(6:26 min.) (15 of 24) 15 Deck Steward Deck steward arranged entertainment and kept the passengers happy with games. Wealthy lady from San Franciso had John Sewick fired. Dart's of Seattle stored the cars of passengers. John Sewick was...
(4:48 min.) (09 of 24) 09 Food and health on-board the ship Beef served frequently and caused complaints. Sometimes it was the waiter's fault, sometimes it was the traveler's fault, and sometimes it was the sea. The nurse had to help lots...
(4:00 min.) (20 of 24) 20 Purchasing agent
Nicky Jones was the purchasing agent, but he got too sick to do the job. They hired a replacement from Boeing. Buying for an airplane company was very different from buying for a ship. He quickly...
(6:23 min.) (21 of 24) 21 Purchasing agent (cont.)
Purchasing agent had to fulfill requests in an expeditious manner. Sewick maintained contacts with many suppliers. Sold off some of the company's property. Employees' had first chance to...
(4:45 min.) (22 of 24) 22 Matanuska Colony project
Assisted in shipping the Matanuska Colony. Some stuck it out; others only lasted a few weeks. The company shipped everything: buildings, concrete, and people. Sewick worked for the Alaska...
(6:56 min.) (23 of 24) 23 Cannery runs
A ship would take up the crews and the empty cans in the spring. Filipino workers were in the majority. In the fall, the cannery workers and the fish would come back. The Swedish fishermen were...
(3:41 min.) (01 of 24) 01 Early life & family history Raised in Baltimore, MD. Life was tough so he went to sea. Traveled the world. Went to West coast because heard might make more money. In 1934, started with Alaska Steamship Co. ...
(3:22 min.) (02 of 24) 02 Dellwood returned to cable ship duty. Laid cable from Seattle, Washington to Adak, Alaska. Fell overboard and almost drowned. Stripped down and kept moving to avoid freezing. Sergeant found a dugout and they...
(3:55 min.) (03 of 24) 03 Worked for Alaska Steamship Co. during WWII Laid cable for Alaska Communication System [ACS]. Worked on a troop transport (possibly the Chinook Victory). Delivered soldiers to and from Truck Island; the ship...
(3:57 min.) (04 of 24) 04 After the war. Worked the passenger ships for years. Moved ashore into receiving ship stores. Did receiving for Korea and Vietnam wars. Moved up to the main office. Got to make deals for a million dollars. ...
(5:24 min.) (05 of 24) 05 Move West Moved west at about age 19 or 20. Started with the Alaska Steamship Co. as a summer hire -- back then the company wanted you to start at the bottom and work your way up. Started as utility man doing...
(4:46 min.) (06 of 24) 06 Other tasks Besides doing the cooking and cleaning, the steward was baker, butcher, nurse, waiter, and, on some trips, musician. Cargo handling included shipping the dead; some wouldn't touch the coffins. Was...
(4:32 min.) (07 of 24) 07 Steward section
Sometimes so short of help he was able to get 16 hours and more overtime. During the off season, did painting and carpentry for the company.
(5:35 min.) (08 of 24) 08 Spring preparations. Rust preventation on ship. Liked to work on the SS Aleutian -- a nice ship and a fast one. Assistant Steward assisted passengers, cleaned cabins before the next passengers were brought aboard,...
(4:53 min.) (10 of 24) 10 Main job of the Steward was in the dining room and the cabins Steward had to deal with the people, had to do the ordering, had to balance all the overtime. On the "North Sea" had to print up the menus. Had to sit...
(5:01 min.) (11 of 24) 11 Supplying the Steward's department
Before the ship even dropped anchor, the Steward would send an order to the purchasing agent who would begin getting supplies for the next trip. Bought in large quantities. ...
(5:47 min.) (12 of 24) 12 Steward's duties
John explained how the Steward resupplied in port. Chief steward's responsibilities included personnel matters; alcoholism was sometimes a problem. Steward had to make out the requisitions and...
(3:33 min.) (13 of 24) 13 Hiring and the unions
Unions started up in earnest in 1935 or 1936. Sometimes you had to work around the union to get who you wanted for your crew. The stewards' crew didn't have much time when they were in port,...
(4:47 min.) (14 of 24) 14 Chief Steward's duties Dealt with VIP's. Directed tourists to local attractions such as the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau or Totem Pole Park and the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Sitka. Arranged transportation. ...
(5:54 min.) (16 of 24) 16 Passengers Dropped off Father Hubbard and his assistant, Sam Levenson [?] (later mayor of Irvine, CA). They climbed Mt. Katmai. Engine room boy served as alter boy. John Ford rode the ship; he was a good enough...