Trying to think of an image for this week's Sepia Saturday had me stumped. I'm sure I've got some bridge photos around here that I haven't shown before, but putting my finger on them was the problem. Instead I started thinking bridges, trains, and ships.
I give you some very old and blurred photos of the launching of the tanker ship Caltex Rotterdam taken by Donald G. Schnabel. It looks to have been a rather overcast dreary day. I'm sure Donald was there because he worked in the oil industry.
The ship was built in the Netherlands in 1956. I don't know what year it was launched, but Donald took a trip to Bahrain in 1957 and visited the BAPCO office. If you look at the first shot you'll see a logo of a red star in a circular field of white. You'll see the same logo in the shot taken outside the BAPCO office in Bahrain.
In October of 1975 the Caltex Rotterdam was dragged to Masan, South Korea. On December 12, 1975 demolition of the vessel was begun.
And here's a video a fellow made of old movies aboard Caltex tankers. WARNING: You might need to take dramamine before watching it.
If watching this you start thinking, "Geez, look at the waves coming over the deck! How low is this thing?" Take a look at this photo found here showing the Caltex Rotterdam loaded and sailing.
Now, if you really want to see a bridge after all of this click here to take a look at my July 22, 2011 post about the building of the Glen Canyon Bridge in Arizona. It was my Sepia Saturday post so long ago.
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They are fabulous shots. The fact that you couldn't immediately put your finger on an old bridge photo gives me hope - I have always thought of you as one of the most organised collectors of old images.
ReplyDeleteNo worries. I am so far from organized. In this case I just took a shot late Friday night and grab a box of slides hoping there was something, anything, that might relate to the prompt. It was full of badly color damaged of Germany...until I found the ship.
DeleteThrow a quarter into the ocean and it sinks to the bottom, so how does that tanker float? I don't know which is worse - that video or the Glen Canyon Bridge. My stomach dropped!
ReplyDeleteYou are like me. Churning and heights, horizon lines moving. Grab a saltine and pray.
DeleteOil is about 20% lighter than water so it floats. Enough oil will float the steel of the ship.
DeleteI didn't know that. But when I think of the mess I generally make in the kitchen with oil and water I realize I've seen this happen in a frying pan.
DeleteThat tanker looks massive! Of course there's a link to the prompt here, becau se ships have bridges.
ReplyDeleteVery good! I had not thought of that.
DeleteI admit I fast forwarded a bit in the video, and saw amazing footage. Glad the guy on the rope ladder didn't try climbing it when it was so rough. It was scary enough, but he made it! Very interesting about tankers, which I imagine are even bigger these days!
ReplyDeleteI was once on a US Navy tanker out in San Francisco Bay. A family friend was the captain and we'd gone out to have dinner in his quarters. It was quite an adventure.
DeleteWell..i guess they never had to worry about scrubbing & cleaning the deck!
ReplyDeleteI love old 8mm(0r was it16mm???) movies.
I imagine it's always a big thrill for shipyard workers to see a ship slide into the water for the first time. Yet they must have a little nagging doubt. Will it float? Did we double check all the rivets on the keel?
ReplyDeleteThe video was super, and really fits with the Schnabel series. The beginning was like an old film noir spy thriller. Then I figured out that little brother was holding the camera. Despite its graininess and faded color, the film makes an interesting documentary on the time.
I have so much more to explore with the Schnabel family. I have stayed away too long. I was even contacted by the people who bought Betty's house a couple years ago, but never responded. Things just seem to slip away from me these days.
DeleteI seem to remember saying in last week’s post that I’m not very good on boats. I feel queasy now!
ReplyDeleteAnd what good sailor wouldn't?
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