zero to
maximum, where the "Martin-Decker, Long Beach, Cali­
fornia" insignia is stamped on the dial, he will say
(instead of reading the actual weight in so many hun ·
dreds of thousands of pounds), "We' ve pulled her aU
the way around to Long Beach, California I "
Martin-Decker maintains strategically located sales
and service facilities in the principal rotary driJIing areas
of the United States, including Texas, Louisiana, Okla·
homa, New Mexico, etc., with a branch plant located in
Houston. Foreign sales and service facilities are located
in Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Austria, Israel, Spain,
Trinidad, Venezuela, Canada and Mexico.
Instead of resting comfortably on his laurels Decker
promptly went to work searc~ing for other ways to
utilize the many years of expenence and vast knowledge
his Company had accumulated in the development of
extremely sensitive, yet rugged, drilling control instru·
ments. Up until that time the Company had also manu·
factured other weight indicating instruments., such as
lift truck weight indicators., crane weight indicators and
tensiometers., for otber branches of industry.
One of the first developments was the Sensater
hydraulic crane scale which utilized the same type of
frictionless dia.phragm used so successfully for many
years in oil well drilling control instruments.
The need for an accurate, li~htwelght crane scale in
industry was evident. Other such types of scales on the
ma.rket had obvious drawbacks.
Among the scales on the market at the time were the
large and cumbersome, friction producing piston-type;
and the spring tension type in which the spring would
actually stretch out of calibration, and when exposed to
inclement weather, was subject to rust.
19
•
A Martin-Decker weight indice tor ove r the dash of this big
Clark C Y -~OO fork.lift tells the operat or faithfully how much loed
his forks ar . liftin g_ Th. Ind icator is particula rly important in tn.
lift truck's nand ling of nuvy paper roll , at tn. Port of l on g Beach.
Owned by Pa cific F.ar Earl Lines , the trud is ope rated by Coast­
wise Line for handling the 2,OOO·l b. rolls seen ahead of th . truc~ .
The Sen sater crane scale overcame these problems
- and then some. The patented diaphragm, which offered
guaranteed accu racy of 1/ 10 of 1%, was SOOn the fi rst
such type scale to meet the specification requirements of
the California Bureau of Standards, with many other
states following suit, certifying the Sensa.ter as to its
accuracy. The weight problem was licked mostly by the
use of the diaphragm, which weighs only ounces com·
pared to several pounds needed for the piston. type, and
by smaller, ( the fl a~ pancake· type diaphragm requ ired
considerably less headroom than the piston), li ghtweight,
but extremely durable castings. Scale buyers were pleas.
ed to find the 20,000 pound capacity Sen sater weighing
m at a compact 97 pounds, compared to a competitive
model of the same capacity which we ighs weB over 300
pounds.
The ruggedness of the Sensater cra ne scale has been
weB evidenced over the past five years by the hun dreds
of units constantly exposed to 2,000 degree foundry heat;
the b~low .ero weather of the North country, salt air
corrOSlon, dust, ram, Snow - all types of inclement
we ath er.
Another importa nt step in the progre ss of the Martin·
Decker Corporation was made early in the Spring of
1957, when at the request of research engineers of the
General Electri c Jet Engine Test Facility in Ontario.
California, the Company's engineering and research
departments started work On the development of •
hydrau lic loa d cell designed to accurately mcasure the
powerful thru st of iet ai rcraft engines.
The cha Uenge was formidable.
General Electric had previously tested numerous de·
vices f~r j~~ engine thrust measurement without attaining
tbe reliahIhty necessa ry before presenting the prohlem
to Martin·Decker.
Ele;tronic dcvices proved to be too complex, an d
couldn t stand up under tlle punishment of the powerful
engmes. .Mamtenance of the systems was prohibitive,
and reqUired a specially train ed electronics technician.
The various pneumatic type load ceIls tested by General
Electric wcre limited in capaci ty, and la cked versatility
of indica tion .
20
Martin·Decker's solutio n to the problem was a modi·
fication of the already proven, reliable Sensater crane
scale. A compact, seif'aligning, hydraulic comp ressi on
load cell system was designed around the extra-sensi tive
diaphragm .
