Monday, June 18 (1945)

Cold. Fine rain most of day. One of the first really boring days I've had to staff a bit. Didn't hear from Mary do have no idea what's up. Heard a lot of gossip. Looks as if I'd definitely not been wasting my time, but also looks as if I was in the wrong stall again. Ho Humm. Big demonstration for Eisenhower.

Sunday, June 17 (1945)

MP-MGH game ended 8-8 rained out today sultry. Felt rheumatic and loafed. Hear we were beaten on muddy diamond 12-3 by S & W. In PM watched SED put up hard fight against MGHrith. ? Chandles (N.Y. Yankees pitching) Boys hit him but blew up in 7th inning. My old friend of Charleston here. Now a Lt. Col.

Saturday, June 16 (1945)

Stuffy. More or less a let down. Couldn't really find much to do to keep busy. Finally quite at 2 oclock. Hear my "raise" failed to go through. King and somebody else leaving. Sat in sun and waited for MPs to play Moore Gen. Hosp. Good game. Heavy hitting. Threatened shower ran me in at 5th inning with MGH leading 7-6. Lights out all early part of evening.

Friday, June 15 (1945)

Nice day. Fell stiff in neck from yesterday. Jumped up and down in a bucket mist of day. Lots of trouble finding out what went wrong on #8 vent. Darned thing blew again. Some guy from Swarthout here re. damage. to control mech anisien on desep SPs. He could suggest nothing. Lots of prints coming in. One of SQs ? Saw SED beat AIT 5-4 in rather poorly played game.

Thursday, June 14 (1945)

Another scorcher. Started work on laying out shut down work and in general getting things ready. Miss Sampson not in. C.W. approved our plans for getting material shop in shape. Will have to make a lot capsules - if we can. About 3 over to C.W.s office where we met young Ferguson - I presume the heir. He then announced no shutdown! We go back to top priority for steam even if everything else stops! Celebrated by trimming A.I.T. 11-10. I drive in the winning run with two down in the last half of the 7th (final). AB 4 H 2 P.O. -1 A 1 (double play) E 1? BB o SO 0. So far have 400 avg, in 3 games.

Wednesday, June 13 (1945)

Wattaday. Hot sweltering but no rain. Sunspot reported. Started off with a rush with condenser. Had it in new position by 9:00 and by 10 was ready to connect to old tank.Then trouble. They had left too many field welds to be made and insisted on "fitting" whole affair before welding up. The "fitting" took from 10 AM to 6 PM. Finally got steam back on at 7:45 (1945!) Also, in spite of everything Main had done, we found foundations 1 1/2 inch off. Something went wrong in steam dept and Jones was nearly knocked off high scaffold and was drenched by hot water on vent pipe work. Miss Sampson collapsed from bad teeth and had to go to hospital! Wattaday!

Tuesday, June 12 (1945)

Started home soon and hit hay about 1 AM. Pretty drowsy on waking. Day a little less humid but it rained. C.W. still trying to decide things. Assigned Holt to follow up on new condenser construction. Place a regular madhouse all day. Samp finally got a loft with his vent crew. in afternoon wire from Mary. No truck. Called Purdy, who took Roedels' place. No truck till 18th - Damn. We played M.P.s in evening. Got off to good lead and blew the works in the fifth with everything overthrows, bone plays, sigh.

Monday, June 11 (1945)

Another steamer. General shutdown getting imminent and still can't get decision on valves. Casper about nuts. in afternoon slow pitch team played and beat Carbide 9-2. I had 1 B.B. one safe on error one hit one strike out. No assists, P.O.s or errors. Later got our varsity beaten by Clinton Lab in rotten game full of technicalities and bad sportsmanship. Evident bad blood between Shields and Bob Price. Clear also Price not popular with Clinton (nor with Army) Got home to find I hadn't locked cabinet. Had to go back to works. Got there at midnight and locked up.

Sunday, June 10 (1945)

Another Turkish bath. Tired tree times during day to see Jewell and finally made it. Saw a fair movie and some beautiful color pictures of the Philippines. In evening RA took Carbide in badly played game 5-3 and SED playing one man short nearly cleaned the all stars.

Saturday, June 9 (1945)

Hot muggy and successive thunder showers. A not very exciting day. Understand #10 was finally cut over to Bailey meters. Samp nearly ready to start his air vents. Seem very short of valves. Nothing much else of importance. Got new outdoor glasses. Saw some Western at Center. Cool and damp tonight.

Friday, June 8 (1945)

Thunder lightening and cloudburst. Began before dawn and still pouring at seven. Streams out of banks and many persons not at work. Cleared bot and steamy. Got a few minor matters cleaned up and late in PM C.W. ht us with a lot of cut over orders. He's virtually junked the whole blow down plan. Writing now wondering if there'll be any baseball. Rumored old Vinegar Joe may command Chinese expedition. There was baseball. S. Eng. Dist. beat S & W in fine game 3-0.

Thursday, June 7 (1945)

I don't get 130 Kentucky. Its warming up and getting cloudier. About two PM one of the blackest roll-seuds I ever saw. So black you cold hardly see and all lights went on. Shy looked green. Some rain after it. C.W. decided to control all steel and pipe on new outside boondoggle. Give us sort of an out. We are pushing foundation however. In evening saw God is My Co-Pilot drama. Very good.

Wednesday, June 6 (1945)

Another cool one. Lots of ineffectual action. Big news is that we are signed up for anther year with U.S. regardless of pacific war. Elkins in B'ham. Seems there is a big rush about getting new condensate going. Must be ready within one month!!! Finally decided to let Jones do it. Talked to Jimmy Maine awhile on the phone. All kinds of rumors including one that I'll get 130 Kentucky for a house.

Tuesday, June 5 (1945)

Very cold this morning but moderated. Found someone (turned out to be Roberts) had ordered connection in pump pit torn out. Good job. Should have been. Jamie wants a better trolley. Think can do. Office force surprised me with a birthday party and a group of presents. Didn't like it but they caught me completely by surprise. In evening saw Wrastel Bathroom as Sherlock Holmes. Five Orange Pips.

Monday, June 4 (1945)

Cold as the deuce. Coldest 4th of June for forty years or so. Snowstorms reported in Great Lakes Area. In AM got miscellaneous things rolling. In PM tried finally to get dump valve working. Everything went slow and at end they got a rotten fit. Finally quit about 4 PM with job incomplete. Our soft ball game cancelled. "Varsity" played T.E.C. Beaten 7-4 in worst exhibition of season. Cool.

Sunday, June 3 (1945)

Wonderful day but decided to rest. Slept till 12:40. Read "White Cockatoos." Wrote letters. In evening which was pretty cool went to see Identity Unknown at Ridge. Very good.

Saturday, June 2 (1945)

Very interesting day. Little change since yesterday. Lab 2 cooling nearly in. Q tank up and tested walls up on storage room. In PM ridiculous meeting with ? Co. re columns. Nobody who knew anything there. Hear Roberts back. Fine game in evening TEC v. R.A.. Tech won 2-1 on a scratch home run and a doubtful decision on home steal.

Friday, June 1 (1945)

Another hot one. It melts me but I lose no weight - still 188. Without much clothes. Little change at plant. National still has no welder. Jones getting Jones fixed up. Little news from overseas. Went to movies in evening. Wallace Beery - "This Man's Navy" quite amusing particularly when it turns out the old braggart C.P.O really has been in India and really can talk Japanese.

Thursday, May 31 (1945)

Another hot one with rainless thunderheads. National still held up for lack of welder. Heat & Cool going to town. Jones moving. Independent had row with Major re method of erection. We got stuck with an extra . Their scaffold looks broke and nearly killed two men. Luckily they escaped. Condensate nearly done. Lannie wants us to go into nickel capsule production. After supper fair movie, "Unseen." Our s.b. team defeated S.E.D. 7-5 in tight hard match. I got a lot of practice. Hear my last hit yesterday was actually a hit, giving me .333

Wednesday, May 30 (1945)

Good many events. Independent to taking down RPM, National stuck for lack of welder. Jones Const. need room. Jones ? Chem. House in way can't move till new one finished. No OK from Major. We are working on condenser raise and are nearly ready with plans. Some trouble in fire tracks, neck breaks or whatever. Baseball good bad and ind. We lost 5 to 6 to Cobbs outfit - I made 1 error? plenty of put outs. Grounded out twice and got to 1st on fielder's choice. In evening boys took fearful drubbing from Roane Anders. Came home in 7th score 12-1 and we'd used 4 pitchers.

Tuesday, May 29 (1945)

Practically in charge of Plant. Quarantine nearly ready. National held up by lack of welder. Otherwise all OK. Work hummed along steadily. A little decision to make relative to electric cut over. Guessed right. Am up against it badly as regards the new installations. Lots of material is wholly unobtainable. Am to play on "slow" soft b. team. First game tomorrow. Bought glove. Cost 9.45! Ouch. Stone and Webster have goof hard ball team. Beat M.P.s 10-2. Long hard hits.

