T'was the Night Before Light Off

In this episode of Story Time with Uncle Ryan, we're reading a poem written in the 1980s about the process of lighting off the ship's boilers.
To read the poem and accompanying notes about it:
drive.google.com/file/d/10tXs...
For our video on New Year's Eve Deck Log poems:
• New Years Eve Deck Log...
To send Ryan a message on Facebook: / ryanszimanski
To support this channel and Battleship New Jersey, go to:
www.battleshipnewjersey.org/v...

[@briangulley6027]

I thought the captain turned the key and fired it up. A few noobs back in my air force days would fall for the old go the support section and check out the keys to the jet gag. Didn't work often but quite the hoot when it did. Of course, there's the bucket of prop / jet wash, yard of flightline, and my favorite gag to pull, I'd tell a noob to get a tire from the tire shop, the noob would go get the tire and bring it back, I'd tell him he got a left main tire, and we need a right main tire. Noob takes the tire back the shop and comes back with the same tire with a pissed off look on his face. Priceless.

[@vixenraider1307]

Merry Christmas to the Battleship New Jersey, May she have many more peaceful years as a museum. Rest well New Jersey and Happy 2023!!!

[@phillipbouchard4197]

That man is an incredible poet ! Who would think a Machinest Mate would also be a poet. Cheers to U.S.S. Missouri BB - 63 !

[@johnhadley7715]

These guys weren’t just “the black gang,” if you ever have the chance to be down there, either (a) learning the plant, or (b) just spending time with them, you’ll come to see they are one heckuva bunch of people, and their world is NOT”good enough for government work.”

[@speed150mph]

Turns out if you have an entire operations bible of technical terms, you can find enough that rhyme to make it sound like it makes sense. And who knows. I’ve never operated a steam plant; this could be a bunch of bs for anyone whose never ran a fireroom.

[@yes_head]

That was wonderful, Uncle Ryan. But now we really need you to walk us through every step depicted in the poem. 😉

[@bustergutz231]

There are two types of sailors on a ship. Snipes, and passengers! I was, and will always be proud of being a BT.

[@adambarber100]

This is going to be a plot point in a movie in like 200 years. They need to reactivate the New Jersey to fight the invading aliens, and the only documentation that still exists about how to start the ship is this video of Ryan reading this poem, that someone found on an old dusty video iPod that’s now in a museum.

[@hagestad]

you mean like that Rihanna one ?

[@Marin3r101]

Shhh. Adam lives under a rock in the sea.

[@ryandavis7593]

Silver Rails, a compilation of Georgetown Loop employees poems found on a Facebook page. I enjoyed the poem very much. I got a job with the Georgetown Loop Railroad in 2004 because of my knowledge of oil firing of steam locomotives. The Navy vet that I first spoke to was impressed after first being dismayed at my questioning his firing. I made a suggestion that worked to calm a drumming fire. At first he couldn’t help but be annoyed but changed his mind quickly when it worked. He invited me up to the footplate with joy asking me what engine I worked on and who taught me to fire. I have been fortunate enough to learn from an old gentleman in the mid eighties when I was a teenager and have passed that to others including the crew of the ex Santa Fe 3415 in Abilene Kansas. Lighting the fire of an oil burning boiler is still one of my life’s greatest thrills.

[@mokdumoknonsharrall1868]

THAT'S AWESOME! 😍🤩🤩❣

[@mbterabytesjc2036]

Merry Christmas everyone, the birth of the savior is at hand. Praise God for all the love and blessings provided to you, your families, friends, community, county, state, country and all the world. With out God we would be in a MUCH bigger mess. 🙏

[@NKP73]

Amen 🙏

[@sparkplug1018]

Must have been a hell of a thing bringing the steam online, the ships literal beating heart starting up. Merry Christmas Battleship New Jersey.

[@henrycarlson7514]

So Wise , Thank You . That is very close to what happens on almost every lite off

[@DavidSmith-cx8dg]

That chap really knew his job , a really great way to describe all the work needed just to get the shop under way . Wishing everyone on New Jersey a Happy Christmas and a safe , and successful New Year .

