West Island’s WW II Lookout Tower May Have Had a Secret Gun Emplacement

MLBaron westislandweather.com

WEST ISLAND:

Although gun emplacements were a standard part of the design type and layout of US Army observation towers like the one at West Island, no confirmation of a gun battery has been found.

However, evidence suggests that on the northeast corner of the island, that an existing man-made 6x6 ft concrete foundation “deep in the woods out of no-where” very well could have been part of a gun emplacement.

It’s strategic location close to shore in thick brush and trees would certainly have been made for an ideal spot. The lack of any reference to this location from a military stand point during the war probably would have been classified.

This also could explain the origin of the trail-path carved out of the brush headed towards the site from Fir St. Keep in mind the island wasn’t developed until the late 40's and early 50's. but a trail is clearly visible in a 1946 aerial photograph (below) taken just after the war. (A) on the left marks possible gun emplacement. (B) on the right marks dump site cavity.

This path would later be referred to as the “dump road” for the “new” island inhabitants who needed a place to discard their trash, including broke down household appliances, tires etc. As the population increased, so did the trash. At one point a small bulldozer was used to pack in the refuse into what became a deepening cavity of about a 100 foot circumference down the bend in the trail on the right side.

The bulldozer was stored in a garage next to the oldest house on the island at 38 Causeway Rd on the corner of Fir St. The town began trash pick-up to the island in the late 60's, but some dumping continued into the late 70's. The cavity of this site is visible by satellite to this day.

Satellite photo taken about 2006: (A) on the left marks possible gun emplacement. (B) on the right marks dump site cavity still visible.

For more information on the West Island Tower enter here.

German Sub Attacked a New Bedford Fishing Boat in WWII

A NAZI U-Boat attacked this New Bedford scalloper in 1945. On a foggy night while dragging for scallops off Nantucket, The crew of The Friars (1939 photo) spotted a periscope rising out of the murky water. The sub surfaced and began firing upon the fishing boat. Crew members donned their life jackets and prepared to abandon ship. They were not sure of the distance, but could see the flashes from the subs deck gun. 4 shells were fired at The Friars and then the sub quickly submerged. The Friars headed at full speed towards the north and then the Captain and crew decided to return the 74ft scalloper back to the fishing grounds after a few hours later. They returned to port with the story of their ordeal and a "1,000" gallons of scallops. A rare 1939 clip shows the Friars dockside at Pier 3: http://www.youtube.com/user/mlb525#p/a/u/3/OwVBaAp34sE

The causeway to West Island washed out, after Hurricane Carol, 1954

The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins June 1st
and here’s the list of selected names:
Arlene
Bret
Cindy
Don
Emily
Franklin
Gert
Harvey
Irene
Jose
Katia
Lee
Maria
Nate
Ophelia
Philippe
Rina
Sean
Tammy
Vince
Whitney

Forecasters continue to predict an above average hurricane season similar to last year. The last major hurricane to impact Southeastern MA was Bob, on August 19, 1991. Bob was one of the earliest recorded hurricanes to impact the area. For those who lost water service last Monday for a few hours, imagine being shut-off for days and maybe even weeks if you decided to ride out a hurricane on West Island. Add to that, the loss of power and other vital utilities and this is when the reality of complacency will hit home.
Soon town officials will meet on West Island with their usual hurricane preparedness plan for islanders who decide to stay with four basic words: “You’re on your own”. I’ve had islanders as old as a 100 say they're going to stay. It is not out of the question to assume that as many as 1,000 people could be stranded out here after not heeding voluntary evacuation advice. Although some boast they are fully prepared to remain with generators, supplies and even a spare car on the “neck” to row over to if the causeway is washed out, the majority won’t be. The lack of medical and emergency services would also add to an already complicated scenario.
Westislandweather.com has several hurricane albums completely scanned for those to be reminded of the magnitude of full blown major hurricanes from the past featuring Carol in 1954, The 1938 and 1944 Hurricanes.

The causeway to West Island is about four feet above sea-level.

Small Quake 9 Miles Off West Island a Routine Event



WEST ISLAND: Two small earthquakes where detected in Buzzards Bay Sunday night (5-15-2011) at 839PM.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) that monitors earthquake activity around the world recorded a minor 2.1 magnitude quake about 2.5 miles below the surface. a few hundred yards off Nashawena Island that's part of The Elizabeth Islands chain. A second smaller 1.3 magnitude quake moved the seismograph needle a few minutes later.
Most of these small quakes cannot be felt or heard but register on sensitive tremor instruments. There are in excess of 30 small quake events a year in the New England region., according to the USGS. In April of 2005 a 2.5 seismic event was recorded in the same general area that generated numerous reports of an explosion as far away as Nantucket.
Link to the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

The Thompson Propeller Shop

As New Bedford suffered hard times in the 1930's, the remains of a torn-down mill was brought back to life.

By MLBaron

The Thompson Propeller Shop, built in 1937 remains strong and sturdy today as compared to any Henry Huttleston Rogers buildings in Fairhaven., and all from demolished materials from a factory that was torn down in New Bedford’s South End. From window frames, bricks and steel girders, the Thompson brothers who were already a waterfront fixture in the important propeller repair business designed and built the structure from the ground up with the recycled remains of what was likely the Kilburn Mill.

The Thompsons carried on the tradition from their father M.D.Thompson of Maine., who designed the "Thompson Feathering Propeller", a popular reversing prop that reversed the pitch automatically via hinged blades when the engine shifted into forward or reverse.

In 1961, Warren Thompson decided to retire and sold the business to Gunnar Gundersen, an engineer from Norway who still runs the shop today as Scandia Propeller., and yes, the famous Fairhaven waterfront icon - a shiny brass propeller still spins away on the corner of the building at Union and Water Streets.

