Sea History 135 - Summer 2011

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SEA HISTORY

No. 135

SUMMER 2011

CONTENTS 10 The War of 1812: USS United States vs. HMS Macedonian, by W illiam H . W hi te Having boasted that an American frigate couldn't best HMS Macedonian in battle, Royal Navy Captain j ohn Carden found his claims put to the test against Stephen Decatur in USS United States once hostilities had begun in the Wtir of 1812.

16 Eagle at 75 , by Jennifer Gaudio The US Coast Guard Cutter Eagle turns 75 this year and in that time has been home and classroom to thousands ofeager cadets-German Navy trainees until World Wtir II, followed by generations of US Coast Guard Academy cadets. The only active square-rigger in US government service, Eagle is one septuagenarian not ready to settle down just yet.

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22 Blohm & Voss Shipyard, by Deirdre O 'Regan Since 1877, the Blohm & Voss Shipyard in H amburg, Germany, has built, and continues to build, massive sailing ships, ocean liners, naval warships, aircraft, and modern commercial and modern naval vessels, including the ex-H orst Wessel-now USCG Barque Eagle.

24 The Indomitable Samuel Pepys, by David Sorensen The famous diarist left a legacy beyond his written observations; it was his role as a naval administrator that transformed the Royal Navy into the most powerful force on the high seas.

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38 Marine Art: Drawn to the Water, by H ope Koseff Corse and Craig Bruns Discover the D elaware River region through the paintings of the Pennsylvania Academy ofFine Arts students and instructors at the Independence Seaport Museum.

38 Plotting the Fix-A Call for a National Consensus to Save Historic Ships and the Battle to Save Olympia, by Captain Walter Rybka The 1892 Cruiser USS O lympia needs a new owner, and while various groups are scrambling to secure her fature, her situation shines a light on an ever-growing problem in the field of historic ship preservation.

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Cover: USS Olympia in Philadelphia, November 2010, photo by Ramon C. Purcell Although the US Navy Cruiser Olympia may have come ho me to a hero's welcome from the Barde of Manila Bay, she now faces an even stronger foe-corrosion and a lack of funds to ca rry out desperately needed repairs. The maritime heritage community is working towards a solution, but the challenges are great and time is running our.

(See pages 4-5 and 38-40)

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DEPARTMENTS 4

DEcK Loc

6 L ETTERS 8 NMH S: A

42 S HIP NOTES, SEAPORT & MUSEUM N EWS

49 C ALENDAR CAUSE IN M OTION

50 MARITI ME HI STO RY ON THE I NTERNET

32 MAfilNEART N EWS

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REVIEWS

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PATRONS

SEA HI STORY FO R

Kms

Sea History and the National Maritime Historical Society Sea History e-mail: editorial@seahistory.org; NMHS e-mail: nmhs@seahistory.org; Web sire: www.seahistory.org. Ph: 914 737-7878; 800 221-NMHS MEMBERSHIP is invited. Afterguard $10,000; Benefactor $5 ,000; Plankowner $2,500; Sponsor $1,000; Donor $500; Patron $250; Friend $100; Conrributor $75; Family $50; Regular $35.

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28 SEA HISTORY (issn 0146-9312) is published quarterly by the National Maritime Hisrorical Society, 5 John Walsh Blvd., POB 68, Peekskill NY 10566. Periodicals postage paid at Peekskill NY 10566 and add 'I mailing offices.

COPYRIGHT Š 2011 by the National Maritime Historical Society. Tel: 914-737-7878.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Sea History, PO Box 68, Peekskill NY I 0566.

NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY

DECK LOG

Will you help to save the American icon USS Olympia?

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ust imagine rhe scene that would follow if we tossed rhe Apollo 11 Command Module in a landfill or placed the Li berty Bell on rhe tracks in from of an oncoming train. A ludicrous scenario, perhaps. But, somehow the suggestion rhar it is acceptable ro row Admiral Dewey's flagship USS Olympia, an icon of the Spanish-Am erican War and rhe only ship of its kind, out ro deep water and sink her is being considered as a reasonable solution to a big problem. 1he cruiser Olympia, which has been homeported in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, since 1957 as a museum ship, is in an advanced state of decay and in dire need of a haul-out to repair the hull. The Independence Seaport Museum (ISM) in Philadelphia, which has been steward of Olympia since 1996, announced last summer that the estimated price rag for drydocking and repairs is upwards of $10 million, and that witho ut outside funding ro cover the bill , they cannot afford ro maintain the ship any longer. In March, ISM posted Transfer Application (TAPP) forms on its website (www. phillyseaporr.org) and is working with organizations that have expressed interest in raking over ownership of the vessel. To date, no one organization has been identified rhar has mer the extensive criteria required by the navy ro assume ownership of a decommissioned US Navy vessel.

