Date:         Mon, 13 Nov 95 17:38 CST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         EF0JPB1@mvs.cso.niu.edu
Subject:      Minutiae: Floating

Busoganeers:

Browsing through old issues of VW Autoist this weekend I
came across the following cover story from June, 1967.  The
*floating* issue bobbed around here a few weeks ago, so this
item seemed appropriate:

The cover photo is of Captain John P. Fox accepting
ownership (on behalf of the USS Independence) of a brand new
1967 Deluxe *station wagon*.  VWoA Vice President Arthur R.
Railton presented it.  The story behind the photo is this:

In the fall of 1966, the original ship's bus (bought with
profits from the ship's store) was thrown overboard by a
giant wave as it was being ferried via barge.  Thus follows
the *interesting* part:

<quote>Bobbing to the surface of the Mediterranean, the
wagon sank in 232 feet of water 20 minutes later when a
rescue line _tied to a door handle_ (emphasis mine) was
pulled tight--and opened the door, filling the bus with
water.<unquote>

What in-duh-vidual on board thought of *that* one?

Moral of the story, if you are going to try to float, do NOT
also open the door!

-Jim Bryant