Gener.al Elect ri cengi neers imm~diately pu t the system
through ItS paces In a portable let engine thr ust test
stand, and fo und that it prOvi ded the smooth trou ble·
free operation required under the ad ve rse circ~mstances
of ~hock.lo~di ng a~d contin uous vibration present in jet
e~glne testing .. Malntena~ce wa s no problem because, as
Wl.t~ all MartIn:Decker Instru ments, the complete sim·
plIcIty of operation precludes the need for highly special.
ized techniCIans.
After exhaustive testing hy General Electric the
Martin· Decker load cell system was flown back to the
Wright Air Development Center, Wright Air Force Base,
Dayton, OhIO, where It again was put through a series
of tests, and gained the app roval of the U nited States
Air Force.
Todar, in additio n to the General Electric Testing
F aCIlIty I~ OntaTlo, the systems are being used at the '
Tinker AlT Force Base, Okla homa Ci ty; Roh r Aircraft,
Pomona; and General Electric's Nuclear Aircraft De·
velopment Center in Idaho Falls.
Additionally, while the comp ressio n load cell system
was under d.evelopment, a r~mote. reading tension system
was also deSIgned. The tenSion system is cu rrently being
used by General Electric i n their Erie, Pennsylvania, test
laboratory for dynamometer torque measurement on
reciprocating engines.
It. is. imp ~ rtant ~o point. ou.t that the two systems are
not itmlted 10 thelr applIca tion to the testing of jet
engines. Both system.s have been successfully adapted by
other branches of Industry to such applications as
fo undry ladles, sheet lifters, bridge crane wei ghing, fixed
tank weighIng, tenSIle test machines, platform tr uck
weighing, hopper weighing, and others.
Martin-peeker ind ustrial load mea suring instruments
are handled throug~ ~ network of more than seventy
~atenals .handItng ?lstnbutors covering every key market­
Ing area 10 the UOlted States, as well as Canada, Mexico,
and several other foreign cou ntries. District managers
are located in Cleveland, New York, and Long Beach.
Warehouses are cent raUl' loca ted in Cleveland, Pittsburgh,
an d Long Beach for overnight delivery of any instrument.
Many Mart in· Decker instruments are being used in
and around th e Port of Long Beach For example the
Port of Long Beach and City Tra nsf~r and Storage 'both
have lift t.ruck weight indicators in use; the Long Beach
Navy Yard has used a crane weight indicator for several
years; Lon~ Beach Mari ne Repair tests Navy slings, and
other shIps gear with tenslOmetcrSj Hyperion Con­
stru ctors protects the ir big gan try cranes with crane
weight indicators; and the Macco Corporation often does
work for the P ort, and has several Ma rtin-Decke r instru­
ments in use. In add ition , those oi l co mpanies involved
in offshore drilling in this a rea: Ri chfi eld, Gene ral
P etroleum, Shell, H a ncock and Continental Oil, all use
Martin-Decker drilling control instrumen ts.
The slogan around Martin· Decker is, "If you can lift
it - Martin-Decker can weigh it." And with the thou­
sands of Marti n·Decker instruments in use today that's
certainly a well -found ed sta tement.
To the many t..housa nds of Martin -Decker friends
throu ghout the world, Elmer Decker is a cordial host to
VISltOrs. To his neighbors Decker is a man who enjoys
deep sea fishing, bird hunting and other sports, and still
devotes much of his spare time to civic affars. To his
Martin·Decker co-workers of many years standing, he is a
friend who knows everyone of the nearly one hundred
employees by first name. To the casual visitor to his
office, Decker is a tall, dark-baired. easy going man
whose interest in the progress of his firm grows more
vigorous with the years. To the average Long Beach
employee who sees him often, he is a1ways a gentleman.
And to the public and the petroleum industry Decker is,
of course, the president of the Martin-Decker Corporation.
