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ELEVEN UNUSUAL CARGOES
SS George W. Barnes
On september 14, 1939 the Esso tanker George W. Barnes left the Patuxent River where she had been tied up since August 22 of that year. She was commanded by Captain Eric R. Blomquist and her engineroom was in charge of Chief Engi-neer Paul Christ. The vessel began her wartime transportation by loading 63,072 barrels of Quiriquire crude oil at Caripito between September 21 and 25 for delivery to Halifax, where she arrived on October 4. During the rest of the year she loaded twice at Bay-town, once at Texas City, and took on three cargoes at Baton Rouge.
In 1940, running from Gulf and Caribbean loading ports to Cuban and U. S. east coast discharge terminals, the tanker tran-sported 1,164,457 barrels of crude oil and finished products.
Leaving Corpus Christ! on December 31, 1940, the George W. Barnes discharged her first cargo of 1941, 64,508 barrels of Mirando crude oil, at New York. On her next voyage the vessel returned to Texas City and loaded for Boston, reaching there January 27. She was then ordered to Baton Rouge to lift 60,921
barrels of fuel oil for Tampa. Her next fourteen cargoes were similar and she remained in much the same trade until March of 1942.
Molasses - For War
Then, after a special tank cleaning, the George W. Barnes was assigned to an unusual but important task. Under the com-mand of Captain Lionel E. Crowder, with Chief Engineer Harry R. Peck in charge of her engineroom, the Esso tanker loaded at Cuban ports the first of eleven wartime cargoes of molasses. She arrived at the Cuban Distilling Company terminal at Ma-nati on March 22, 1942, and by the 26th had loaded 40,291 barrels of molasses; on March 27 the vessel topped off with 4,861 barrels at Matanzas. This cargo was delivered to the Cuban Distilling Company pier at New Orleans on March 30.
After transporting a load of North Sweden crude oil from Corpus Christi to Havana, the George W. Barnes was made ready for her second cargo of Cuban molasses, 44,657 barrels, part of which was taken on at Santiago, April 17, and the rest at Cienfuegos, April 20. This consignment was discharged at New Orleans. There followed six cargoes of crude oil, bunker "C", and Navy fuel oils carried from Texas loading ports to east coast discharge terminals.
In 1943 the George W. Barries, after delivering seven cargoes of petroleum products, was dispatched to transport six car-goes of molasses. They were loaded at Matanzas on August 10 and December 23, Cienfuegos on September 9, October 5, and 27, and Jucaro on November 28.
In 1944, last war year in which the George W. Barries served with the Esso fleet, she was turned over to War Emergency Tankers, Inc., on April 7. After loading 61,075 barrels of fuel oil at Houston, Texas, and delivering it to Cuba on January 10, the tanker lifted a cargo of 43,285 barrels of molasses at Matanzas and discharged it at New Orleans on the 21st. For the return trip to Cuba, a cargo of bunker fuel oil was taken on at Houston and on February 26 arrival was recorded at Matanzas. Proceeding to Puerto Padre, the George W. Barnes loaded her tenth cargo of molasses, 40,319 barrels, for New Orleans. On March 14 the vessel's last Esso oil cargo in World War II, 60,267 barrels of bunker "C" fuel oil, lifted at Smithbluff, Texas, was delivered at Matanzas; and on March 27 and 29 she loaded at Puerto Padre and Puerto Manati her last wartime molas-ses cargo (71,376 barrels) while under the Esso flag.
The SS George W. Barnes was built in 1918 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Ltd. (Fore River Plant), Quincy, Mass. The W. L. Steed was her sistership.
A single-screw vessel of 9,750 deadweight tons capacity on international summer draft of 26 feet, 5 3/4 inches, the George W. Barnes has an overall length of 432 feet, 'a length between perpendiculars of 415 feet, a moulded breadth of 56 feet, and a depth moulded of 32 feet, 9 inches. With a cargo carrying capacity of 78,310 barrels, she has an assigned pumping rate of 3,500 barrels an hour.
Her triple expansion engine, supplied with steam by two water-tube boilers, develops 2,800 indicated horsepower and gives her a classification certified speed of 10.2 knots.
Her Oil Transport Record
The transportation record of the George W. Barnes from September 14, 1939 to April 7, 1944 - excluding 11 cargoes of mo-lasses totaling 499,914 barrels - was in summary as follows:
The wartime masters of the George W. Barnes while she was in Company service were Captains Eric R. Blomquist, Jo-seph Pershake, Leslie D. Cushman, Frederick S. Anderson, Walter F. Andrews, Lionel E. Crowder, George E. Christiansen, Charles M. Crowell, Urban A. Haughn, and Myles M. Montgomery.
In charge of her engineroom during the same period were Chief Engineers Paul Christ, Thomas B. Hutchins, William R. Burrell, Frank J. Burchalewski, Myles M. Bylsma, Harry R. Peck, John F. Reites, Charles E. Swedburg, and Florence A. Da-niels.
While the vessel was operated for War Emergency Tankers, Inc., from April 7, 1944 until V-J Day, her masters were Cap-tains Myles M. Montgomery and Ralph Durdle and her engineroom was in charge of Chief Engineers Florence A. Daniels and Leroy E. Dwelly.
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