APPALLING SHIPWRECK

15 November 2014: Most people think the coasts of Cape Hatteras and Cape Cod are pretty dangerous to ships passing by in heavy weather; they are, no doubt. But let's add to that short list the coast of New Jersey, between Sandy Hook and Cape May. Yep, the long, reasonably straight, and boring (if you're passaging it en route to the Delaware Bay, something I have done many times under sail). And the second most dangerous inlet in the U.S. is the Barnegat Inlet, second only to the Straits of Juan de Fuca in Washington state. The problem is that while the coast is indeed long, straight, and fairly flat, it also has some far-reaching sandbars that often, with changes in the weather, change shape and location. Charts only go so far and local knowledge is only as good as the last storm to visit the area. Add to that a strong wind from any eastern quarter (with the resultant seas) and you have the recipe for a disaster. If you doubt what I say, take a look at this chart of the coast line showing the wrecks that we know about:

While the number of wrecks is not at the level of Hatteras, there are a bunch and this chart shows only the ones that have been identified. And most are well within sight of the shore and in shallow (relatively) water. There are a few ships that foundered which are not listed, one glaring example is Moro Castle, which burned off the coast of Asbury Park in 1934. Of course the wreck, so close to the beach, has been cleared away, which is likely the reason it is not shown on the chart.

But, about 80 years before the Moro Castle wrecked and burned, there was an even more disastrous wreck with a loss of 284 lives, mostly German immigrants. The location of the wreck was almost in exactly the same spot, only a bit further offshore. The clipper ship New Era was sailing from Bremen Germany to New York carrying some 427 passengers. The ship was leaky, requiring the pumps to be manned by both passengers and crew almost constantly, and the weather, when she reached the coastline, was thick with a heavy sea running. Soundings (with a lead line) was the only way they had to determine their position.
   

New Era in better days

Alert lookouts heard the breakers well before they were visible, and by the end of the day, the clipper, unable to claw her way off the lee shore, struck and swung broadside to the mounting waves. That was 13 November, 1854. She was off what was then called Deal Beach, just north of Asbury Park. The southeast wind continued to build, and quickly the waves began to wash over the deck. An ineffective effort to get a line ashore by boat failed and the captain and crew abandoned, leaving the passengers, none of whom could speak English, to fend for themselves.
Telegraphic word went out of the disaster seeking assistance from other ships, and one, the Achilles, was lying off Sandy Hook. She was a steamer under command of a Captain Reynolds. The captain immediately set off to find the foundered ship and render assistance, but when he ultimately arrived at the scene, delayed by heavy fog, at 8PM, he found the ship awash with those still alive clinging to the rigging. The ship was surging to and fro with each wave. Achilles, unable to approach close enough to do any good, had neither life boats or enough life preservers, but she stood by. With none of the stranded passengers able to speak English, they could not even communicate with the stricken ship.

Those who were saved, were rescued by boats from the shore the next morning, the 14th November.
By midday, everyone who could be, had been rescued; just 143 souls, including the crew, were saved of the 427 who had embarked in Bremen. As bodies washed ashore, they were put in cheap wooden coffins (the coroner charged the county $7 each for the boxes) and interred in the Methodist burial ground between Long Branch and Eatontown.
The local press of the time described the disaster using such words as "shameful neglect," "desertion of helpless passengers," "loose conduct," and "inhumanity." It called for stricter regulations, imposition of great responsibility on the crew, and better protection of human life.
 The wreck - what's left of it - is presumed to be under about 15' of sand and has not been excavated. The anchor was uncovered following a storm in the 1890's and brought ashore where it still is seen today.

Another kind of eerie (cue music and Rod Serling) fact: in 1893, a monument some 12' tall to the disaster was erected near the shore at the site. The following year, there was a huge storm and the monument toppled into the sand. It has not been seen since, including last year, when the Asbury Park Historical Society used ground penetrating radar in an effort to locate it! So we have only a sketch of it that appeared in the New York Times:

  

So there you have it, a shipwreck story both timely and locally significant. One outcome from this disaster was the strengthening and expansion of what became the United States Coast Guard.

"It was a dark and stormy night . . ." Anonymous

                                                                Fair Winds,

                                                                    Old Salt

VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL WALL

13 November: With Veterans' Day 2014 barely in the record books, and while we are still in a somewhat nostalgic frame of mind, I thought that since today, 13 November, is the anniversary of the dedication/opening of "the Wall," it would be appropriate to give you a small bit of history on it, but mostly to offer some images of that very somber and meaningful monument.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was designed by Maya Lin, a Yale undergraduate, who won an open competition with her design. When it was first opened, many criticized its stark simplicity, but most have come to feel the significance of the Memorial over the years. It was dedicated and opened to the public on 13 November 1982.
Upon opening, it contained the names of over 57,800 servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice and as more were discovered, they were added. What is interesting is that the names are inscribed in the order of their deaths, not by rank or alphabetical order. The names are not carved, but computer engraved in the black, Indian granite. And there are no ranks listed.