"Deck," as he is popularly known, is a recognized
authority on drilling instrumentation. He had much
valuable experience in actual oil well drilling before
becoming 8 part of the equipment business, and he Con­
sequently knows whereof he speaks. He's an expert in
that he can recognize, classify and interpret what he
finds. He has traveled widely in the promotion of tbe
products of his firm, and is one of those restless people
who never ceases the search for some way to further
improve the latest model. Evidence of his creativeness is
the number of inventions he has to his credit over the
years.
Equipped with boundless energy to get around­
which he does in a big way, he was th e founder of
Nomads, the lirst president of the Los Angeles Chapter,
helped organize the Houston and Tulsa Chapters, was
first president of the National Board of Regents, and was
recently appointed a permanent member of the National
This is a crane operator's view of a 200,000 lb. capacity
Martin.Deder crane weight indicator dial--eonveniently mounted
in the cab. The operator can watch any load being lifted and check
the total weight. Another equally important feature of thh type
of instrument is the double duty it performs as a safety device
protecting both lives and equipment.
Elmer D.der, Pre,ident of the Martin-Decke, Corporation Board as consultant and advisor. He was a co· founder,
and past vice·president of the Petroleum Production
Pioneers; a member of the American Association of
Oilwell Drilling Contractors, and is particularly active
in the Association's drilling committee; and has his
guiding hand in most of the consequential oil organi·
zations for whi ch one in his position is eligible. Here
in Long Beach "Deck" was fonnerly president and di­
rector of Seaside Hospital, served two terms as a director
of the Chamber of Commerce, and also served as vice·
president; he is a member of the advisory board of the
Bank of America, First and Pine, and also serves on the
advisory board of St. Mary's Hospital; he was co·
founder with Dave Olmstead of Equestrian Trails, Incor·
porated. He maintains active memberships in the Virginia
Country Club, is 8 life member of the Pacific Coast
Club, belongs to both the Long Beach and Los Angeles
Petroleum Club., Avalon Tuna Club, Southern California
Tuna C1uh, Bear River Gun Club (Utah), Long Beach
Mounted Police; is an honorary member of the Long
Beach Motor Patrol Association, and is a member of the
Shadow Mountain Club of Palm Spring•.
Elmer Decker is an equipment man and a man's man
- but most of all he is a salesman - and a darned
good one!
It's just thirty.two years since the Maron-Decker
Corporation was organized, and the firm has played an
important role in the development of scientific under·
standing during these years. The next tbirty-two years
are certain to hold changes in drilling technique and
equipment - and you can be sure Martin·Decker will be
keeping pace with the industry.
21
Boxcars are spotted on the Port's tradaga system beside this
Pier A trensa shed, for dired loading-unloading at the shed'i floor
level. In thil location, triple trach afford plenty of stor.g8 toom
for surplus cars, particularly in rush periodl luch <!II cotton time.
NO-NAME RAILROAD
There are 43 miles of rail trackage in the Port of
Long Beach, the better to serve the shipper. Exactly 25.3
miles of this track is owned by the Long Beach Harbor
Department.
The name of the Harbor's railroad? No name. No
bright red cabooses or big black diesel locomotives roll
around the Harbor, bearing the legend, "Port of Long
Beach R. R." That is not necessa ry. The Pacific EJectric
Railway Company does all the switching on this line,
which serves Piers A, B, C, D, 1 and 2, and south of
Fifth 5t. and Pico Ave., to Warehouse No.4.
If you watch for a Pacific Electric Jocomotive on this
trackage, you won't see one. The company is owned by
the Southern Pacific Company, which has its name on
all tbe rolling stock.
The Pacific EJectric also renders a maintenance serv·
ice to the Port's railroad, making repairs, cleaning out
switches, and so on. Where more trackage must be laid
by the Harbor Department, Hal Greenwood, Inc., of
Long Beach, railroad contractor, does the work.
As all who are familiar with the Port's piers know,
trackage is laid along the wharves of most piers ship­
side, also on the landward side of the transit sheds, so
the shipments can be brought in direct to the loading
vessels, or if arriving ahead of time, can be moved into
the transit shed for transit storage. According to mari­
time and other laws of the land, the cargo, once it leaves
the railroad car, becomes the responsibility of the steam·
22
ship line. It is to protect such cargo, and thus serve the
lines, that the Harbor Department has erected and now
maintains the great transit sheds at the various berths.