[@almirria6753]

I did not know how much it took to get one of the sea going monsters going under it's own power/steam.

[@ranekeisenkralle8265]

this nicely illustrates just how complex that machinery down there really is. No "turn the ignition key and off you go". Instead a long but necessary process to get that ship underway.

[@shelleyking8450]

Don't lose this post! Between this and what literature survives, this will be the only resource on how to start these monsters if needed.

[@johnchilds6471]

Now each of us from time to time has gazed upon the sea and watched the mighty warships pulling out to keep this country free. And most of us have read a book or heard a lusty tale, about these men who sail these ships through lightning, wind and hail. But there's a place within each ship that legend's fail to teach. It's down below the water-line and it takes a living toll - - a hot metal living hell, that sailors call the "Hole." It houses engines run with steam that makes the shafts go round. A place of fire, noise, and heat that beats your spirits down. Where boilers like a hellish heart, with blood of angry steam, are molded gods without remorse, are nightmares in a dream. Whose threat from the fires roar, is like a living doubt, that at any moment with such scorn, might escape and crush you out. Where turbines scream like tortured souls, alone and lost in Hell, are ordered from above somewhere, they answer every bell. The men who keep the fires lit and make the engines run, are strangers to the light and rarely see the sun. They have no time for man or God, no tolerance for fear, their aspect pays no living thing a tribute of a tear. For there's not much that men can do that these men haven't done, beneath the decks, deep in the hole, to make the engines run. And every hour of every day they keep the watch in Hell, for if the fires ever fail their ship's a useless shell. When ships converge to have a war upon an angry sea, the men below just grimly smile at what their fate will be. They're locked below like men fore-doomed, who hear no battle cry, it's well assumed that if they're hit men below will die. For every day's a war down there when gauges all read red, twelve-hundred pounds of heated steam can kill you mighty dead. So if you ever write their songs or try to tell their tale, the very words would make you hear a fired furnace's wail. And people as a general rule don't hear of these men of steel, so little heard about this place that sailors call the "Hole." But I can sing about this place and try to make you see, the hardened life of the men down there, 'cause one of them is me. I've seen these sweat-soaked heroes fight in superheated air, to keep their ship alive and right, though no one knows they're there. And thus they'll fight for ages on till warships sail no more, amid the boiler's mighty heat and the turbine's hellish roar. So when you see a ship pull out to meet a war-like foe, remember faintly if you can, "The Men Who Sail Below." -Anonymous

[@klsc8510]

I have read much about the men on the bridge when it battle, but without the hard sailors of the hole, the bridge's orders are to no avail!

[@philgiglio7922]

Got to watch a boomer putting to sea from Fort Clinch on Amelia island. Kings Bay sub base is about 20 miles NW of the forts grounds at the very northern most point of the island. My wife and I were married inside one of the bastions of the fort.

[@jessicabuckman9675]

I think it was absolutely wonderful Ryan, nice video. Merry Christmas.

[@anthonywhisenant3597]

I came aboard the Battleship NJ today for yet another amazing tour and it never gets old!

[@randyogburn2498]

That was clever prose. Merry Christmas to everyone involved with USS New Jersey.

[@bryangrote8781]

That poem was fantastic! Merry Christmas Ryan and to all the staff, volunteers, and retired crew of The New Jersey!

[@tombriggman2875]

Thanks Ryan to you and your team. These words and phrases I've not heard since the late 70's, brought back many fond memories.

[@Gr8thxAlot]

This is the perfect poem to warm one up, on this cold -50 F windchill night.

[@bobdelano6746]

God bless us all ! and to all, a good night

[@bigsarge2085]

Incredible!

[@Nerd3Ddotcom]

I suppose this means a battleship underway is poetry in motion.

[@ethanpoole3443]

At least, provided you are not the one it is underway for!

[@williamcreighton8357]

I served on the New Jersey. We lit off at least 24 to 48 hours prior to getting underway.

[@michaelimbesi2314]

That was wonderful!

[@mariolastra9709]

This was perfect…

[@Logistical_Nightmare]

As a former boiler technician third class who took part in many light offs, this poem is amazing and pretty much spot on. I only say pretty much as I never served on the mighty mo and can not confirm their exact procedures.

