Reply #6: Ghost [View All]

[kittykatkoffeekup]

I was in the USN for ten years. My first ship was the USS Constellation, CV-64. It was originally supposed to be the USS Forestall, CV-63. The reason it wasn't the Forestall was because of a massive fire during building, many workers died and the (already) built keel was damaged. The name of the first carrier was set in stone, so the first carrier completed was named Forestall, even though it was the second ship with the same designation.
On the Connie, if you read the tags on the valves in the aft pump rooms (below decks), you'd see "USS Forestall valve # whatever. They never bothered to change the tags at that point in construction.
Anyway, the fire happened in #5 pump room.

Five pump's ladder (this room was below decks, under the waterline) was by the port aft galley line. I'm telling you this so you can possibly confirm what I'm saying. The ladder descended 4 decks to a port-starboard corridor, at the bottom of the ladder you'd be facing forward, #1 shaft alley would be port, #4 shaft alley to starboard, both shaft alley spaces continued forward. Behind you and slightly port was a watertight hatch to 5 pump.

5 pump was well lit. It was also frickin haunted. No one would go there alone. No one would open the hatch without a friend. Many of us descended that ladder to check the main shaft bearings in the alleys. None of use would open the #5 hatch alone.

I never saw a damn thing, but I was always afraid of that hatch.