FYI-When the Atlas Tack was finally torn down, the building’s high-quality bricks were crated up and recycled. The current market for a good brick is about $1.00 each.

To see more photos and enlargements visit this link at westislandweather.com

Be sure to enter the SLIDESHOW option for even a better experience.

Photos and story from the M.L.Baron Historic Archives c1987

The Story of Tommy's Boat, authored by The Thompson brother's dad, who started the business in Maine.

A steam shovel clears the lot

These sturdy window frames being set in place.

A handsome new building with a small sail boat out front. It's hard to believe that his structure was completely built of demolision material from a factory in New Bedford. The factory was very likely the Kilburn Mill torn down right around the time this was constructed.

Warren Thompson (above) installs the famous shiny brass propeller on the corner of his new shop. It was said that the spinning prop could be seen shining across the Acushnet River from Union St in New Bedford on sunny days.

Machinists at work Lunch break in the office

Illustration from Propeller Shop booklet. Warren Thompson's dad, M.D.Thompson of Maine was the inventor of the Thompson "feathering" Propeller. This remarkable invention allowed the prop blade to automatically change it's pitch when the thrust from the vessel's gears shifted from forward or to reverse.

A price list above for the propeller shop's services. Pretty steep prices considering the minimum wage was about .20 cents an hour at the time. Mr Thompson chuckled in an interview I had with him in the 80's when he revealed that during the rum running days, it was not uncommon to have a Coast Guard Revenue Cutter's propellers being serviced side by side with the rum-runners boat's. He said the "boys" in the shop made the pitch of the runners props a little better for performance and speed.

The late Warren Thompson, was well known in Fairhaven for being a dead-ringer look-alike for Col Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken. He played the role well and would venture into KFC Restaurants for laughs! We were good friends and he had many stories to tell. But none better than his legacy of being the owner of The Thompson Propeller Shop on Water St in Fairhaven. Enjoy this classic YouTube clip from The 1991 Fairhaven Homecoming Fair when I ran into him with his wife. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5kK9C8wh1Y

Last Thursday’s Rainbow Arced Over West Island

MLBaron - Skywarn Weather Spotter documents a rainbow event.

WEST ISLAND: The unstable atmosphere (last Thursday-May 5, 2011) was getting more agitated all day with increased amounts of virga that eventually reached the ground as scattered sheets of rain showers trained east in a narrow corridor. As a weather spotter I sensed that an interesting weather event was imminent.

Ominous sky to the north with training showers. Towering cumulus clouds build upwards.

I waited for over 3 hours with a front row seat on the causeway before my intuition came true - a rainbow appeared over West Island. With the sun breaking through at the end of the day and light showers still active, the ingredients of a rainbow coalesced perfectly over West Island.

Recipe for a rainbow, the sun angle about 40 degrees, "TOTO II" Skywarn GMC Mountain Bike on scene
and a band of light showers inbound.

No two people ever see the exact same rainbow because of the precise angle, however many witnessed a double-rainbow from the causeway as it arced over the island looking east.The phenomena lasted less than 2 minutes.

More pictures and more weather at westislandweather.com

Chasing Tornados - The Ultimate Extreme - and You’re Invited
By MLBaron - The West Island Weather Station

F5 Tours, Inc. doesn’t take you in a chubby bus with long vertical windows to see dead movie star’s homes or “Old Faithful”. You would be cramped aboard a storm chasing vehicle with storm spotters and tornado chasers headed right for trouble.

“We remove that anxiety and put you in a situation where you can learn how to chase in comfort. It takes a special kind of person to want to go on a storm chase.” says Andrew Revering, CEO of F5 Tours, Inc. “Our extreme winter is setting the stage for a record breaking tornado season.” said the veteran storm chaser. You know you’re in for some excitement when the tour guide asks you to sign a waiver and fill out a next of kin information card.
The company web site (http://www.f5tours.com/index.php) has more details and booking information. I’ll gladly post your video and photos on westislandweather.com when you come back.

If you saw TWISTER, a movie about a bunch of weather nerds ( nut cases ) chasing tornados it was not totally far fetched. A tornado can defy the laws of gravity with unbelievable catastrophic impact, however some exaggerated special effects in this movie insulted everyone’s intelligence. This is the kind of movie that the case becomes more useful for the VHS home movies you just transferred to DVD. The most outrageous scenes included a tanker truck suspended in mid air then exploding a few yards away. A cow slowly hovering by the chaser’s windshield - mooing along and then another cow. Later we found out it was the same cow. The chaser’s truck crashing through every room of a rolling house and smashing out the other side showed 4x4's could do anything. If this movie couldn’t get any dumber - Bill and “Jo” - divorcing storm chasers run for their lives as a huge F5 Tornado bares down on them in a corn field. They ended up in barn and decided it’s not safe. They find a long leather strap and secure themselves outside to a water pipe in a shed. The tornado blew away the shed and spun right over the couple as they went horizontal (hmmm) in the 150MPH wind. Then through all the blinding sandblasted debris; “Jo” with eyes wide open looked up into the center of the tornado and sees the blue sky and sun breaking through. As the twister heads away, debris and shingles keep falling from the sky. Bill and “Jo” are OK as their fellow storm chasers come to the rescue. You could say that some of the movie was based on eyewitness accounts who where “last-call” customers at The Bayside Lounge.

But seriously, an EF5 tornado like those that recently occurred down south removes everything in it’s path...everything. If you are not underground for safety in the path of one of these, you will leave this earth in a most violent way. There are indeed storm chasers that pursue tornados and provide important life-saving data and information to The National Weather Service and they invite you to come along!