[@VintageCarHistory]

Damn! That's awesome!

[@Ironman20994]

Merry Christmas uncle Ryan !

[@johnchilds6471]

100% accurate light off procedure!

[@Moredread25]

Merry Christmas!

[@georgedistel1203]

Great poem really enjoyed it!

[@mattinsley1721]

Happy holidays to you Ryan. Thanks for all of the wonderful history you are helping to save.

[@npk765fan]

Merry Christmas and a happy new year everyone

[@edwardrhoades6957]

1:48 The LTJG in that pic was my first Chief in MMR2 on USS Nassau LHA-4, Kevin Bacon.

[@ericbowen650]

Thank you for posting the other five pages, Ryan!

[@iamian9028]

Here's one for the leathernecks- 'Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone, In a one-bedroom house made of plaster and stone. I had come down the chimney, with presents to give and to see just who in this home did live. As I looked all about, a strange sight I did see, no tinsel, no presents, not even a tree. No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand. On the wall hung pictures of a far distant land. With medals and badges, awards of all kind, a sobering thought soon came to my mind. For this house was different, unlike any I’d seen. This was the home of a U.S. Marine. I’d heard stories about them, I had to see more, so I walked down the hall and pushed open the door. And there he lay sleeping, silent, alone, Curled up on the floor in his one-bedroom home. He seemed so gentle, his face so serene, Not how I pictured a U.S. Marine. Was this the hero, of whom I’d just read? Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed? His head was clean-shaven, his weathered face tan. I soon understood, this was more than a man. For I realized the families that I saw that night, owed their lives to these men, who were willing to fight. Soon around the Nation, the children would play, And grown-ups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day. They all enjoyed freedom, each month and all year, because of Marines like this one lying here. I couldn’t help wonder how many lay alone, on a cold Christmas Eve, in a land far from home. Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye. I dropped to my knees and I started to cry. He must have awoken, for I heard a rough voice, “Santa, don’t cry, this life is my choice I fight for freedom, I don’t ask for more. My life is my God, my country, my Corps.” With that he rolled over, drifted off into sleep, I couldn’t control it, I continued to weep. I watched him for hours, so silent and still. I noticed he shivered from the cold night’s chill. So I took off my jacket, the one made of red, and covered this Marine from his toes to his head. Then I put on his T-shirt of scarlet and gold, with an eagle, globe and anchor emblazoned so bold. And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride, and for one shining moment, I was Marine Corps deep inside. I didn’t want to leave him so quiet in the night, this guardian of honor so willing to fight. But half asleep he rolled over, and in a voice clean and pure, said “Carry on, Santa, it’s Christmas Day, all secure.” One look at my watch and I knew he was right, Merry Christmas my friend, Semper Fi and goodnight. I spent Christmas of aught-eight in Baghdad, Iraq. Got some crappy, itchy, wool socks in a random care package as a gift. Because that's exactly what you want to be wearing in a desert. Happy Holiday, y'all!

[@Jacob-W-5570]

I will be praising, because this is amazing! One could almost start up the plant, with the poem in hand!

[@TheEvertw]

Grossly underrated comment!

[@forkmonster1153]

Keep the quality content coming, i enjoy your videos, gotta make a trip to the ship one day

[@dalesql2969]

log entry poems have a long tradition in the navy. Traditionally on christmas and new years, but sometimes other days. I never had the opportunity to make such an entry, but have read a bunch of them over the years.