In a very few cases, railroad companies have also
owned ships, and thus were able to transship at the port
and continue the transportation service by sea. No rail­
roads in this area, however, are ship-owners.
It is of interest that the railroads alone - disregard­
ing all other forms of transportation to and from the
Port of Long Beach - annually move millions of tons of
shipments in and out of the Harbor area.
Rail trach reach out into the far comers of the Port of long
Beach, as part of a nameless railroad that carries millions of tons
of cargo to and from IhiPlide every year. Raill <!Ilmorl blanket
the availabla "pace at Berth 30 on Pier D, where the picture was
takan, a' pa» of the track storage facility for ears coming in to
feed the bulk loader and tho gantry crenel. The ship ,hown i,
loading-in bulk cargo at the bulk load.r.
~ N'":E~S
=
.A..N'"I>
"V"I:E::~S AUSTRIAN VISITORS
Two distingui~hed Austrian visitors called at the Port of Long
Beach recently, where they were greeted by Port General Ml'Inager
Charles L. Viders. At left is Dr. Karl lizian, mayor of Bregenz.
Standing next to the Austrian neg is Mr. Vickers lind lit right is
Dr. Emil Zimmerml'Jn, menager of the Graz Manufacturers Associ­
ation.
EAST AFRICA TRADE STARTED
The Shinsei Maru, shIp of the K Line, (Kawasaki
Kisen Kaisha) was in Port in March, the first ship in
a new service formed in cooperation with Seaford Ship­
ping, Ltd., of Johannesburg, Africa, to link the West
Coast with south and east Africa ports.
The service consists of monthly voyages by ships
leaving Long Beach, Vancouver, Seattle and San Diego,
and calling at Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London,
Durban, Lorenzo Marques, and Beria. The Saldanha,
an African vessell made the April call here.
Vessels of the two lines outbound from Coast ports
carry general cargo, states Kerr Steamship Co., agents.
Tbe main African export is seaweed.
The background of the "K" Line is of unusual in­
terest. The predecessor concern was estahlished in 1904.
The K Line was formed after World War I, with eleven
freighters having a tonnage of 100,058 deadweight.
In 1921, vessels of two other eompanies joined the fleet,
bringing the total to 26 vessels, and tonnage to 130,84,0,
dw. Next year, one interest left the joint service, and in
1931, when the Japanese Vessel Reorganization Law
took effect, the Company was able to improve its fleet to
a large extent.
In 1937, four high-speed ships were built and en­
tered in the Japan-New York service, carrying largely
raw silk, and eventually winning the distinction of a
blue rihbon of the Pacific. But Government control was
tightening, and in March, 1942, after tbe outbreak of
war, the Government took over all Japanese vessels.
After the war was over, the Company says, only 11
of the original 34 vessels were Jeft, to he returned by
the Government to the Company. However, since 1950
the fleet has been steadily growing in size, and today
totals 101 yessels with a total capacity of 710,663 dwt,
including -chartered hottoms.
DELIGHTFUL DILEMMA
"Oh please, Mr. Skinner, come visit MY hllrborl" With this
pretty pair of petitioners on his hands, or rather his arms, Robert
A. Skinner, president of the Los Angeles chapter, American So­
ciety of Civil Engineers, had to steer a tactful course while aboard
the M. V. Shearwater accompanying fellow Society members on
a Harbor tour following a recent convention of the group. At
left is Sally Cannon, Miss Pod of long Beach, coaxing Mr. Skinner
her way, while on the other side is Judith Bonner, Miss Port of
los Angeles, trying to inveigle him in the opposite direction.
HARBOR GROUP SERVES SEAMEN
The Catholic Maritime Club of 221 W, 6th St, San
Pedro, and 319 Avalon Blvd., Wilmington, serve mer·
cbant seamen of all faiths and nations, providing a USO
type of _program for seamen "on the beach," according
to Bob Johnston, of Long Beach, director of the club's
operations.
