Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2007.043.355 |
Collection |
Robert Cram Collection |
Object Name |
Copy, Reprographic |
Reference code |
US SPHi 2007.043.355 |
Scope & Content |
Robert H. Cram - These three papers give a general description of the work Mr. Cram did at the New England Shipbuilding Corporation during the building of Liberty ships during World War II. Mr. Cram worked from 1943 to 1944 as an electricial draftsman for R.F. Leighton, foreman of the Electric Shop West. Some of the foremen and many of the electricians could not read a blueprint. Mr. Cram would explain the blueprint to them. He learned to draw and read blueprints at Portland High School, Portland, Maine. Cram would use the small plans to answer the questions the electricians had. If they still had questions, he would go to the master blueprint and figure out the problem. The master plan was on a six to seven foot table in the Drawing Room. Cram sat on a stool with wheels so that he could roll from one end of the table to the other. The foreman would give the work sheets, drawn by Mr. Cram to the electricians who worked for them. The electricians took the work sheets to the Parts Store and picked up just what they needed for each fixture in each room. This simple procedure saved valuable time and energy for everyone involved in the building of the ships. Attached is a drawing showing the complexity of the electrical wiring. The electrical wires came up from the deck below. Electricians were making a mess of the panel. Once the electricians had the work sheets and drawings, the wires were better organized and easier to pull. |
Search Terms |
New England Shipbuilding Corporation West Yard World War II |
Subjects |
Liberty ships |
People |
Cram, Robert |