[@jamespowell7302]

For PRO (HMCS Protecteur) we'd start 4 hours prior to Immediate Notice for Power (INFP). Setup was about 2 hours before the first fire- so in reality, it was a 6 hour process from cold/alongside to slipping lines. Generally, when I did Boiler Op, I'd arrive the night before to do the setup, it made for a much calmer flashup in the AM to get the last 6 hours of sleep in my cart on the ship than coming in for 0330. As Boiler Op, I wanted to touch _every_ valve that needed to be in a specific place because once you put the fire in, you were tied to the console. Somewhere below there is a question about "how fast", and the answer is it depends how many bricks you wanted to break...the more bricks that you were prepared to destroy, the faster. Reality is that I think a minimum would be about 3 hours from 24 hours NFP to INFP due to the amount of work required and the reality of not wanting to break anything that you need. The oil would be cold if you did that too... Mil-L-357 (Steam Turbine Oil) doesn't separate very well when cold. My only real flashup as EOOW was December 2012, leaving San Diego for Victoria. Feel free to ask questions- as one of the younger EOOW's on a "Cross Compound Steam Turbine Ship", I might have an appropriate answer. (though a mere 21000 shp...) Another PG poem to read would be Mc'Andrews Hymn by Kipling. There is a RCN one out there too, Ryan. (IIRC "The Men Down Below")

[@jamespowell7302]

The Men Who Sail Below Now each of us, from time to time, have gazed upon the sea, and watched the warships pulling out, to keep the country free. And most of us have read a book, or heard a lousy tale, about the men who sail these ships, through lightning wind and hale. But there is a place within each ship, that legend fails to teach it's down below the water line, and takes a awful toll, a red hot metal living hell, those sailors call the hole. It houses engines run by steam, that make the shafts go round, a place of fire, noise and heat, that beats your spirit down. Where boilers make a hellish heat, with blood of angry steam, and molded gods without remorse are nightmares in your dreams Where threat from the fires roar, is like living in doubt, that any minute, would with scorn, escape and crush you out, where turbines scream like tortured souls, alone and lost in hell. Those men who keep the fires lit and make the engines run, are strangers to the world of night, and rarely see the sun. They have no time for man no beast, no tolerance for fear, their aspect pays no living thing the tribute of a tear. For there's not much that men can do, that these one's haven't done, below the decks, deep in the hole, to make those engines run. And every hour of every day they keep the watch in hell, for if the fires ever fail, their ship's a useless shell. When warships meet to have a war, upon an angry sea, the men below just grimly smile at what their fate may be. Turned too below, like men fore-doomed, who wear no battle cry, it's well assumed that if they're hit, the men below will die. Foe every day's a war down there, when the gauges all read red, six hundred pounds of heated steam will kill you mighty dead. So if you ever write their song or try to tell their tale, the very words will make you hear, a fired furnace wall. And people as a general rule, don't hear of men of steel, so little's heard about this place, just inches from the keel. But I can sing about this and try to make you see, the hardened life of men down there, cause one of them is me. I've seen these sweat soaked heroes fight, in superheated air, to keep their ship alive and right, though no one knows they're there. And thus they'll fight for ages on, till warships sail no more, amid the boilers mighty heat and turbines hellish roar. So when you see a ship pull out, to meet a warlike foe, remember faintly if you can "the men who sail below" Author Unknown

[@billpotmesil]

That’s so cool!

[@anthonyperroni598]

👍👍 Back when ships were wood and men were iron.

[@crbielert]

Spectacular.

[@wolfhalupka8992]

that was great- a glimpse what went into getting one of those mighty beasts underway "ready to answer all bells". a merry xmas to all of you!

[@31dknight]

Another great video from the battleship. Thanks

[@dutchman7216]

Thankyou Ryan for all you do. Merry Christmas

[@actaeon299]

From the old boilers, to the modern nukes... Snipes, first on, last off. Although I heard gas turbines are quick to start up/shut down. But steam plants, it's a process.

[@JoshuaTootell]

MGT's on my last ship we're virtually always in 5 minute standby. Of course that also assumes that you already have the generators online. Turbines were spin up with hydraulic motors drive off the generators. No SSDG, no birds.

[@jonathanc5175]

Thank was great!

[@kplante7881]

Thanks for sharing!

[@bobhealy3519]

Merry Christmas Ryan. And all your crew. You all rock.

[@paulloveless4122]

What a writer! Thank you for sharing!

[@jackray1337]

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

[@kealke]

Merry christmas to you too Ryan!

[@toddr737]

Merry Christmas to New Jersey and all who sailed or serve her. Shout out to Ryan and all the good people who care for this great ship.

[@alwaysbearded1]

Well done. I can understand a lot of it too.