Monday, May 28 (1945)

Uneventful start of beautiful day. Rather hot. New P.H. beginning to show piping but chimneys cit down for some reason. Finally getting quarantine piping up. Late in PM found Roberts leaving for a week. I'm in charge. Lots going on. National Valve finally here. Heat&Cool here. Rebuild on Lat 2 starts and Independent just breezed in. Also new and complete plans for new auxiliaries. Well well. In evening watched us take Carbide in close softball match 3-2. Then on inning (over an hour) of Roane Anderson v. Jones. Farce.

Sunday, May 27 (1945)

Perfect day. Did nothing but nurse game leg. Feel absolutely frustrated and disgruntled. Slept, read and wrote letters. Hobbled over to the "Ridge" and saw the struggle of the U.S.S. Franklin to survive the bombing she took and to watch her get home.

Saturday, May 26 (1945)

Nice weather. Tried to push the condenser job. Samp got the quarantine tank suspended but bolt holes proved to be in wrong place. Before I could fix it, Roberts came out and started in to run things. I beat it. Somehow hurt my knee last night. Worst its been since December. Hobbled around in misery all day. In evening Carbide took us in baseball 4-4

Friday, May 25 (1945)

Another nice day. Tried to get out on the new condensate but ran into some more trouble. New plans from Cleveland. Did get quarantine tank up. Worked most of day on theory and practice of pipe deffection calculation. Home early. Mens' underwear no longer for sale! Poppy day.

Thursday, May 24 (1945)

Another nice day. No particular excitement. Got back to the quarantine tank. Talked to Grinnel main about connections. Main worked on new condenser details. Late a new set of blow down plans came in. Spent evening working on calculations for pipe beds. Knee a little sore. Wonder if its bowling? Wonder whether we've got a secret weapon or just a boondoggle. U.S. Cabinet shake up. Pretty Polly Perkins and Biddle are out.

Wednesday, May 23 (1945)

Uneventful day. Beautiful weather. Had an annoying cough. Saw new chlorinator complete. Worked on condenser line change. Approved window plans. Home with Plott bowled with him, Jackson and McWrite. 95-112. Coming up again. Later in evening watched Army give AIT a fearful drubbing. Woodward blew up and whole business became a slaughter.

Tuesday, May 22 (1945)

Another nice day. Got fresh air line tested and OK. Giant boondoggle (gallows) now working and two "dead soldiers" have been successfully hung. Representative of ? over to see about connections in Process Bldg. Roberts took a hand for which I'm glad. Worked on new condenser. In evening went down to watch our baseball team thrash AIT. We're still not too good but are improving. Home with Langston. Winston Churchill resigned general election in England due July 5.

Manday, May 21 (1945)

Felt very good. Walk took a lot of soreness out of my shoulder. Same old jobs at plant pushing chlorimeter freshair, etc. Fresh air main gives a lot of trouble but it nearly done. In evening worked out with soft ball team who beat Stone and Webster very soundly. Rack 8 with new columns back in service. Hear Germans had a "heavy water" plant in Norway.

Sunday, May 20 (1945)

Perfect day. Cool cloudless light wind. Went exploring west along Ridge. Started to follow branch path, gave it up, but after cutting round through the timber hit it again and went way west to a road which had a prohibited zone warning on hit. Hard pull back. Dehydrated. Nearly fainted. In evening Naughty Marletta. Still good.

Saturday, May 19 (1945)

Ross was in but I saw little of him. I'll have to check up on him. Not a very active day. Got warmer and developed into nice afternoon. Jones left an open ditch which we can't do much with. They wouldn't fix it. Major said he didn't give a damn. In evening interesting hardball game. SED gave J.A. Jones quite a trimming. Very nice base running. One man stole home!

Friday, May 18 (1945)

Cold and rainy. but no heavy fall. Rather quiet day. All racks ex. #8 running. East reported in Buff at May not last. Spent most of PM with water lab man tracing water lines. Saw Roberts late in PM and he showed me new condensate plans. We still have quite a job on our hands but it is not urgent. Lot of other unimportant boon doggles. Worked some on chlormation problem.

Thursday, May 17 (1945)

Early before dawn sudden thunder storm with terrific rain. Had left my rain coat at the plant and got well soaked getting down there. At plant found carriage complete and after getting it rigged, it still worked fairly well. Buck dropped in for a while with Roberts. Nothing of note. Haven't yet seen new condensate plans. Late in PM Jackson showed me his set of new power plant drawings. In evening saw a Lon Chaney. He was quite an actor. Trouble between our troops in Italy and Italian Communist followers of Tito (World War III starts??

Wednesday, May 16 (1945)

Got my new alteration on carriage laid out. Work ragged. Should have been done by noon but just finished before quitting. Had rained early but cleared to a hot steamy day. Wore cotton and got terribly dirty. In evening took a nap and then watched AIT and Stone & Webster at hardball. Woodward again driven to the showers but at 10:30 AIT led 703. Very hot and stuffy. Last group of Germans reported to have surrendered. World War II ends. (ex. Japs).

Tuesday, May 15 (1945)

Hot. Still struggling to get gallows going. Roberts made yet another change. Finally got it about ready and then found that small trolley wouldn't track. Damn. Had to start sketching new one! No other news except work. Lab. fire breaks and fresh air. Went to see old Lon Chaney picture.

Monday, May 14 (1945)

Hot and bright. Thought I'de have gibbet going by noon but one thing after another interfered. The tank wasn't weighted. One trunion had a bad weld. Roberts changed ideas on how to heat tanks. Lannie had a hand. Oh hell. Finally came home and went up to soft ball game. We trounced Roane-Anderson. Carbide beat Clinton Lab in interesting game. Only a few Germans still holdout in Czecho Slavakio. Russian lease lend virtually stopped. Trouble with Tito.

Sunday, May 13 (1945)

Down to plant and worked all day on the gibbet. It should have been finished but I never yet saw things go so wrong. Ross's figured were wrong, the trolley was made right. Just one thing after another. Day game off. Hot and nice but I got in no tennis.

Saturday, May 12 (1945)

Cool and cloudy. Gallows still drags. Lamie discovered we still had extra electric hoists. At evening floor still not doubles. Seemed hard as is usual on Saturday to get an real work accomplished. Roberts wants cat walks altered to isolate fires. Crete surrendered. Hard fighting still in Zeccho Slovakia.

Friday, May 11 (1945)

Warmer and sunnier but getting "smoky" in evening. Tried all day to push the gallows business but with very little result. I never saw a job drag so. Finally came home rather tired and mad. There is a rumor that Mastrin has quit. Why no one knows. In evening watched MPs beat Am. Ind. Transport. Very hot game. Woodford AIT is a big league pitcher and was unhittable for six innings. Honak (MP) blew up in the 5th but steadied and touched of a battering rally that won the game. Quite late the AIT put in a southpaw who was murdered.

Thursday, May 10 (1945)

The Russians decided it ended today. It seems that the Kennedy "break" was due to fear by the Russians that they'd get stung somehow so they had to do their own negotiating and fought for sometime after it might have been possible to quit. Hitler reported to have been given all scientific data to Japan. Very wet morning. Regular cloud burst. Major bawled about the 1000 lb experimental trap and the boys wasted time terribly on the new gallows. No excitement.

Wednesday, May 9 (1945)

Well, this is the day after the war "ended." The Germans are still fighting in Czecho Slavakia and about 100,000 up in Latoria haven't quit. Goering surrounded to our 7th Army. At the plant business as usual. Still trying to get the gibbet built. Found we were out of he three inch pipe and fittings. That balls up the condensate job! Lots of talk about racks and pressure chambers. Very little else. Oh yes. They say now it wasn't VE day after all. At 8:00 went down to watch Fercleve play Engineers hard ball. Did pretty fair for six innings. then their pitcher had to leave and it was another massacre.

Tuesday, May 8 (1945)

Today was formally announced as VE Day, whatever that is. There was the premature announcement last week, then the denial, then the surrender in Holland, then last night's accurate AP dispatch. Then Mr. Kennedy, who sent it, was suspended. Then it was officially confirmed. Now it is reported that large groups of Germans are still holding out at Brelau, on the French Coast, in Jugo Slovakia and around Prague. At the plant unexciting day. Power house steel work going up. Peeler got soused and had to be fired. 28 years since I reported to Old Col. Treat and was asked what in the hell I was there for.

Monday, May 7 (1945)

Warner and clear in morning. Still not very heavily engaged. The gibbet continues to rise and we have the shop moved under orders. In PM tried to find end of old 3" line. Most of our new power units are now on their foundations. After supper watched Eastman beat Carbide in a loosely played but hard fought game - 11 innings. Fercleve then started to give J.A. Jones a good going over but it rained hard. GERMANS IN CZECHO SLOVAKIA AND NORWAY SURRENDER. Just 28 years since I left du Ponts to can the Kaiser!

