I spent a lot of time beneath one barge or another during that summer and the summers that followed. It was the only way to survive the heat. The company recognized how dangerous it was to work for long in the heat; they sent out memos to the foremen, they put up safety banners, they gave us water jugs with safety slogans printed on them, they posted signs bragging about their safety record. Then they ordered the foremen to make sure we stayed on the job come-what-may and denied us access to the airconditioned breakrooms.