 After a bit of outcry from the public, it was determined to add a statue depicting men in a realistic pose, and the The Three Servicemen memorial opened, facing the Wall, two years later. it was designed by the third place winner in the design competition. In the proper light, the reflection of the statue in the Wall is quite stirring.

                                                                                                                                                                                   

And, in recognition of the 186,000 women who served in that theater, another statue,
The Women's Memorial, was dedicated in 1993.

 A few other images that pretty well give the flavor of this emotional tribute to the guys and gals who didn't get home.

"We remember their sacrifice." Quote on the Wall
         
                                               Fair Winds,
                                                    Old Salt 

 

VETERANS DAY 2014

 11 November, 2014: To all my brothers in arms, past and present, I thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and your patriotism. If you are not a veteran, find one and thank him or her. 

This video is one of the best I have seen honoring the sacrifice and service of American Veterans.   

https://www.youtube.com/embed/rKsW6c_CgFY?feature=player_detailpage

One thing many people do not know is why Veterans Day is 11 November. It used to be called Armistice Day and was set by President Woodrow Wilson as 11th November to honor Veterans of WWI because the cease fire agreement that ended the War was executed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.

It was in 1921 that the Tomb of the Unknown was dedicated. An unknown soldier from WWI was brought back from a cemetery in France and buried with full military honors at the Tomb in Arlington National Cemetery. What few are aware of is that he was laid to his final rest with 2" of French soil beneath his casket, allowing him to rest for eternity on the ground where he died.

Watch the video and be proud you are American.

                                Fair winds,
                                          Old Salt

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINES

10 November 2014: On this date on 1775 the Continental Congress passed a resolution calling for "two battalions of Marines." It was drafted by John Adams and adopted in Philadelphia PA and created the "Continental Marines" who would serve henceforth on land and at sea.

Tun Tavern, where the Marines were created

 The first landing performed by the new Marine Corps occurred on the island of New Providence, held by the British in 1776. Captain Samuel Nicholas, the first commissioned officer in the Marines would become the first commandant of Marines. The landing's mission was to take control of the British magazine on Nassau and return as much of the munition to the needy Colonial Army. Following the successful conclusion of the War for Independence, the Marines were disbanded when the Navy was demobilized.

However, with the burgeoning conflict with Revolutionary France in 1798, The U.S. Congress reestablished the Navy and two months later, President John Adams signed the bill naming the U.S. Marine Corps as a permanent military force, under the jurisdiction of the navy - something that rankles the Marines to this day!

This premier fighting force saw action in the Barbary Wars and every one since. In fact, the official sword carried by Marine Officers is the Mameluke sword fashioned after the North African sword presented to Lt. Presley O'Banion who trekked across miles of desert to help liberate Tripoli with a ragtag hoard of North African fighters. The Marine Corps Hymn celebrates "...the shores of Tripoli" along with the "Halls of Montezuma," a reference to the Mexican War where the Marines 

 distinguished themselves yet again.                                  

The Marines are generally the first ashore in a hostile country and have executed over 300 contested landings. The WWII Pacific theater was almost entirely dominated the Corps - the names of their conquests legendary: Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Okinawa to name only a few. Their presence in Viet Nam was keenly felt by all and of course, the Marines have seen countless months of combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

There are currently over 200,000 active duty and reserve Marines - truly a "few good men (and women)" stationed all over the world. Bases exist at Camp LeJeune, NC, Camp Pendleton, CA, and Okinawa. Each can launch an expeditionary unit anywhere in the world on two weeks notice. These units are self-sufficient with tanks, aircraft, and artillery.

Happy birthday, Marines!

             "Semper Fidelis!"  Motto of the U.S. Marine Corps

                                                  Fair Winds,
                                                         Old Salt

SPIRITS UP!

7 November 2014: As promised, here is the follow on to yesterday's post on liquor in the sea services. We covered the Royal Navy yesterday with a note that today we'll see what the United States Navy was doing - "grog-wise" - and how it ended.