All officers of the club's board of directors are Long
Beach men, Mr. Johnston pointed out. They include
Couneilman D. Patrick Ahern, chairman; Union Agent
Joseph DoBosics, vice-chairman; Daniel Costley, ship­
ping executive, seeretary; and John E. Richardson., Jr.,
business man, treasurer.
Another of the services of the club management is
that of furnisbing magazines aboard ships for the use
and enjoyment of crews on long voyages.
"Our hoard of directors includes both Catholic and
non-Catholic members," Johnston said. "On the board
presently are James Ackerman, attorney; Al Maddy,
executive secretary to the Board of Harbor Commission­
ers, Port of Long Beach; John Mansell, city auditor,
City of Long Beach; Arthur Pegg, Jr" ship chandler;
Robert Robhins, shipping executive; John Shea, ship­
yard executive, and Fred Singer, insurance agent.
"This group of men has been instrumental in making
the Catholic Maritime Club's 'Maritime Industries lunch­
eons' a major monthly event for the Harbor area."
23
PORT BUSINESS DIRECTORY American Agencies, Inc. Argo Shipping and Trading Company Ashury Transporlallon Company AlchisOD, T(lpeka & Sanla Fe Ry. Co. Freight Depal
Atkinson, Guy F. Company
Atlas Shlppmg Company
Baker Rendering Company
Baller, J. B. & Company
Bethlehem Pacific Cossl Slee1 Cempany
Blue Funnel Line
Boise GrUJin Agencies
BO(lth, F. E. Company, Inc.
Bulkloader Cclnveyor
Calartex Freight Forwarders
California Exlracling Compeny
California Seafood Corporation
Calmar Sleamship Corporation
Canada Shipping
Canadian GnU Line
Chief Whadinger's Dliice
Chilean North Pacific Line
Cily Yacht Anch(lrage
Clifton Steamship Corporation
Coaslal Marine Transporlation Company
Connolly Pacific Company
Craig Shipbuilding Company
Crescent Wharf & Warehouse Company
Cunard Steamship Company
De La Rama Steamship Company
De Luxe Water Taxi Company
The East Asialic Company
Ellerman & Bucknall Company, Ltd. Farrell Llne Flrelwat Firth Steamship Corporation
FIsherman's Wharf 01 Long Beach
Franks Dredging Company
Fruit Express Company
Galley, The
Garvin Towboat
Gwbal Transport
Graham Bros., Inc.
Gerwlck, Ben C., Inc.
Gypsnm Carriers, Inc.
Bain Line
Hawaiian Textron, Inc.
Healy Tihbitts Conslrucllon Company
Bnghes AlrcraH Company
Indies TermInals Corporatwn
Inlerocean Line
Irish ShIpping
Isthmian Lines
Jones Stevedormg Company
Kaiser Gypsum Company, Inc.
Kawasaki lisen Kalsha, Lid.
Kerr Steamship Company
Koppel Bros. Cotion Compress
Korean Shipping Company
Lomifa~Signal-Wilminglon Associates
Long Beach Oll Development Company
Long Beach Piwl & Radar Station
Marine Terminals Corporation
Marine Terminals Corpora lion
Marine Terminals Corporation
Messn. Walle.nlus Line
Metropolitan Stevedortng Company
Mllsubishi Shipping Company
Monlere'l 011 Company
Nissan- isen-Kalsha, Ltd.
24
PIer-Berth
2·54
D-34
A·7, 8 & 9; Whse. No.
123-4 West 8th Sireel
C-23
A-4
D-30
82 Inner Harhor
C·25
C·24
2-54
73 Inner Harhor
D·29
1452 Gaylord
D-30
74 Inner Herhor
C·25
D·34
2·52
A·5
C·24
84-86 Inner Harhor
2·54
2·54
39 Inner Harbor
41-44 Inner Harhor
101 South Seaside
C·24
C-24
2·54
A-3
C·24
C·24
C·ZZa
2-54
Pier A. Easl
E-120
A·l
730 S. Harhor ScenIc Dr.
E·llS
A·lO
59 Inner Barhor
E·ll9
45 Inner Harhor
C-24
A·7
A·7,8&9
E·l20
C·25
D-34
A·10
A·10
C-25
46 Inner Harhor
A-5
A·5
A-S
A-7
A-7,8&9
255 Santa Clara Avenue
A-201
920 South Plco Avenue
A·10
C-24
A-5
D-29 A·10 E·1l8 2·54 Pier-Berth
Northern Steamship, Ltd.