Sunday, May 6 (1945)

Marvellous day bright and clear. Didn't leave peb for long walks however and slept all morning. In PM went to Morres. - Arsesm Lupin - good. Read "They Call It Pacific." Excellent account of the early Philippine campaign.

Saturday, May 5 (1945)

Clear and warned up for a while. Found myself a bit at loose ends with all draftsmen busy and nothing to do myself. Watched Nellet tried to take some stuff apart. He had lots of trouble. Short welded nibs injured outer shell and finally pulled expantion lofts out of floor. Little else of interest. Still too wet for softball. Too cold in evening for baseball.

Friday, May 4 (1945)

Still cold and showery. Every variety of difficulty in getting "gibbet" built. Couldn't get carpenters to plumb posts. Spent all day trying to get my drawings for 5 ton carriage complete. By evening pretty well straightened out. We are working light and will be some time to come. Langston says we're running our great rival utterly ragged. It may be. They seem to be getting desperate. Trying to break p our cafeteria, etc. Today Nazis in Holland quit and British entered Denmark. Also cleared Rangoon after three years.

Thurdsday, May 3 (1945)

Another cold rainy day. Steams full of yellow water. Found batter boards not set. Then found gas line in the way. Then heard condenser not to go in at all. Finally got posts located and then tried to design. Finally found hoist a very clumsy affair. Started to design and then found beams are tool light. Boy wattajob. Finally came home and worked most of evening on it. Berlin taken and whole German Regime collapsing. Bordeaux. Hamburg surrendered. Russians claim Hitler and Goebels suicides. Laval arrested in Spain.

Wednesday, May 2 (1945)

Rainy and very cold. Not very exciting in AM. Heard Ross leaving us and then heard his draft call cancelled. Went on working on condenser. In PM, Roberts called to say transfer structure very important. Must do something at once. Tried to start. No poles. No steel. No nothin and late to finish up a design. Germans in Italy about 1,000,000 surrender.

Tuesday, May 1 (1945)

Cool unpleasant day. Tried to get condenser job moving. Got line on ? steel and got some of it worked out. Beginning to take out ? column. Heavy pipe finally got here. Also getting quarantine tank ready. In PM went up to softball field a while and tried to limber my arm u playing with a youngster. Arm pretty stiff and sore. Later found our hard ball team playing MPs under lights. Massacre. MP 34 Fercleve 0! Awful. Our first three batters never touched the ball. Light spatter of rain. Hitler reported dead. Adm. Doenitz in charge of Germany.

Mopnday, April 30 (1945)

Cold and bright. Finally pried loose a bunch of work from Roberts. Got on with planning of new condenser change. Hired an electrical draftsman. All kinds of rumors about Known that Mussolini is shot-dead. Rumored Hitler dead. Rumored Goering sick of suicide. Rumor Himler sues for peace. It seems fake rumor a few nights back was spread all over Y12 and everybody quit.

Sunday, April 29 (1945)

Went to church. It's a little "Union Chapel" which follows the Presbyterian service. The preacher was from the Presbyterian seminary in Knoxville and preached very well indeed. In afternoon saw s really funny Laurel and Hardy picture and in evening read Queens Die Proudly. Defense of

Saturday, April 28 (1945)

Rained hard all morning. For the first time found matters well in hand and had little to do but manage. Tried to plan condenser cut over but couldn't get all the kinks out. Also had the tough time with the pressure tank. When I left, it looked OK. In evening went over to Fercleve Dance. Dead up to 9 o'clock so came home. First time I've worn a white shirt since Pearl Harbor.

Friday, April 27 (1945)

Plott still broken down. Morning paper announces Molotob raised the deuce at San Francisco by blocking Stitinious as chairman. Found our cut off from city water not entirely satisfactory. Our valve leaks. Got condensate dump lines plummed . All working like the devil. They ask 1/3 shut down Saturday. U.S. and Russian troops in contact at Torgave ear Czech frontier. Miss Sampson had queer tale about me.

Thursday, April 26 (1945)

Plott still out of action. Took old "Oakspress." Nothing notable at plant. Spent most of day trying to check up on safety valves. New condenser towed around and activity in general on the increase. Find Bunch my Chief. Auto inspector is on the "tear." Rumors that Russ and U.S. patrols are in contact. Letter from Ramsey.

Wednesday. April 25 (1945)

Nice Day. Plott lost his tire yesterday and we had to go back to the Powah House. Special Day not particularly eventful. Fined Evans and C.W. have again changed the gasoline loading arrangements, Ugh. Got both conductivity cell in operation. Believe finally have pop valve situation in have. New condensor came. New condensate tank is in We move. After supper watched Carbide beat us in tough 4-3 game of softball.

Tuesday, Arpil 23 (1945)

Running right along. Hear that Carbide think they have something the will eliminate us. Rather doubt it. Also rumors of anew K26 or K27. We seem to be coming on fairly well but there has been trouble. That outboard matter may be either PC which is not so good. Conductivity cell in at last. He he ho. Home with Doc. Saw Laurell and Harchly, he's funny short. Nice letter from Sneddon.

Monday, April 23 (1945)

Cool and overcast. Plugged along as usual. Gas tank finally in ground. Minor incidents here and there but nothing of Note. Big argument relative to convectors. Hear rivals claim now to have better thing than we have. Also hear Russians in Berlin. Interesting letter from Ramsey. Understand there has been serious erosion in some lines due to heavy flashing and spray effect.

Sunday, April 22 (1945)

Dark cool day. Had indented to walk but did not seem to have the urge. Lay down about ten oclock and slept till two! Went to rather poor movie. Now darker and cooler. Reds reported in outskirts of Berlin. Reported that we have agreement to let them take it.

Saturday, April 21 (1945)

One of the foggiest mornings I ever remember. Day at works opened without incident. During day, found I'd inadvertently held up an order for analysis of outboard cooling water. Seems something is missing. Found Swarthout failed due to destruction of ball flat. Home early with Doc Dodge. Seems he and wife play tennis. M. wants lot of sections made PDQ.

Friday, April 20 (1945)

Woke up to find day overcast. Bldgs felt cold and drafty. Tank finally welded up tested and ready to go in ground - correction - thought so. Then began to find leaks. Finally had to have crew work late. Then transport balled up their dispatch office and men didn't get taken home, Miss Sampson called me at 9 PM and I finally got them taken care of.

Thursday, April 19 (1945)

Well, I suppose the Boston Marathon may have been run and its 170 years since Concord Bridge! Our troops in Europe seem slowed down. Do not like the general situation in the inspection dept. Marsh's statements as to salaries and policies to not appear to check properly and the entire situation seems to indicate poor morale. Finally got the big tank back. Full of leaks! No other great amount of action except minor. But day was very annoying. Wonderful cold bright blue day. Westgate may be transferred to me.

Wednesday, April 18 (1945)

Ho hum. Rather annoying day. Beautifully clear and bright. Rumor the CWR may be leaving also informed my men have been proselytizing. March not quite on the up and up on the whole business's. Got going on the safety valve problem. Hear R.S. having so much trouble with Major he wants to know whose in charge. Ho hum. Home in early with Plott. Ernie Pyle the correspondent was killed on some job inland.

Tuesday, April 17 (1945)

Sometime near midnight thunder and big downpour. Morning cool and everything muddy. Holt is back for which I'm very grateful. Active and unpleasant day. Kelly got scalded in a most remarkable accident. "Hank" when installing 3" line through change house , connected it to a lint in attic without checking the latter. This line was the hot water line to the water tank. The H.P. stream blew the water back through the tank and entered the cold water system. It finally reached the toilet. Kelly flushed a closet and the steam blew in his face! Finally had to shutdown SP1. Then power house shut down. Then started up after all blow downlines were disconnected for repair. Ordered to stop work on ?

Monday, April 16 (1945)

The days slip by. Woke up to another sultry day. Matters at plant still going well except desuperheating valve which is causing plenty of trouble. It looks like a three cartridge pinwheel that has got stuck. Got gas lines lined up. Jones men came over and trued to roll out tank. Not too good. Am going to sand blast and paint. Clouded up and began to rain. Home with Plott. Found I walked twelve miles yesterday.

Sunday, April 15 (1945)

Slept till about 8. About 9:30 started a walk along Oak Ridge. At 12:30 and reached a point north of lone church beyond power line. Felt pretty well all in so turned back. Stopped by Jeff Theater to see Air Victory. In evening went to another. Poor. Throat nearly well.

Saturday, April 14 (1945)

Cool early but got very hot and sultry. The plant ran better than usual. Had one helluva time trying to get gasoline tank tested. They fitted it with water on the night shift and didn't support it. As a result they crushed one side. Then they didn't and couldn't weld. Tried to get it drained and welded. then Union steward kicked. Home with Plott.