But first, how did it begin? 
When the Navy was created by the Naval Act of 1794, the government established that sailors were to receive "one-half pint of distilled spirits per day." That meant rum, following in the footsteps of British tradition. All went well until 1806 when, realizing the high cost of rum, the Navy began to encourage the sailors to accept American made whiskey in place of the preferred rum. Also, at the same time, an allowance of 3 - 6 cents a day (imagine that!) was ordered paid to those who were either under age or who simply chose to pass on the the daily ration. Further, the ration was reduced to one gill, 4 ounces, in 1842 and, in the Union Navy at least, was totally eliminated in 1862 for the duration of the Civil War. The Confederate Navy continued to provide their sailors with a daily ration of rum. (Their rationale was the drink would help encourage sailors from other nations to join the Confederate side!)

After the War, the ration was reinstated but sailors were encouraged to keep their own stock of beer and UNdistilled spirits at the discretion of  their commanding officer, but in 1899, the Navy department banned the sale of ANY liquor to enlisted men on any ship, station, or within the limits of a navy yard. This included the Marine barracks as well. At that time, the only personnel allowed strong drink were the officers.

1914, a dark day in naval history: Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels, issued General Order #99 which would ban liquor of ANY type in the Navy, effective 1 July 1914.
                                                  

Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy
 

At the appointed time, much of the fleet was in Veracruz, Mexico, part of the occupation force. Commanding officers rushed to comply with the order by selling the ships' store of alcohol as they could, but were unable to get rid of it all. The decision was made to have one last fling - a banquet, of sorts - and drink or pour into the sea the remaining stocks. Some took on the feeling of a funeral, as sailors and officers watched their precious stock of ardent spirits being poured overboard. But others, with the joyful participation of the crews of visiting ships from British, Dutch, German, French, and Spanish navies who traveled between ships in small boats, managed to consume most of it. It would be the last friendly meeting between those navies for some time, as WWI was bubbling and would erupt by the end of the month!

While occassionally ships DO allow some alcohol (sometimes disguised as "medical"), for the most part the Navy remains dry. But we do get a few English words from those halcyon days of ardent spirits on ships:  

 Groggy: being sleepy or dazed often feels akin to having had too much grog

Three Sheets to the Wind: Sheets, of course, were used to control the sails on ships and if the sheet becomes loose or unattached on several (three) sails, the ship will often become unstable. A sailor can not walk in a straight line down the deck under those circumstances!

Down the Hatch: Tipping your head back and pouring the liquor down your throat sometimes looks like the cask disappearing below deck i.e. down the hatch.

Cup of Joe: Might be named after SecNav Daniels who suggested coffee in lieu of liquor.

So there you have it, folks. More than you wanted to know about the history of booze in the Navy!

"Down the Hatch!" Toast in American Navy when drinking

                                        Fair winds,
                                                  Old Salt

SPLICE THE MAIN BRACE!

6 November 2014: Another milestone passed: Maritime Maunder has achieved over 1000 viewers! Splice the mainbrace!

OK, I can hear some of you muttering, what the hell does that have to do with anything? and what is a 'main brace' and why does it need splicing? All good questions and we'll try to sort you out directly.

Today's post came about because I got into a discussion with someone yesterday (British, in the interest of full disclosure) who was advocating Pusser's Rum even after I had told him I only drink Mt. Gay (from Barbadoes)! Pusser's is - or should I say WAS - the preferred spirit of the Royal Navy for generations, right up to what is referred to as "Black Tot Day," 31 July, 1970, when the tradition came to a halt. How sad! However, in the spirit of maintaining a tradition, the Royal Navy still authorizes fleet wide celebrations in honor of a visit from Royalty, New Year's Day, and victories in battle (of which there seem to be a paucity in recent times!). The signal to the fleet, no longer in flags but over the radio, is "splice the mainbrace" and it goes to all ships and even shore units.
                                                              But I am getting ahead of myself! Let's see where it started because we eventually have to get ourselves to splicing the mainbrace! The navies of the world, during the Age of Sail, used ardent spirits to fortify their sailors (even been aloft in a blow? Really scary to do it stone cold sober!) and the allowance was a pint of spirits - usually rum in the Royal Navy - per day. It caused some problems - both financially and with accidents aboard ships - so in 174o, Admiral Vernon cut the ration by adding water to it and not allowing the "boys" (under 15) anything but beer.

Adm. Vernon

Needless to say, the sailors were not happy with "Old Grog" - Vernon's nickname due to his habit of wearing a grogham cloak when the weather was up - but the petty officers didn't mind since they got the full allowance, undiluted and an hour before "spirits up" was piped for the crew. Vernon's diluted concoction became known as "grog": 1/2 pint rum, 1 quart water, lime juice, and sugar. The lime juice was, of course, an anti-scorbotic and necessary. The sugar made the mixture more palatable. The mixture was ordered made in front of the crew in a "scuttlebutt" which was then used to distribute the rations.

