Hi, just a reminder that you're receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in Caribbean Communications Network. Don't forget to add digitalmedia@trinidadexpress.com to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inbox!
 
You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our emails.
Issue #198
    Friday 27th June, 2014
Digital Divide Newsletter
Editor's Note
Hi Subscribers, Thanks for supporting the Digital Divide Newsletter. Enjoy these pieces that we've put together for you from our archives. We know some of you enjoy the nostalgic aspect that we've undertaken recently and for that we thank you for your feedback.
Featured Stories Header
What caused that sea disaster
Originally published on Thursday 6th December 1973 by Michael Merrick and Phyllis Griffith
Feature Second Story
Mr. Cedric Weekes (left) AMOCO's employee relations manager, leads Coverley (centre) from the helicopter which had just landed at SeaLots. At right is Leo Waldinger
Advertisment

Panic and a fiaming life jacket caused the deaths of three men in yesterday's-oil barge disaster.

This was the story brought back by survivors on the $40 million Marina 1, a drilling barge owned by Santa Fe Drilling Company, a contracting firm for Amoco Trinidad oil company.

The rig blew upandcaughtfirearound 4 a.m. yesterday.

Three men who dived into the sea after two explosions died by drowning. Three of 71 workers were seriously injured. Six others were treated at hospital and sent home.

Dead are:Owen Straker, 44 ^of Ixora Street Pieasantville, San Fernando, an employee of Schlumberger Trinidad.

Thomas Melville ,39, of Gooding Street, San Fernando a Schlumberger crane operator.

Walter Phillip, 38, of La Savannie, New Lands, Guapo, of Santa Fe Drilling.

Eyewitnesses said one of men who died jumped into the sea with his life jacket on fire.

The other two men who drowned panicked and did not put on their life jackets properly, fellow workers said.

Seriously injured are Carlos Stoute, 42, of Gaston Bay, who received injuries to his head and leg, Hilton Mark, 38, of Foster Road, Sangre Granite and Calvin Coverley, 32, an American who was burned about the body.

Stoute and Coverley are at the Port of Spain General Hospital while Mark is warded at the Sangre Grande Hospital.

American Leon Waldinger and Fred Doss, 29, a Canadian citizen residing in the United States, were among those treated at hospital and sent home.

A helicopter brought the injured to the city.

And hospital staff were put on emergency standby.

Over 75 perent of the multi-million dollar barge was destroyed, it was learned, Company officials were unable to give in estimate of the damages.

Describing the disaster one man who was aboard the barge when it happened, said:
"At about 4.15 a.m. we heard an explosion and the alarm was sounded which indicated we should abandon the barge.

By a radius of about 10 feet of the barge was in flames. When we were attempting to get off there was a second explosion and Straker's life .jacket caught fire and he drowned."

Then workers told of panic life boats out of reach and a long wait for rescue.

Said one: "Melville and Phillip panicked and did not put on their life jackets properly and died in the sea."

Another added : "There were" four life rafts attached to the barge, but only one could have been used as the other three were on the side where the fire started.

"The only raft available could not hold all the men and it was about three hours before a standby boat was able to rescue the others."

 
BATA loses $200,000 in orders!
Originally published on Friday 7th December 1973 by Stephen Mohammed
Feature Second Story

 

News Headlines
  Bullets for bodyguard

Woman dies in crane crash
  Cops 'getting help' in Seetahal murder probe
  Suarez bites out
  Maternal vibe
Sports Headlines
  Life sport Murder

TTPS says no police war in Laventille
  PSC on Crime
  Gerard Pantin's Funeral
  Diego Martin woman dies in accident

'TRINIDAD Footwear Limited (BATA) has lost orders for the manufacture of 65,000 pairs of shoes for markets in the Eastern Caribbean area as a direct result of the company's lockout of its 120 factory workers since November 19.

The company's personnel manager Mr. Kenton Ahow, said yesterday that the company was also expected to be faced with further cancellations of orders.

The already cancelled orders have amounted to a financial loss of an estimated $200,000 for Bata. Orders were placed mainly for sandals and canvas sneakers.

Mr. Ahow said that while the company was eager to have all its employees back on the job "particularly at this time of the year," he could easily envisage some problems arising in taking them back all at the same time.

This was so, Mr. Ahow, explained because of the great losses in orders and particularly because production usually slows down at the present time.

Mr. Ahow could not yet give details of the company's production and sales losses on the local market.

He disclosed that a meeting the first between the company and the workers' union Transport and Industrial Workers
Union (TIWU) since the lockout was put into effect will - take place at the Ministry of Labour, at 2 o'clock this afternoon.

Dispute

Minister of Labour, Mr. Hector Mc Clean called both parties together on the request of the union.

Mr. Ahow said it was always the company's position to meet with TIWU before any referral of the dispute to the Industrial Court.

He added that the company was hoping for a change in the situation following today's meeting.

He stated that the union was asking for a wage increase of 66 cents an hour for each worker while the company had offered 28 cents per hour, to be divided over the next three years.

"If the union continues to hold on to their demand Mr. Ahow said "I don't see us going any place"