Friday, April 13 (1945)

Roosevelt's death made uninspirational splash.Saw only one flag half masted yesterday and another today. Paper gave a good deal of space to it. Work at plant skipped along fairly well. Got the 4" water line completed and started putting in "cells." Tried all day long to burst tank with water pressure. Darned stuff just swelled and didn't burst. Home fairly early and took a walk and really severe climb up to the crest of East Fork Ridge. Its much higher than I had thought. Queer rustic char of stone near east end. Sun not too quick for good view. Fell into much in stream bad on way back.

Thurday, April 12 (1945)

Hot day and lots of action. Roberts announced he wanted conductivity cells pushed - we pushed. Got heat exchanger finished and tested. Got part of 4" line up and then found they'd cut it too long! Found leakage on desuperheating valves may have to be fixed soon. The flanged valves are wrecks. Had to get new gas tank tested. Got rigged for scale tank test. In fact all hands and cook worked like hell all day. Home usual time. Would walk if I had comfy shoes. U.S. troops reported across Elbe and only 50 m from Berlin. Report Roosevelt dropped dead at Warm Spring at 2 PM.

Wednesday, April 11 (1945)

A rather interesting day. When I came on found #5 was not the only leak. In fact the place roared. Four checks smoking a dozen unions and plenty of leaks bottomside. Nearly at my wits end when heard Power house had lost a boiler feed pump. that was all we needed. they began shutting us down and within an hour we had repairs going. Main made an error in planning the new gas tank and Jones men just about undercut the old tank before they caught on. Our fault though. Went to Fighting Lady again. Shorty Byrd back.

Tuesday, April 10 (1945)

Warm day. Miss Sampson out. Worked hard all day on odds & ends. Got the windows business down to "turkey" with Elkins - I hope. Hardin found me a tank for guaranteeing condensate. Got fresh air guard designed. Seem to have a type of hay fever - maybe hickory. In the evening saw Fighting Lady. Not as long as I had hoped. Some nice silhouettes though ot N. Carolina S. Dakota and Iowa. Some generals staff inspected us. Ho Hum.

Monday, April 9 (1945)

Much milder today. My rest of yesterday bricked me up a lot. Very eventful day. Lesty got in about windows. Finally got a bid. Seems Buchenheimer never sent him his pass yesterday. Jones' men pouring tank foundations. Had one big hole which caved badly. Had one of the biggest "Breaks" ever. Wattamess! 6 inch valve on No.5 started to leak. Sent Hardin after tank for "isolation." Home as usual. Wrote Janie. Did my wash. How this book is filling up. Going to Okinawa getting tougher. Our troops to or perhaps beyond the Elbe.

Sunday, April 8 (1945)

Perfectly beautiful day. Perfect for a long hyke but as it turned out I wasn't up to it. Woke up with throat hurting like hell. Went down to plant and waited for Lesty till :30. He ever showed up. Came home, napped and took aspirin. Feel a trifle better this evening but its awfully sore yet.

Saturday, April 7 (1945)

Still pretty cold. Throat getting no better fast and felt pretty miserable all day. Worked on a nasty little job in connection with conductivity cell. About 4 oclock decided to go home, but ran into the biggest display ever put on by the horizontal condenser. Finally isolated trouble in #7 T.R. For a while water went over the eves outside and half way to the roof inside.

Friday, April 6 (1945)

Probably severe frost last night. My throat has hurt ever since our last shut down when I walked into ? in the east alleyway. Didn't get much accomplished. Ruler out - apparently on a bat. Started to rig conductivity all and found someone had already used the coil! Will have to design new one. Roberts got the three "morning glories" (Why so called I can't guess) started. Seemed to work OK to start with .

Thursday, April 5 (1945)

Finally got the 4" going. Not exactly where I wanted it but it finally goes up. Went up and walked the steam line SP2 to inspect. Rest of day not highly eventful. Fairly busy and began plans for saving condensate again. No other event of any great importance except rumor of additional capacity - we seem to go up. Went to rather poor movie. Day was very cold. With high wind.

Wednesday, April 4 (1945)

Well how time scoots. A very busy day. In morning got ready for meeting. Interrupted by attempts to get scale tank tested. Then to meeting which was short. Then back to plant where we found Jones outfit digging under foundations of steam power line. Plenty going on all PM. Got orders to change position of dog houses and quite late heard they were going to cut storehouse in two and move it. 100 p.c. again toward evening and hardly a leak showing. 57 varieties of things going on though. Evening cool and very unsettled. Doesn't seem to know whether to clear or rain. Patton took Kassel.

Tuesday, April 3 (1945)

Very foggy morning. Coudn't see 200 yrds at 7:00 cleared to beautiful hot very hot day. Seemed hard to get things really going. Painters have covered up many of the worst scars of our battle with the condensers S.Q.s OK again. M. insists all efforts be put on dog houses which prevents any other constructive work from being done. Uninteresting. Slowly bring up load.

Monday, April 2 (1945)

Heard a load of gossip en route to work. They had as I suspected bee having their troubles. Economizers, heat exchangers. We're not along. Very light load. Very little action. Nearly while maintenance force on dog houses. Hear our gas tank is finally to go underground. Wella wella wella well.

Sunday, April 1 (1945)

Easter Sunday. Down to job, where I worked on inspectors orders and where it rained hard. Whole works shut down temporarily still for no reason which I could see. Finally about noon the "geysers" began. Home 2:30 Slept all M. Wrote Snedden, & Vet. Bureau.

Saturday, March 31 (1945)

Shut down was actually effective. Found all jobs progressing nicely. Quietest shut down ever. Worked most of the day trying to get pump pit detailed. Got all the really big jobs done. Day cool and clear. Ross sick w sore throat and Wood borrowed by Col. Fox.

Friday, March 30 (1945)

Weld OK. but hear power house is about to shut down. Worked all day on plans for shut down. Holt out with infection following athlete's foot. Jim Main in to say good-bye. got new location for pressure relief valve on Queens. Got nearly all current stuff laid out ex pump parts. Worked on that till 10OM and then came home. Shut down scheduled for 4 AM.

Thursday, March 29 (1945)

Nice day but - Up to 11 AM busy on laboratory overhaul. Then found P.P.2 down! Therms couple well broken off in pipe. Tried to chip out back weld and unscrew. Had to give it up by 1 PM. No progress at all. About 1PM got permission from Roberts to cut out and weld. Then found no welding bosses and no rods. Finally, about 4 PM found we had some suitable plate. Elkins could get no rods till 7:00PM but Plott managed to borrow some moly rods from Carbide. Got to work finally at 5:20. took nearly two hrs to make the weld. One hr, more to heat treat at 9:45 got word, that well back in OK.

Wednesday, March 28 (1945)

Another lovely day. Action started slowly but about noon I was called to hot meeting relative to return of condensate and Tuscon man flew in relative to windows. Hot session. We got very much the worst of it. Must put in more apparatus. Ho Hum. Hot evening.

Tuesday, March 27 (1945)

Marvellous spring day. red heds dog wood, wild crab, wild cherry, apples all in bloom. Tulip trees budding and even oak showing a little fringe here and there. At plant a general feeling of let down. Started day with a big drive for new condensers butthink Buck was here and it all sort of frittered out. Actually boondoggled in afternoon. Home early. Patton is reported approaching Nuremberg and we are landing on islands only 380 miles from Tokyo.

Monday, March 26 (1945)

Day began uneventfully. As more units went on & the condenser began to show signs of load and then on 75 gpm pump quit. Thus overloaded horizontal tank and trouble started. I kept pretty well out of the way. Later, Main (Jim) got things under control but somebody bypassed a trap and just raised hell with the whole systems. C.W. took charge and tried to install new pump. Finally got it in and then fond it had not been packed! Home with Plott & Mann.

Sunday, March 25 (1945)

Note: This is Saturdays events/ Found condenser nearly ready. Crew dead tired. By noon everything seemed under control. Went to Comb Engr (Wlasj and Weidner) Chattanooga. Saw some very fine machinery and some interesting boilers. Home about 10 PM.

Saturday, March 24 (1945)

Up at usual time and to work. Plant getting started again slowly. Spent most of the day getting details of 4" cut over lined up. Air compressor shows desire to move off its foundations. Whole thing shakes. Had them tighten bolts to make it all shake together. Home at 4:00. Saw Zane Grays Nevada (Note this should be for Sunday 25, Not Saturday

Friday, March 23 (1945)

Whew. We got a day of grace as the Power Plant is slow in coming up. Worked all day and most of the evening on new condenser set up. Had to help the men lay the stuff out since most of them had never done so before apparently. It was quite a job. C.W. came down in the evening and remembered we could ? in valve at silver queens. that will help. In general however, the does not expedite. He constantly has bright ideas which distract the men.