The ominous "solution" Cruiser Olym ia at her berth hanging over the dis c ussion in Phi delphia, 2010 about how ro best handle the situation is rhar if, in rhe end, a suitable candidate does not take over in a reasonable time frame, rhe museum has permission from the navy ro scuttle rhe ship offshore and make ir an artificial reef. This is nor a new scenario facing rhe mari rime heri rage community. In the last few years, similar threats have come from the Honol ul u Maritime Center in Hawaii regarding rhe fourmasted ship Falls ofClyde and rhe Essex Shipbuilding M useum in Massachusetts about rhe fi shing vessel Evelina M. Goulart. The harsh reality is rhar, unlike Apollo 11 or rhe Liberty Bell, which can be stored indoors in a climateconrrolled environment and have federal monies ro pay for their upkeep, our historic ships, because many are large structures and costly ro maintain, are lefr on their own, many in the care of private non-profit organizations that depend on the financial goodwill of individuals. All of these examples are potentially tragic, bur the fact that an historic artifact as important to our history as Olympia is in this type of danger forces us ro examine this problem today, as you can't put off indefinitely keeping a ship afloat.

Independence Seaport came ro this decision in recognition that the cost of repairing and maintaining Olympia is overwhelming their roral budget for the museum and that the naval cruiser does nor have strong ties to rhe Delaware River region; ISM is nor a national museum in focus. In an effort ro do the right th ing, they recently hosted a Summit ro Save USS Cruiser Olympia. During discuss ions at the Summit, museum professionals and preservationists stated that the two-year deadline ISM had proposed ro fin d a new Our seafarin g heritage comes a live lakes, and bays-if you appreciate steward was nor a realistic amount of time in the pages of Sea History, from the legacy of those who sail in deep ro ensure success, and ISM seemed rethe ancient mariners of G reece to water and their workaday craft, ceptive ro adopting a more realistic rime then you belong with us.

Portu guese navigators opening frame of four ro five years if necessary. up the ocean world to the heroic Jo in Today !

Preservation groups and the maritime efforts of sailors in modern-day Mail in the fo rm below, phone community responded ro the Summ it in conflicts. Each issue brings I 800 221 -NMHS (6647), or visit force, gathering from all corners of the us at: www.seahistory.org new insights and discoveries. country and abroad to offer their expertise, If you love the sea, rivers, (e-mail: nmhs@seahistory.org) advice, and "ro ll -up-the-s hi rts leeves" help. While ISM and the US Navy vet the Yes, I want to join the Society and receive Sea History quarterly. My contribution is enclosed. which have expressed interest candidates ($ 17.5 0 is for Sea History; any amount above that is tax deductib le.) Sign me up as: in taking over the ship, Olympia needs 0 $35 Regular Member 0 $50 Family Member 0 $ 100 Friend 135 0 $25 0 Parron O $500 Don or immediate help and urgent repairs are Mr./ M s. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - -- - - - - - - necessary to keep the ship from sinking at the dock.

----------------------~ZIP ______ National organizations-the National Retu rn to: National Maritime Historical Sociery, PO Box 6 8, Peekskill N Y 10566 Trust for Historic Preservation, rhe Naval

Join Us for a Voyage into History

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SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 20 I I

H istorical Foundacion, che Historic Naval Ships Associacion, che Council of American Maricime M useums, and we ac che Nacional Maricime H istorical Sociery-have formed a coal icion to solicic immediace supporc. O nly chro ugh a nacio nal campaign can we even hope to raise che funds required for che ship's mosc pressing needs. This coalicio n seeks to raise money fo r Olympia's immediace emergency repai rs, regardless of who ends up as che nexc sceward.