A-3
Norlon, Lilly & Company
C·24
Olson, Oliver J. and Company
215 American Avenue
Olymplc~Griffi1h! Lines, Inc.
2·54
Olympic Steamship Company
2-54
Ore Navigation Corporallon
C-25
Orlenl & Pacific Lines
C·24
Outer Harbor Dock & Wharf Company
A·3
Owens~Parks Lnmher Company
B·17
PacIfic Cargo Inspeclion Bnreau
D-34
PacUic Electric R. R.
W. 8th S1. & Pico
Pacific Far Easl Llne, Inc.
A·7
PaCific Ports ServIce Company
A·2
Pacific Sportfishing Company
730 S. Barhor Scenic Dr.
Pacific T(lwhoal and Salvage Company
D-35
Pacific Transport Lines
C-21
Panorama Cafe
A·208
Permanente Cement Company
59 Inner Harlwr
Permanente Steamship Corporation
2·54
Pierpoint Landing
Pier A
Pilot and Radar Station
A·201
68-71 Inner Harbor
Procter & Gamble Mfg. Company
Proctor's Tackle Shop
750 S. Harhor Scenic Dr.
Pr(lgressive Transporlation Company
C·25
Prudential Steamship Corporation
2·M
Quaker Line
C·21
Radar Station
A·201
Reel Restaurant
1200 S. Harhor Scenic Dr.
850 Windham Avenue
Richfield Oil Corporation Offices
Richfield Oil Corp<>ralion
56-57 Inner Harhor
Richfield Oil Corporation Marine Terminal
76-78 Inner Harbor
1234 West 81h Street
Santa Fe Railway Company
Sea SCQut Base
Pier A, East
Seahoard StevedorIng Company
A·2
Sir William Reardon Smith Lines
A·10
Smilh~Rice Derrick Barges
C·24
South African Marine Lines
A·lO
Wesl 8th and PiCQ
Southern Pacific Railroad Company
Southern Terminals Company
D-34
101 Inner Harhor
Spencer Kellogg & &Jns, Inc.
Star Terminals Company
2-52
Siaies Marlne~IsJhmlan Agency, Inc.
A·10
States Marme Lines
A·10
Slates Steamship Company
C-21
Sully~MllIer Conlracling Company
58 Inner Harhor
C·24
Swedish Amertcan Line
Swedish East Asia Company
C·24
Transocean Steamship Agency, Inc.
D·34
Trident Transport Corporation
D-34
Uni(ln Pacific Railway Company
144 Pine Avenne
United Concrele Pipe Corporallon
83 Inner Harhor
U. S. Army-Long Beach Oulport Activity
1-50
U. S. Coast Guard-Captain of the Port
A-I
A-I
U. S. Customs
U. S. Cusloms
A·3
U. S. Customs
A·5
A-10
U. S. Cusloms
U. S. Cnsloms
C-24
U. S. Cnstoms
D-34
U. S. Customs
2-54
U. S. Food & Drug Administration
A-5
Van Camp Sea Food Co., Inc.
840 Van Camp SI.
Waterfr(lnl Sales & Agencies, Inc.
A-S
Wesl Coast Terminals
A-S
West Coast Warehonse
A·7,8&9
Western Shipping Corporation
D-34
Westfal-Larsen Company, Inc.
D·34
Wharfingers' Office.
A-5
Wharfingers' Office
A-9
Wharfingers' Offlca
D-34
Wharfingers' OfJIce
2·54
Williamson & Company
C-24
Yamaehila Steamship Company
C·24
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THE PORT OF LONG BEACH J 333 EI Embarcadero Long Beach 2, California BULK RATE
U. S. POSTAGE
PAID Permit
No. 408 long Beach , Colif.