In bad weather, or when someone or a group (like a gun crew) did something laudable, they recieved and "extra tot" and if the whole crew was particularly heroic, the rum ration was doubled. Conversely, should someone err in some way, the minor punishment was stopping their rum ration. So it worked both ways.

This tradition was adopted by the Royal Navy quickly and remained in effect for over 200 years! Until Black Tot Day, 31 July 1970.

So what about splicing the mainbrace, you say? Ok - the mainbrace was the line - a VERY heavy line - used to control the angle of the mainyard to the wind. Of course, it required a lot of sailors to heave on it to adjust the yard and, should it part, it had to be fixed RIGHT NOW! It was one of the most difficult jobs  aloft in a sailing ship and only the most seasoned boatswain's mates were capable of doing it. And it usually occurred in foul weather. But once accomplished, it ALWAYS resulted in an extra ration of spirits being given to the sailor(s) who spliced it. Hence, splicing be the mainbrace became the euphemism for a drink! And when the Queen or other royalty visits a ship of the Royal Navy, the signal is "Splice the Mainbrace" referring not to the heavy brace (the ships don't have yards any more) but to having a pop in celebration.

In the interest of full disclosure, I believe the officers' wardroom is still allowed to have an evening cocktail under certain circumstances.

That's the British Navy's tradition. In the next post, we'll offer the American side.

                        "Bottoms up!" Toast used when splicing the mainbrace!

                                        Fair Winds
                                                     Old Salt

REMEMBER THIS GUY?

2 November 2014: Back in the day (what does that really mean, anyway?) it was not uncommon to see this drawing turn up on all manner of things!

Sometimes it appeared with the words and sometimes, it was just the image, often drawn hastily in places where it didn't belong. Now, of course, it has been replaced with often ugly and foul pictures, but let's talk about where Kilroy originated because lots of people don't know! And a nod to my friend Bob Munro who brought this to my attention! Thanks, Bob!

The image and the words originated with the "greatest generation" - the men who fought in World War II. It had a brief, but incredibly widespread life, kind of passing into oblivion in the 1950's. So who was Kilroy, anyway?

During World War II, America was building ships and airplanes at a breakneck pace. To encourage fast production, workers were often paid on a piecework rate. Riveters in shipyards, particularly in the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy MA, were not above "enhancing" their pay. How? They were paid by the rivet; each day, a checker would go through that days work space and count the rivets, thus determining how much a given worker was paid. A second "checker" would follow up to verify the count. When the first checker went through, he put a check mark, using a wax marker, by each block of rivets he counted to preclude their being counted a second time, but often times, the riveters would go through the space and erase the mark, thus ensuring the rivets would be counted a second time, effectively doubling their pay! James Kilroy was a 46 year-old rivet counter in the Fore River Shipyard.

The foreman became upset by the obvious subterfuge and asked Kilroy how he could prevent it. The spaces the riveters and checkers crawled through were too tight to drag a paint can and brush through,so Kilroy continued to use his wax pencil, but he added, in large capital letters, "KILROY WAS HERE" by each mark. After a while, in a fit of whimsy, he added the familiar chap with the nose peering over the wall to his marks. The writing and picture was too much to erase, so the riveters left it. Normally, those marks would have been painted over, but with the frantic pace of construction and delivery of the ships to the war effort, the marks remained unpainted and clearly visible to all the servicemen boarding the troopships heading for Europe and later, the Pacific. It quickly became a symbol of America to these men and they spread it all over the various theaters of the War.

Kilroy turned up everywhere on the road to Berlin as well as the island dotted road to Tokyo. Servicemen began putting the graffiti on all manner of things and then claim it was there when they arrived! Placing the name and cartoon became the challenge of the first-arriving soldiers and Marines, a mark to those who followed they had been there!
As the War went on, Kilroy appeared more and more frequently and in more and more unlikely places. Underwater Demolition Team sailors, slipping ashore on Japanese held islands to map them for the invasion forces, would often leave their "mark" behind, a greeting to the US soldiers and Marines who would follow - and as a greeting to the Japenese who had thought they were secure!

 

 

 

 

It has, apparently, also shown up in more modern times, onthe wall surrounding Osama Bin Laden's compound! Of course, it is doubtful that Seal Team Six took the time to scrawl the words and the image on the wall, but somebody did, it would seem!

Ok, so now you know where it came from! A little "blast from the past!"

 

"No matter where you go, there you are!" unknown

 

                                          Fair Winds,

                                             old Salt