Thursday, March 22 (1945)

Missed Plott. Walked into plant to find it stone cold. Shut down from end to end. no cooking eat in Cafe! Power house just naturally out. Chance to straighten out condenser . I developed a scheme for doing it, but never got started. Orders from Hq to pull whole thing and by the time I got there it was a wreck. By 2PM discovered that it did not leak at all. Drop in pressure had been die to thermal changes. By 4PM had it back on foundations and were again at work fixing up new devices. C.W. just about took charge and at midnight we had not accomplished much.

Wednesday, March 21 (1945)

Another strenuous day. 6"main steam lines to racks Nos 1 and two developed leaks. Luckily above the valve. Worked a whole with Main relative to condensate tank. Found pressure of 11# with no blast through seal!!! In PM tried to get Beddoe lined up on new pressure freeze off system. So busy with miscellaneous nick nacks of jobs, never got anything much done. Weather has turned cold and raw.

Tuesday, March 20 (1945)

Wattaday. Started out to get going on new 4". Instead of four inch location being success, C.W. gave me hell for letting Bedow put up so much scaffolding. All kinds of troubles going on. Finally found that condenser seemed to have too much and too cold water in bottom. Looked like a leak. Tested it. Showed pH of 7.6 looked rather bad. then broke connections and found on hydraulic test that we did have a leak. Not a very large one however. Hooked up and came home.

Monday, March 19 (1945)

Plott picked me up in the morning which was very pleasant. At the plant everything still topsy turey. Dodge and Mich Supt from Power plant. Sherlock Holinesing for contaminator of condensate. Roberts trying to put a 2000 lb test n a rack. I tried to find a hole to drop our new 4" header to the solver queens through - and did not find it. Did finally figure a way to make one through. Beautiful bright cool summer day.

Saturday, March 17 (1945)

Another hot "cooker." Spent morning at plant trying to figure up a way to connect my new freeze water header - silver green main. Also got involved in the dog house milker. And had to get it redesigned. Another PH scare. Home early. Walked to Elsa Gate and back. Still a hot night. Judas trees are out.

Saturday, March 17 (1945)

Day started hot and sultry and sprinkled a little. Jones men came back and tried to do some more excavating. About noon tore open the 10" fire protection main! Perfect! Never saw so much mud in such a small place since I left France.Nothing else of note except that Roberts wants me to take over all interior construction. Inspectors started.

Friday, March 16 (1945)

Wattaday. Sultry with sunshine and then showers. Getting hotter. Peach trees in bloom and pear trees coming out. Jones men came early. Asked nobody anything started to work with big carry all and tore up gas line and grazed steam line to Lab 2. Got them stopped before long. Then had to answer phone and carious questions all day long. Got automatic business under better control and worked out final scheme for steam distribution and for cut over cold freeze water. Worked late with March. Home hot and tired.

Thursday, March 15 (1945)

RED LETTER DAY. All racks on! They weren't able to hold it for steam simply no hay bastante, but for a while the old monstrosity actually functioned. Lots doing. Got a few small jobs worked off and then hit two wonderful new ones. A. Windows in the main process bldg! Also addition on Jones place. Also a new lumber shed. Wella wella soella well. Nice day. Shoulder still too stiff for base ball. May go to Chattanooga.

Wednesday, March 14 (1945)

Nondescript. Just one thing after another. Finally got what looks like agreement on automatic milker. Not much else. Spent most of the evening writing to Dave Neisiwanger and Dee Joslin. Very dark cloud looked like big storm but no rain.

Tuesday, March 13 (1945)

Didn't have to go up. So wide awake at 5:20! Loafed till late breakfast and then loafed some more till Tully and some Lt. Met me and drove me over to the Administration area. Heard extraordinary talk on color in factories. It made me think of the "Nature Man" listening to the earthworms sing. Had some sound ideas however. Out to plant to find things normally hectic. Another horrible class. Miller having hell of a time with inspection problems. Late in PM found all. Pressure valves in BP3 section probably ruined. Somebody let in H.P. on the main W sectionallizing valve closed. Oh. Walked home from west town along ridge.

Monday, March 12 (1945)

Another day. Dark and lowering but only a splatter of rain. Worked as hard and as fast as I could but it its a difficult task. Martin sick and his orders more or less balled up. Jones people came in to begin moving shacks out of the way for our new steam plant. Got my income tax. Letter from Dave Neiswanger. Got a certain amount. Worked hard on inspection organization. Dodge is back. Damned glad to see him.

Saturday, March 19 (1945)

Beautiful day. Down to work as usual time. Miss Sampson there. Spent morning outlining inspectors routine. Met Roberts at lunch. He seemed sore as hell. Went round with him afterwards for about 3 hours. He certainly is a most remarkable man. Find the Major didn't like our steam plan.

Saturday, March 10 (1945)

Another frosty morning, clearing to a lovely afternoon. Not very busy. All my men working hard. #2 condensate pump finally back in service. Find Jim Main doesn't like figures collected by Plott on L.P. condensate. May have to do over. Rode home with him. Took quite a walk west beyond - way beyond the single tank.

Friday, March 9 (1945)

Clear frosty morning - right down chilly but cleared to beautiful day. Morning paper confirmed that our troops had found Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen unguarded. They seized it and are pouring across - what a break. Not very eventful at Plant. Worked out scheme with Jim Main for measuring condensate. Plott to do it. Not other matters of great importance. Wrote Mary. To bend. Seems Major didn't like my inquiries at Chem & Carb. Went over to library and studied.

Thursday, March 8 (1945)

Most important event "dog house" standardization finally got a bang up good rig worked out but may have to finagle a little to get by. No other excitement. Find my arm is still much too sore for baseball. Don't understand it. Dictated report to Elkins. No excitement.

Wednesday, March 7 (1945)

Chiefly another wonderful day. Talked with Carbide people relative to water treatment and got very courteous service. Bedoe came in pretty badly flustered because he had order to start work on automatic "dog house" operation. Did a lot of checking only to find that no two were alike. Finally got hold of Wentgate and talked over a little simplification.

Tuesday, March 6 (1945)

Day started warm and cloudy. Got warmer and cloudier and finally poured down rain. Day was notable chiefly from interruptions and an attempt to get Marsh's inspection group reorganized. A sanitary man came in during the morning and bulled for an hour or so tell me nothing. It does look though as if we'd have to make an air break between the city water and our own treated. A chap is down from Cleveland relative to low pressure condensate. First call for soft ball. Willows and jonquils out.

Monday, March 5 (1945)

Rainy and warm. Nothing very startling. Ross failed to show up. So did Buffet, found later there was some irregularity relative to his pass. Barnett didn't show up. Found later he is marooned by washout way back yonder. Somebody had found deWind illegally hired. Had to drop him. Also lost a chap named Richards who quit. C.W. came down and didn't like Holt's heat exchanger, so he has to redesign it. Letter from Mary. She has ulcer.

Sunday, March 4 (1945)

Raining. Found Main had led left his desk locked couldn't work on estimate. Find condensate pump shaft badly butchered. Stillite wearing surface had disintegrated. Came home. Took a nap. took a walk to Roberts place at Delaware Ave or more accurately Delmar Circle. beyond water tanks.

Saturday, March 3 (1945)

Rainy and sloppy with showers between. Got down to plant to find condensurate pump (4") No 2 had ? in the gland. Gland was stainless steel. Hardin had to chase all over the place to find necessary substitute. He did it though. Found De Wind had been illegally hired. He had quite job and didn't tell. Now I have no inspectors! Found main shaft on #2 spring. Major pushing Roberts for reply.

Friday, March 2 (1945)

Beautiful spring day. Balmy and bright all day. Got Marsh an office in old shop beside process Bldg and started him organizing his department. Holt having some trouble with condenser design. Chap from Pittsburgh testing lab wanted testing rig built. Assigned it to Buffet. Things going pretty well. Came home early and took a long walk. Way up around eastern pair of water towers. Little too dusky for good view. Seen from there place seems immense.

Thursday, March 1 (1945)

Absolutely like a lamb. Beautiful day. Soft and balmy. Roads dried out till dust began, Marsh my new inspector reported in and so did Ross the long awaited draftsman and the place began really to look like an organization. Actually began to feel a little let up in the general tention. Came home at a reasonable hour. Socks hurt my feet as I think I should have taken a ramble. Letter from Mary says Pete ordered to Camp Rucker.

Wednesday, February 28 (1945)

Cold today and clearing. Ohio River reported high. Hired another draftsman. Watched Roberts cut in pressure header on freeze water. Somebody failed to close main level control line from city water blew torch out when they tried to cut a drain hole. Spent PM on odds and ends. Plott checked voltage on hot pumps at treatment plant. Voltage O.K. Very little else popping. Hear I may have to move out of M-6. Ho hum.

Tuesday, February 27 (1945)

Raining - kept on raining - spent almost entire day in trying to straighten out stuff left by Smith. Have almost too many plans. Started breaking in new inspector. Tried out vacuum valve. N.G. packing too hard and wouldn't seat. Tried higher pressure and collapsed float. Finally got cut over started on rack condensate. Little else of interest. Trouble in water treatment plant. Motors burning out.