[@divarachelenvy]

That was awesome Ryan, thank you and Merry Christmas to you all..

[@dennisverhaaf2872]

Hands down best poem ever! Thank you Ryan best wishes from Holland!

[@mongoose388]

I think every engine room in the Navy had a version of this, even the Nukes.

[@TDC-ih8ct]

Well done.

[@austinhughes1924]

Now that’s what I call a poem!

[@earth2006]

Very interested and down right cute.

[@stanbrow]

Love if!!!!

[@rossreed9974]

Fantastic... Imagine all ships departments doing a myriad of similar tasks and WELL DONE! Merry Christmas to all and thank you God for the dedication and know-how of our sailors - past and present!

[@johndougan6129]

Well done Ryan. I noticed that my membership expires next week. I'll have to renew that. Might I suggest family memberships to your local museum ship would make great gifts! 😊

[@philliplarson2155]

I was in VXE-6 so three tours and three Christmas’s on the ice.

[@thurin84]

its beginning to look a lot like shipshape, everywhere you go!

[@mikus4242]

Merry Christmas all!

[@MrJeep75]

Merry Christmas and happy new year's everyone

[@brianwilson3458]

Merry Xmas uncle Ryan!

[@PaulCyclist]

That was terrific. I developed controls for utility sized steam boilers, so it’s not lost on me the manual controls for operation.

[@eekedout]

Such an amazing poem. Thank you for sharing it with us.

[@maigretus1]

LOL. I like that you specified "PG" poetry. I've heard a lot of R.

[@inflatableboatadventures5030]

I lit off the plant on a USCGC JARVIS, DILIGENCE, TAHOMA, STEADFAST, and VIGILANT. Many times.

[@projectinlinesix]

This poem is magnificent. Thank you so much for sharing this.

[@timothyreed8417]

The best for a happy new year. Another great video…are there any engine room operation manuals posted on line similar to the “ navord op-769” operation manual for the 16 ‘s? Or could you point out the various devices, in the boiler room, mentioned in the notes at the end of the poem…the flow of videos is amazing thanks….

[@nothandmade9686]

All hand written no doubt.

[@meganmaki8489]

Our Lady, Our Home (Original Poem by Megan Maki, Copyright retained.) With pride did we make her With each stanchion and beam With pride did we crew her And she made us a team The World they did fear her Though she made not a sound Yes, no one could find her Though she was around Time was not kind to her Soon her black paint turned grey Kind words were said of her Then they took her away Through the years, in her we did trust Ashes to ashes. Rust to rust. I wrote his poem while watching a submarine being cut up for scrap in PSNS, dry dock 3. I had been aboard (though not as crew) when it was in commission and I was working, active duty, on the waterfront of NSB Bangor WA. A sailor may hate their command, may hate their job, may hate their life, but they are a part of their ship. When it goes, a part of the sailor goes with it.

[@klsc8510]

My Christmas Wish Years ago I remember sitting on Santa’s lap Telling him what I wanted as I looked at his cap. A bike, a truck, an HO gauge electric train And ending my list with a model fighter plane. A few I got and others, it was wait for next year. Now my list is simple and would give many good cheer. For Christmas I want all of the B-52’s made in detail By Monogram I one seventy-second scale. Titan II’s Trident, Sparrow, and Minuteman III’s To forever be built with care by Estes. The Armies that fight and brave Winter’s chill Should only be on paper by Avalon Hill. I want the Navies to sail and fight for the seas In soapy water and anchored at a kid’s knee. My Christmas wish is for something simple As popular as a girl’s dimple. It would make sense, and easy to be enjoyed To make all the world’s military----------------UNEMPLOYED! Written December 1980 while I was TDY at Ramstein AB, West Germany just before Christmas. SSgt William A. Geresy, USAF Ryan, I hope you enjoy this poem by an Airman!

