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The "Other" Garbage Can Story by Dick Phillips
Reading the garbage can story on this site reminded me of another story concerning one of those stainless steel garbage cans that used to reside under the sinks in the crews mess. Now, I can't swear this story is true as I've heard several boats names associated with it. I'd guess it must have happened somewhere or there wouldn't be so many tales about it in circulation. You'll recall the first job you had when you reported aboard a boat as a seaman or fireman? Six weeks (or three or whatever was current at the time) spent mess cooking. Washing dishes, peeling spuds and keeping the mess clean or anything else the cook wanted done. It was your job until relieved. And a thankless and unsought job it was! BNB (Before Nuclear Boats) we didn't have any means of getting rid of garbage other than by chucking it overboard. So, once a day, you'd ask permission from the bridge to "Dump Garbage" and would get the OK to haul those damned unwieldy tins up through the after battery hatch, weather permitting, or up through the conning tower to the bridge, then down to the main deck weather not permitting the opening of the after battery hatch. Once on deck, you'd tie a line onto the can and attach the other end of the line to a stanchion, wait for the O.D. to slow the boat to a reasonable speed and you'd dump the garbage then pitch the can over the side to let the wake wash out the cans. Seaman Joe Doaks (name changed to protect the unwary) was on garbage detail for the first time and wasn't being closely supervised by the other, and more experienced mess cook. While the more experienced man was bringing the second can across the bridge and to the ladder leading to the main deck, Doaks had already dumped the the first can and briskly pitched it over the side. He had carefully wrapped the retrieval line firmly around his wrist in order to be able to retrieve the can when it was clean. Unfortunately for him, the O.D. hadn't slowed the boat significantly and when that can hit the water, it continued aft, the line tightened and Doaks sailed gracefully over the rail and into the water, arm first! Lucky for him, his partner mess cook saw this and yelled, "Man overboard!" at the top of his lungs. The O.D. ordered the appropriate maneuver and the boat was soon alongside Doaks who seemed to be having trouble staying afloat despite the fact that he had popped the CO2 cartridges on his life jacket. Turns out Doaks had wrapped the line attached to the can so firmly around his arm that he was unable to let go of the can despite the fact that it was trying to drown him. (He'd only been able to reach one of the pull cords on the life jacket and only half the jacket was inflated) and the shock of being whipped over the side had damn near ripped his arm off! It didn't take long to get Seaman Doaks back aboard to be read off by the O.D...... firstly for not waiting for the boat to slow down, then for not letting go of the can and keeping his head above water full time. Later Doaks was to say he expected to get hell for leaving the boat without permission and he wasn't about to take the chance of losing the can, figuring he'd be responsible for replacing it! The other mess cook delighted in telling the story of watching Doaks soar gracefully over the rail following the escaping garbage can. Said he figured the grace and skill demonstrated was good for a 9.8 Olympic score for style! (And a big 10.0 for dumb!)
Dick Phillips dick_phillips@telus.net
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