Monday, February 26 (1945)

Got some laundry from home - and hankies. Nice day. Warm and balmy. Managed to get most of my various jobs delegated and received loads of stuff from Russell Smith. Now have hardly room to turn around in. Ferguson people had to give up all hope on fixing racks as to separation of condensate. Well have to do it. Hired one new inspector. Hear Marsh coming back. Wandered around for a little after supper. Located bowling alley and jitterbug assembly.

Sunday, February 25 (1945)

Woke early and slipped down to work. Had to modify design on condenser. Made up plan for lab. Miss Sampson working. Got a lot accomplished. Vacuum valve however looks like botched job. Little excitement wanted to go out in evening but wrote letters instead.

Saturday, February 24 (1945)

Hoar frost in the morning. Day warmed up beautifully. Worked like a dog all day on various matter connected with the plant. A condenser for cooling 100 000 gallon water seemed most difficult job f all. Tried to get some more personnel. Finally got clothes to clearer and laundry. Find new shoes badly worn. Hear we are short of dry ice. Tee hee.

February 23 (1945)

Day clear and frosty. Really beautiful. Would like to have climbed out and looked at the mountains. As it was nothing very exciting occurred. Worked hard getting fence situation lined up. Some trouble about pipe fitters. Later heard Ferguson maintenance contract turned down. So what? I don't know. Laboratory project up again. Home late. Roberts must be getting desperate. Today he tried to cool the pumps with dry ice!

Thursday, February 22 (1945)

Paper had promised heavy rain but it only rained moderately. Never the less everything in the AM was all aslop. Cleared later. Spent entire AM in fruitless chase after Roberts to get fence order made out. Never did it. Air condition men came to look over two laboratories. Will virtually be obliged to re model mechanical room of No. 2. There is so much junk to go in. At 1300 came back to guest house and checked out M6 drew a NE cr. room. If I don't get a room mate all hunky dory. Bad material leak on #6 late in afternoon. Garden leaves us. Went over new salary set up. Looks like a raise.

Wednesday, February 21 (1945)

Sloppy foggy day. Low clouds and stacks of mud. Most of day worked on cut over for new pump but R. finally decided he didn't want it. Tried to push making of relief valve but it doesn't push worth a damn. Hera I move to M.6. Very little else to write about. SP3 had to be shut down. to whack main valve. Long rag chew re auto valve on condensate tank. Home by bus, tired. Throat better. Got Cafeteria finally arranged.

Tuesday, Febrauary 20 (1945)

Have the sorest throat I can remember since chicken pox. Had to have it painted. Dragged around all day and tried not to show it. Got started on vacuum valve. Work goes very slowly. Technical committee turned down new test chamber and Woods will have to redraw it! Damn. Roberts still working on pumps - and I think getting nowhere in particular.

Monday, February 19 (1945)

Big thunderstorm in night messed up filling station job completely. Will have to use crushed rock. Transformer knocked out at 2AM. Took till 8AM to find who should fix it. Lab down over 12 hours. Started Hawkins out on fixing racks. Gave Wood job drawing automatic cutter in for pipe. Must make a vacuum relief for overhead freeze piping. Not much news. To bed early. We landed on Iwo Jima and Corregidor.

Sunday, February 18 (1945)

Took an easy day. Down as usual and spent most of the AM studying and talking to Bedoe. Plant seemed to be running well. Ran into Roberts about noon. He wants Ferguson men to handle changes in rack piping. Home early. Dragged in trunk. Put on decent clothes.

Saturday, February 17 (1945)

Outtran the power house and had to slow down a bit. Not much other excitement. Tried to get cafeteria boss to say how he wanted new room laid out. He seems confused. Tried to get a lot done bu actually accomplished very little. Tried to get subgrade ready for road at filling station but it was too muckey.

Friday, February 16 (1945)

Roommate a little more considerate and I got a nice sleep. Down to plant to a very busy day. Had to get propane tank ? up. More work at cafeteria. Bake oven, etc. Also ice house. Laboratory hood not working right. Met Roseman or whatever they call him. Stinker. Work still easing a little. Got all flange leaks tightened up. One big leak giving me a lot of trouble on no 10. Can't stop it. 18 units going and two more nearly ready. Hot diggity.

Thursday, February 15 (1945)

Roommate wanted to read all night so got little sleep. Nose stopped. Neck and ears ached rheumatic no fun. things at plant about as usual. Leaks slightly less. A lot of minor jobs here and there, such as stopping ride sway in piping, etc. On the whole day was a little quieter than usual. Plant looked better. Felt very tired and nearly fell asleep about noon. Douched with glyco and felt better in evening. Doc. Garden is leaving us, so he says. Where does that leave me?

Wednesday, February 14 (1945)

Tough but not so touch as yesterday. Muddy under foot and a care in the ditch down a 20' embankment at Wheat School. Roberts trying to negotiate for returns of blow down water to power house. Had to go across the river and be re-fingerprinted. In PM finally worked up plan for separating condensate. Got approval. Hired two new men. Think Nellit has quite. Feel a little better but still pretty rocky. Mary sent me a very big overcoat. No roommate. Oh yes there is.

Tuesday, February 13 (1945)

It evidently rained last night and how. All the streams were clear over their banks and the culverts were chock full. Spent day trying to design condenser. Felt like merry hell but managed to keep going. Finally got a pretty good design. Roberts and Mastin evidently had a tough night and weren't in. As a result, Col. Fox called me and demanded immediate action relative to condensate losses. I knew they'd had some but could see much to do about it till we got condenser. Roberts got in at noon and I unloaded it. Seems Miss Bruce and Hardin worked almost all night last night. On way home got a glimpse of Cumberland Mtns. Fine.

Monday, February 12 (1945)

They finally shut down. Found things pretty well messed up but gangs getting to work. Primarily cause of shit down was leaking gasket on deserperlater line. Began raining. Roberts directed me to design a condenser to catch blow down. Quite a mess. Started on it. Many trivial interruptions. Hear J.A. Jones ordered to go on 10 hrs. Home in rain.

Saturday, Febraury 10 (1945)

Beautiful balmy spring day. Sun bright and mud dried. Leaks were very bad everywhere and there is talk of another shutdown. Hear Millet slipped off to Philadelphia without seeing me at all. Wonder if he's quitting home early. Feel rotten. Believe I've caught cold again. Another room mate.

Saturday, February 10 (1945)

Worked like hell all day. Started in to check over discrepancies in condensate system under racks. Did it but but took till 5:20. No lunch. Some trouble at power house, and steam valves popped all over the place. Otherwise very little trouble or excitement except had to put Westgate more or less in his place. Tried to buy Mary valentine. $1.00! ouch

Friday, February 9 (1945)

Shut down should have ended at 16 hrs yesterday. Then at 18 then 24. When I came in at 07:45 first steam was just beginning to shriek through the pipes. Had quite a circus getting at what had gone wrong. Finally found new leaks had opened up about midnight. With little or no warning to mechanical force and much disorganization had followed. Pumps started about noon. Two wide open leaks on 8&9 Can't do a damn thing. Found my trunks still short on box of books.

Thursday, February 8 (1945)

Rather frosty. Building seemed like a morgue, not a sound except the click and crackle of the arcs and torches. Day passed slowly with notable event except arrival of one and only one box of books. As day went on shut down grew longer and longer. S.Q.#3 seems rather badly injured. "Metal rolling" had occurred on moving parts leaving some pretty deep gouges. At 6:30 things looked pretty good for engineering end and I came home.

Wednesday, February 7 (1945)

Another warm misty morning but ground is firmer. Got Sgt. Wood started on new lines for negro cafeteria and then heard all Swartont water valves functioning badly. Worked all AM with Donelly getting them regulated and leaned quite a bit. Hear were to shut down at 3AM. Spent rest of afternoon till 6:15 getting lined up. Home so late cafeteria wouldn't fed me. Quick lunch expensive and punk. They simply can't cook. Made out expense acct and sent in for books.

Tuesday, February 6 (1945)

Muggy. Cloud low. Quite warm and fearfully muddy under foot. Finally got plans off for the pipe supports. Plott had better control of his water balance but whole business damned unsatisfactory. Major didn't believe we were operating correctly. I chucked up. Plott had done everything he could. In PM rambled around on miscellaneous matters until Elkins caught me to tell me H.K.7. pulling out. I hold the bay on completing construction. Damn! Also find general steam condition are becoming impossible. Roomate gone. Hot diggity.

Monday, February 5 (1945)

Still warming up. Clouds low and very muddy. Forgot to tell girl to wake me up at 6:00 and slept till 7. Reached plant at 7:59 with no breakfast. Got a bite at plant Cafe. Very poor. Moved into new "office." Don't like it. Its in "center" of shop building. Got moved however and began to organize. Spent a good deal of the day watch "queen" cut up. Very bad mess. Pressure in over 150# header insufficient to throw water back. We wasted a lot. Power people raised hell over waste of condensate. Rumored we get additional power. McArthur in Manilla. Anniversary of outbreak of Phillipnine Rebellion. 1899.

