L H. CANN

L H. CANN

Work Of Louisburg Marine Engineer Highly Praised

- LOUISBURG, March 6—Out of this publicity-neglected port today came a story on the feat of a small marine en­gineer who has won recognition through & repair job to a freighter which is believed unequalled in Canadian marine records. ,The engineer is L. H.Cann, own-of the Cann Machine Shop, locat­ed on the harbor front of this, bustling summer resort. The story begins in February, 1947, when the big 5,000-ton freighter, Random, owned by the Newfoundland Railway, cracked a blade in its wheel a short distance from this port.

 DRY DOCK JOB

The crippled freighter made Louisburg Harbor and was berthed at the big Pier near Mr. Cann's ma­chine shop. The damage was sur­veyed and marine officials were of the opinion that it was a job for a dry dock — but how to get the ship -_;to such facilities posed a major question, She was unable to navigate through the thick ice with the damaged wheel. 'Mr. Cann was approached to give an opinion and to the amazement of marine officials suggested that his machine shop could handle the task and repair the ship while it stood in the icy water. The officials with tongues in cheek, gave him the green light and the difficult task started.

Working under the  direction of Mr.   Cann,   Doug   Hahnon,   machine shop  foreman,  and a  group  of em­ployees,   commenced   to   repair   the blade from a raft. With a new part cast at the Sydney Steel Plant  and  with   expert   advice    from    George Beaton.,  mechanical   superintendent! at the Steel Plant, the job was completed in three days.

REMARKABLE    FEAT  Marine inspectors,, who  later  ex­amined  the  work  in  St.  John  and . Halifax,    stated    that  it  was  a  remarkable  feat  that such  a  welding job    was    successful    when it was considered    the    work    was    done while   a  portion   of the  wheel  was lodged   in   cold   water   and   terrific heat    was    applied to  the  exposed part. It was also feared that a chem­ical   action   would   result   from   the salt water  and   corrode  the   wheel. This, however, was not the case.

Yesterday the Random docked here after plying the coast for more than a year with the wheel still functioning first rate. Today, Mr. Cann, who has repairing ships for many years, at this port, proudly points with pride to the job that "couldn't be done" after whjch has tabbed by one leading engineer as a- "wonder job." In the above pict­ure L. H. Cann, prominent Louisburg marine engineer, is shown Jointing with pride yesterday to a repair job that his firm accomplish­ed on the wheel of the 5,000-ton Newfoundland Railway freighter Random. The work was done lasl March after marine experts said he cracked wheel could only be repaired on a dry dock. Mr. Cann thought different and tackled the job while the ship was standing in ¹ the icy water at Louisburg. Experts scoffed at the . idea of trying to weld the .wheel while one portion |vas submerged in cold water and ; terrific heat applied to the expos-

- ed part. Yesterday the Random docked at Louisburg—almost a year  after the repair job—and Captain O'Keefe (smoking cigaret) said the wheel "worked like a charm.

- Captain O'Keefe stated that machine engineers who examined the 8 repair job in Halifax and St. John ."• described the work as a "wonder a job .believed unequalled in Canadian marine history.

On right is shown a closeup of the repair   job.   Mr.. Cann   praised   the,  employees of his machine shop who', worked   under  his  supervision   andalso the expert advise supplied by George   Beaton,   mechanical  superintendent of theSydey Steel Plant