[@billloutzenheiser5397]

Bundle up and stay war, and have a merry xmas

[@brothertyler]

*to the tune of Jingle Bells Why the hell am I All the way out in Japan Working on planes that don't matter on a crappy island?! Oh, swap the parts Swap the parts Read out all the lines AT1 doesn't know what to do and maintenance is behind Oh! Swap the parts Swap the parts Read out all the lines Live as an A T sucks and these planes will never fly! As an AT3, I wrote that when I used to work on the P-3C Orion Maritime Patrol Aircraft Later, as an AT1, it still rang true. Always working on improving sailor proficiency, but things are looking bad.

[@ah244895]

Great poem. If I ever need to light off a battleship I'll just follow the instructions on the poem. What could go wrong.

[@dbfbobt]

Nuclear submarine, reactor plant startup on Christmas Eve. "Bringing in the steam, Bringing in the steam, We are rejoicing, ....

[@TheEvertw]

I wonder how many ports there are that can still generate the steam these monsters need to get started...

[@JohnCBobcat]

BB NJ team and Ryan: At the Google Drive link, the poem seems to be missing quite a bit. Goes from first page to final page over the 1-2 page break. And the footnotes pages seem to have a few missing as well. They jump from 7 to 15+ over the 3-4 page break.

[@ericbowen650]

I tried to post a link to the complete version but apparently KZbin doesn't like links in comments.

[@ericbowen650]

It looks as if Ryan posted only the odd numbered pages and left out the even numbered ones.

[@pepperjack6421]

Seems outdated, but this is exactly what us amphib Sailors do till this day, 40s technology never left the navy. Maybe in a few decades.

[@johnt6213]

Merry Christmas! This is great. Why the Texas flag? Thank you!

[@HadToChangeMyName_YoutubeSucks]

PG rated? Might be limiting the sampling there Ryan. Happy holiday to you and yours.

[@moefuggerr2970]

Coolio.

[@captiannemo1587]

One of the best list poems I had found relates to the cancellation of the T18E2 Boarhound and a factory worker wrote a poem about it and it was included in a British Army Staff report headed to the UK from Detroit.

[@gtv6chuck]

Merry Christmas! Are you planning on doing a video about the Montana class battleships that were supposed to follow the Iowa class?

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

Done! kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6XSfaGFfLJ3ibc

[@gtv6chuck]

@@BattleshipNewJersey Thanks! I knew you would be way ahead of me.

[@beardedone85]

Great poem! I checked out the google drive file with the poem and notes it it is missing a bunch of pages. Maybe the sheets were duplexed but the scan wasn't?

[@xcreeseseater38]

This really goes to show how complicated these ship systems were. It's very impressive to think about actually. Is it just the poem, or is the startup process actually really slow (several watches/more than 1 day)??

[@genbaynton359]

It takes a long time to build steam pressure

[@JoshuaTootell]

I was EOW on a diesel plant, and it took us 24 hours to get prepped for getting underway. Slowly at first, but with tasks adding up during the last several hours. The engine room was a busy place at 4am the morning of for sure.

[@Mark13tol]

Had an ensign write a song titled "Somewhere back in Olongapo". It's not pg.

[@linuxgurugamer]

so from a cold start, how long would it take to get up steam and be able to move?

[@ericbowen650]

That was a standard lightoff. Start warming feed water in #3 DFT as soon as the kitchen and scullery are finished with hot water after the evening meal, light fires at 0300, boilers at 600 psi at 0900, ready to set sea & anchor detail at 1100 for a noon underway.

[@Beemer917]

All the information in that poem makes me think that between the New Jersey's cruises and being in mothballs there must have still been sailors around who remembered the procedures of how to do all this stuff from one cruise to the next even though sometimes they were fairly far apart. But now if someone was to try and take the New Jersey and return her to being a ship of the line, would there be anyone around who knows how to do all this stuff? How much information is gone and won't come back anymore since the eighties. I mean say the New Jersey was mechanically ready to sail, are there people around with the knowledge to sail her? It seems like quite a bit just to light the boilers? What if there was something really complex that needed done, all that generational knowledge is gone. Am I correct here or not?

[@kingawsume]

Just to let you know, the poem in the description in missing several pages. Otherwise, much obliged, Uncle Ryan.

[@detritus23]

There is a page missing from the pdf. Unfortunately, it also covers the burner nozzles, which I am curious to read about…