Sunday, February 4 (1945)

Cloudy. Warm. A little fine rain. Waited for hours to see Byrt do is stuff on "hot" cut over but he apparently lost his nerve and didn't try it. Bummed around all day. New cafeteria opened at plant. Rotten food. Sgt. explained some of the operations for milking. Home and to bed early.

Saturday, February 3 (1945)

A little warmer. Got cloudy toward evening. Buck finally decided to pipe cooler water to each individual pump. this seems to involve a "hot" cut over on a 2000# 350 hot water line. Byrt says he can do it. I want to see it. Up to 5:30 he made little progress. Tried to get OK for scheme on new electricalls. Rode home with Buck and Roberts.

Friday, February 2 (1945)

Well, did he or didn't he? The sun was bright till 11. then clouded up. Later it shown and clouded up for good about 3. Saw no wood chucks. Watched them fight the pumps all afternoon. Finally came home dog tired to find I had a room mate. No great other news. Can't get a room. Haven't any trunk. Wrote gill. Up about 70 pc. Rumored McArthur near Manila after second landing.

Thursday, February 1 (1945)

Very cold this morning +12. Clear. Got Roberts cornered and got one man. Believe he turned in an organization chart. Wants an electrolitic all rigged. Took most of the AM figuring out where the cell is. In PM, went back to studying vibrations. Some excitement when an oversupply of gland water blew all the release valves on the 150# circuit. Had a talk with Buck. He has the vibration trouble all figured out - cautation. He added cold water to the circuit Pumps smoothly out - and slowed down till they wouldn't deliver and then blew the overload cut outs! Fire alarm late. Dish cloth in bucket on a stove. Lost my little black note book.

Wednesday, January 31 (1945)

Up at 6:00. Colder than yesterday. Back to plant and started hunting cause of shaking pipes. Asked Garden about noon relative to it and found he thought it involved trouble in the process. Later on got a hunch it came from pumps which are behaving badly. Finally ran into Albertson and had quite a rag chew. Believe Garden's right and whole pipe trouble may be caused by steam hammer and sound. Had an accident. 1/8" cross line on a rack let go. Say the ensuing fumes are poisonous. Not very however. I think. Back at guest house. This is my last day in the U.S. Army. Tomorrow, I'm a cit.

Tuesday, January 30 (1945)

Up at 6:00 on a clear, frosty morning. Tried the "call" and found it A-1. Got my first introduction to the bus transport here. Its quite a right to watch the buses move out. Reached plant about 7:40 with sun rising. Started checking plans and comparing them with plant. Kept it up all day and had pretty good luck checking out condensate pumps still giving plenty of trouble and two engr. Colonels and Chief from Cleveland down. Found pipes swaying quite a bit and Roberts asked me to run it down. Source not clear. Suspect air compressor. Dinner at Call. Wrote Mary and Johnny. Turned in.

Monday, January 29 (1945)

Up at 6:30 in Knoxville yard. Up to Andrew Johnson for breakfast which was good. Car came for me about 8:00 and I spent all morning on physical ex. After glass of milk at noon went over to power house learning intake and overflow of cooling water. General layout of high pressure steam and watching work on a one of the condensate pumps which was acting badly. Proved to have screen chock full of cinders! Begin to get an idea of the process. Theory is very simple. Practice rather complicated. Am beginning however to get the idea. Short of steam all day more than half the plant non-operating. Dinner at "Guest House." Went to Chas Laughton's Ghost of Canterirlles at the "Center" Theater.

Saturday, January 27 (1945)

Still very cold. Went down town. Used up my last shoe ration bought some civilian sox. Finished packing up. In evening went to punk movie. Read mysterys in bed and turned in. Thus endeth the career of Lt. Col. John H. Ruckman one time C.O. 2nd Bu 354th Inf 89th Div. Donned civies. Mary cried when I gave her my dog tags. Finished packing. About 11 took car down to depot and checked baggage. Light lunch at home. Katie and Margaret came in to say good bye. Mary with us to train at 2:00. No heat in car to Washington. Later Southern got us comfortable new Culpepper.

Friday, January 26 (1945)

Bitter cold. Probably the coldest ever. Thermometer on back steps -5 but official temperatures were around zero. Waited for car salesman from Newark during morning. When he had not shown up afternoon Mary and I walked down town to pick up reservation and odds & ends. Bitter cold and high wind. Finally got my clothes having to use taxi. Quiet home in evening. Russians have lapped around Konigsberg, Brefau and Poren.

Thursday, January 25 (1945)

Very cold. +5 or so. Wind still blowing and hard to keep furnace right. Margaret recommended car dealer in Newark, who was supposed to come up. Talked to ration board. Dozens of regulations. Later talked to dealer. Just too damned much red tape. Came home and made some coat hangers. Packed rest of books. Reserved RR birth for Sunday. Finally got house fairly warm.

Wednesday, January 24 (1945)

Mary to hospital. Her car conked and I had to check it but found nothing much wrong. I began sorting books and clothes. In PM, we drove down town to do some errands and to try to find some trunk coat hangers. No use. Nothing else of importance. Toward wenning began to blow terrifically from the north. House got very cold.

Tuesday, January 23 (1945)

Woke up late in fact train had nearly reached Lynchburg. Some snow on Blue Ridge in spots. Train late. Crowd across the isle greatly interested in dismissal of Jesse Jones as Sec. of Commerce. Not surprising, the South must be boiling. Train ran later and later. First snow near Manassas. So late at Washington we missed two connections and didn't reach Wilmington till after six. Mary had been down to meet me but had to go home. Alice Johnson and some of Snook's friends for supper. I ate up at the B&O Restaurant and brought ice cream home for supper.

Monday, January 22 (1945)

Was supposed to be picked up by car at 9:00. At 9:30, no car. Phoned plant at 10:00. They promised car. At 11:30, no car. Phoned Roberts. Seems first car broke down. Promised another. It got in about 12:30. Stopped in with Hardin at the Andrew Johnson. He had his wife with him and there was not room for all. Got out to plant about 2 PM and was processed and processed, mugged, finger printed, social security numbered etc etc etc. Finally got over to see Roberts for a minute. All prelims now fixed except physical. Late getting back to town (after 7:30) got my supper picked up my reservation, telegraphed ? and read detective stories. Down to depot about 10:30. Train however nearly an hour late. Saw one hospital train going south.

Sunday, January 21 (1945)

Nothing to do. Walked about four miles. Crossing two bridges across the French Broad and visiting the Univ. of Tennessee campus. No movies open on Sunday. Read detective stories. Felt much better.

Saturday, January 20 (1945)

Fairly comfortable night. Got pretty good sleep due to time zone change. Had nearly an hour outside of Knoxville by the derailment. Called up plant and was taken out. Met same engineer colonel again. Sewed up job @ 7200 and looked it over. Interesting but puzzling. Supper with Roberts. Back at hotel late.

Friday, January 19 (1945)

Went down to Equitable in morning and drew $100 and got my ticket. Then hunted all over town for a decent pair of gloves. Mary finally mended my old army gloves for me, doing a really nice job. She walked up to car line with e to see me off and I got rouge smeared on my face. When I got to depot found I was early due to watch being off. Then took The Champion at 210 the original Chattanooga choo choo (or one of them). Uneventful trip, losing a little time but not bad. Had dinner with an ordnance civilian "expert" recently from Canada. Joined by a wounded paratrooper captain and an engineer Lt. Col.

Thursday, January 18 (1945)

Finally got up. Still feel a little gassy and mean. Went down to B&O but found B&O doesn't go to Knoxville. Back to lunch. After lunch down to the Penny and reserved a birth. Went to movies. Quiet evening. Due to pull out at 1410 tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 17 (1945)

Bitter day but still pretty cold. Still feel rotten and am pretty well fed up with aspirin. Outside trees till look like glass forrest. I read one mystery story right through. Felt a little better. Late in the evening got a telegram from Tennessee. To come at once. Read Mary a good detective story of war-time Washingtons.

Tuesday, January 16 (1945)

During night started to rain. Rain changed to sleet and finally to snow! Whole country in more of less of a fairyland, trees ice sheathed and evergreens carrying so much snow that some have bent double. Felt rotten. Didn't go out. Just lay in bed and slept and studied. Mary walked up to Capeau's and got some orange ice.

Monday, January 15 (1945)

After morning chores went down town and phoned Sneddon. He has been dropped from FerCleve! Then called the plant in Tennessee. Found that they have not even looked at my application!! Spent rest of the afternoon going to movies. Nothing good. Was interested in pictured supposed to be Port Arthur episode of 1904. Apparently taken in England. Must have cost plenty. Had been heavily reworked. Feeling punk. Believe I've caught cold from others. Got ice cream for the crowd.

Saturday, January 14 (1945)

Snowing. Mary convalescent. Girls played cards all morning. Had big chicken cold for supper. Really didn't do a thing all day.

Saturday, January 13 (1945)

Rained all night. Warm and sloppy under foot. Mary still laid up. Snook able to get about however. Fell a bit rheumatic myself. Down town to look for a movie. Couldn't find anything good. Home early. In evening read Beowulf and Rustum Bay. Ho hum. Big tough chicken for supper. Snowing. Mary convalescent. Girls played cards all morning. Had big chicken cold for supper. Really didn't do a thing all day.

Friday, January 12 (1945)

Mary in bed. Snook still in bed but feeling better. Did chores and ran errands. Bitterly cold and slippery out. Didn't try to do much. Snook up toward evening and helped out a little. Radio reception rotten and hard to gear news. Philippine campaign seems to be going well. Wrote Hammer.

Thursday, January 11 (1945)

Mary up at 5:00 for Red Cross work at air base. Had breakfast and went back to sleep. She returned about 7:30 half frozen and disgusted. It seems the call for nurses had been cancelled but the people in charge at the R.C. had neglected to notify the nurses aides. Snook still in bed. Did some errands in morning and in afternoon went movie thriller at the Grand - very punk. Mary feeling rotten. Our dispatches ignore situation on 7th Army front. Germans are gaining. Apparently much friction in European command.

Wednesday, January 10 (1945)

Up late. Bitter cold. Mary at hospital. Has been asked to go to Air Base tomorrow to help care for rush shipment of wounded. Quite excited. Took care of Snook and in PM to movies. Boris Karloff in the Climax. Was fidgety. Beginning to feel good again and want to get to work. Artichokes for supper. Announced that we successfully landed at Lingiwayan Gulf on Luzon. Casualties light.

Tuesday, January 9 (1945)

Snook has a cold, didn't go to school. Mary was having Dianna De Brange in and asked me to lunch down town. Saw doctor. Seem much betters all over. After lunch took in a couple of "thrillers" at the Grand. Home late. Mary asked me to drive Dianne home. County roads slippery in spots. She lives at top of hill which no one can climb.

Monday, January 8 (1945)

Weather got worse during night. Morning everything covered with ice. Went up to Philly to buy some shoes. Couldn't get a fit in Bostonians. Got some Florsheims. Went to a newsy. Looked into clothes question. Not so good. Very few good cit suits available. Caught Capital Ltd home. No news here. Snowed during afternoon. Japs say we've landed one Div. at Lingagan. Our communique says all going well in West. German communique says they have us in trouble.

Saturday, January 7 (1945)

Snowed all night. St. Johns to hear Bishop of Hawaii. Very good. Studied in PM. Mary called to watch Katie who had two convulsions. Wrote Johnny. Had baked apple ala mode for desert. Too slippery out to walk. Fighting severe in Europe. Mc A may be landing in Luzon.

Saturday, January 6 (1945)

Nice day. No pressing business. Went down to Capeas and bought a paper. After lunch went down town with Snook to get some silver initialized for Janie, get some shoes and trying to get some handkerchiefs darned hard to get. No cheap ones for sale at all. Mary spread us to roast beef for supper. Katie being visited by some merchant marine chap.

Friday, January 5 (1945)

Rather pretty but crisp day. Walked downtown with no bandages on my knee. Knee stood it pretty well. Brought home some mackerel for supper. Got Mary a slop can and tried to buy shoes but couldn't get a fit. In afternoon took a short walk with Butch in Brandwine Park and saw where the "Kwan duckies" used to swim. Quiet evening at home. Germans have busted through the 7th Army. Pacific fleet has reached China coast.

Thursday, January 4 (1945)

A little milder. In morning down town to inquire about rations and to get the car. In afternoon to bomber base to get shoe rations with Margaret. On way home visited place where Swedes landed, near "old Swedes church." On the whole a very uneventful day.

Wednesday, January 3 (1945)

Up a little more promptly and took car down to get roof fixed. We took 11.31 B&O for Philly. Walked into town from station - quite a tramp. Leg got tired. Then shopped a while and bought wedding present - coffee set for Pete and Janie. Lunch at Schraffts. Then to theater. Saw Central Park, an alleged light opera. Not very light and singers were poor. After show had supper with Adelphia Liver - very good. Then to some mixed comedy movie. Saw Charlie Chaplin in the "cure." Had nearly forgotten it. Very good. Caught 8.42 home.

Tuesday, January 2 (1945)

Down to doctor's in morning Personally not feeling too enthusiastic over results to date. He did virtually nothing except sent in bill for $59. In afternoon, did nothing of note. In evening took Snook to 30 Sec. Over Tokyo. Show is stll a good one. House packed.

Monday, January 1 (1945)

Began to rain during early morning. Day hardly dawned. Clouds lying low and dark and poured out buckets. Stuck around all AM but in afternoon took a walk down town in the rain. Mary at hospital. Invited family to see 30 Seconds Over Tokyo again since Snook and Irenee never got there. Mary too tired. Ate with Snook at Young Idea (Chinese) but didn't go to movie as place as jambed.

Sunday, December 31 (1944)

Snowed a little in night leaving streets slippery. Drove to Emanuel for church. Certainly a pretty church but very few people there. Day was bleak out. in evening young Irenee dePont took Snook to movies. Mary and I went to 30 Seconds Over Yokyo. Very good. Got out about 2330 and whistles blew just as we came home.

Saturday, December 30 (1944)

Uninteresting day. Hazy and cold. Light snow over icy streets. Mary and Snook walked down town but I didn't try it. Toward evening began to snow. No news from abroad. Wrote Trask and Uncle Will.

Friday, December 29 (1944)

Osteopath treatment seems to have done little good. Neck hurts like hell. Went down town and got some ration stamps. Absolutely nothing to do. Came home and studied. Wrote Hammer.

Thursday, December 28 (1944)

Sleeted all night. Had to get down to doctor;s in morning. Quite a strain on knee. After treatment read in du Pont lobby for an hour or so and rode home. Wrote letters to Sneddon. In evening, Mary and I to Frenchman's Cruk. Poor story wonderfully photographed in technicolor. Report American armies closing on Germans. Bastogne relieved.

Wednedsay, December 27 (1944)

Up so late. I had little time more than to read the news which is a trifle better. Germans still advancing and near Neuse but moving slowly. Bastogne holds out. Met Sneddon at Iniv. Club at noon. Nice talk. Had to catch 21st train at Columbus circle. Began to snow near Plainfield. Found Wilmington half an inch deep in sleet. Nice supper.

Tuesday, December 26 (1944)

Took 9:00 BO for N.Y. Quite Cold. Nice trip up. At New York found sky clear and bitter west wind sweeping across North River. After lunch called up Sneddon. then exchanged Mary's sweaters at Lord and Taylors. Took in a "newsie" and met Sneddon at University Club. Then to eat at small dairy lunch. To Commodore for advice and got reservation for Sonje Heinie's Hats off to Ice. Took in another newsie and then ice show. Some very good numbers. All beautifully staged. Some inappropriate eg south sea islanders on skates. A little plah. Home to Empire Hotel about midnight.

Monday, December 25 (1944)

Up at a moderate hour. Katie and Margaret over to open presents. Lots of nice things. Worked rather slowly and made it all last all day. In evening, Snook to movies with Alfie. Mary and I took a walk with Butch down to Shipley St and back. Was warm and soupy when we started but got quite cold before we got back.

Sunday, December 24 (1944)

Nothing to do so loafed till noon . After sketchy lunch checked over electric rigging for tree. Went down town with Mary and telegraphed for room reservations. Morning was warm and melting but in afternoon began to slant down. After supper, Snook went driving with Margaret while Mary and I trimmed the tree. We had a great amount of decorations and it looked luscious. About 10:30 pm 2230 drove over to St. John's Cathedral for midnight service. Very nice.

Saturday, December 23 (1944)

Up rather late. Rambled down town and got my Engineering license motorized. Got ? up lunch on shipley St. and then went to Library. Studied physical chemistry all afternoon and bought some supplies for Mary on way home. Supper at Chinese restaurant. Went to Kismet. Rather amusing beautiful color. News from Europe a little better. Drive Slowing down and skys are clearing.

Friday, December 22 (1944)

Down to the doctors about 11 oclock. He showed me x rays. These indicate clearly that my appendix has been seriously inflamed at some time. Its bent in a sort of hook. This may be source of trouble. Will try to cure without surgery. Spent most of the remainder of day searching for presents or Mary and kids next door. Home late and a little tired. Feel pretty good though. In evening made out request for license. Also took Tote out to dance at the Country Club.

Thursday, December 21 (1944)

Another very cold day. Had no business down town so loafed around home until late. After lunch, picked up one or two more presents. Holiday crowds thinning out a little. Quiet evening. Chief item of interest a call from Stuart Snedden in New York relative to the Oak Ridge situation. Going up to N.Y. Tuesday.