Olympia is che oldes c sceel warship afloac in che wo rld today. D esignaced as a "procecced cruiser" because of her armored placing, she was launched in 1892 as a 5,870ro n vessel, 344 fee c in lengch and 53 fee c o n che beam wich a m ean drafr of2 1. 5 feec. Ac fu ll power, she au ained speeds in excess of2 1 kno cs, driven by rwin 9,000-horsepower vertical inverted criple-expansion engines powered by sceam from six Admiral George Dewey, on the deck Scorch boilers. ofhis fla,gship, Olympia, 1899.

The US Navy flagship char led che American bacde line againsc a Spanish squadron ac Manila Bay on 1 M ay 1898, Olympia fired che fi rs c shoes when Adm iral George D ewey uccered chose imm o rcal wo rds to Capcain C harles Vernon G rid ley, "Yo u may fire when ready, G ridley." Today, Olympia is an iconic symbol of American dem ocracy and carri es che m em ory of chis impo rtanc chapcer in o ur histo ry, fro m w hi ch ch e Un iced Sca res em erged as a world power.

Olympia represen red Ameri ca's co mmicment ro Manifes c D esciny.

H er srory is complicaced , as is crue for any Ameri can icon . In repo rting on Olympia, our presidem em ericus Pecer Scanfo rd scared : "Like any greac movement in histo ry, che US awake ning to greac power scam s was a mixed bag, wich accompanying errors and , yes, some crimes which m osc American s rue today. Bue che Ame ri can Republic can confuse cheworl d and icself by decrying che enormous, cricically importam achievem em s of ics free people intervening on behalf of freedom chrougho uc che wo rld. If char confusion ever beco mes serious enough, freedo m will be che loser, and may soon fi nd icself again ac risk chro ughouc che wo rld. W here che balance should be scruck, shore of mindless criumphalism on one hand and abnegacion of che responsibili cies of power on che ocher, is a quescion fo r each cicizen to decide. Olympia's story poses char ques cion as ic was mer by Ameri cans just over a century ago." As a natio n, we suffe r fro m a lack of knowledge of ou r history, which undoubcedly comes back to haum us if we canno t learn fro m che lessons of the pas c. D estroying the phys ical evidence of this history will o nly serve to accelerate the ra ce that Americans forge t their own history.

American museums and organizations, no marcer where chey are locaced no r whac particular part of history they interpret, are raking up the cause by asking cheir members to donace mo ney for this efforc. Yes, times are ro ugh , and m oney has never been tighter. In theory, it should be someone else's job to save Olympia, but since chere isn't someone else, we, as individuals who m ake up chis greac nation , can step up and save this impo rtant ship in the sho rt term by d onacing the funds for Olympia's mosc pressing repairs . W hile che challenging task of planning fo r rhe ship's long-term preservacion is underway, we have ro ace now to keep che ship afloac so there is someching lefr to preserve. NM H S will be sending yo u a requesc fo r support for che shi p, and I ask you . . . will yo u help save USS Olymp ia?

Read m ore about Olympia and che ques t fo r a national consensus on histori c ship preservation, wri uen by Cap tai n Wal ter Rybka, on pages 38-40.

- Burchenal Green, President National Maritime Historical Society

SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 20 11

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NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY

PU BLISHER'S CIRCLE: Peter Aron, Guy E. C. Maidand , W illi am H . W hite

OFFICERS & T RUST EES: Chairman , Ronald L. O swald; Vice Chairman, Richardo R. Lo pes; President, Burchenal Green; Vice Presidents, Deirdre O 'Regan, Na ncy Schnaars; Treasurer, Howard Slotnick; Secretary, 1l10mas F. Daly.

Trustees: Charl es B. Anderso n; Walter R. Brown; James Ca rter; David S. Fowler; Virginia Steele Grubb; Karen Helmerson; Robert Kam m; Ri chard M. Larrabee; James J. McNamara; Ri chard Scarano; Philip J. Shap iro; Peter H . Sharp; Bradfo rd D. Smith ; H. C. Bowen Smith; Cesare So rio; Philip J. Webster; Daniel W. W halen; W illiam H . Whi te. Trustees Elect: RADM Joseph F. Callo, USN R (Ret. ); W ill iam Jackso n Green; Capt. Sall y Chin McElwreath, USN R (Ret.); Michael W. Mo rrow; Timothy J. Runya n; Jean Wo rt Chairmen Emeriti, Walter R. Brown, Ala n G. Choate, Guy E. C. Maitl and , H oward Slotn ick; President Emeritus, Peter Stanfo rd FOUNDER: Karl Ko rtum (19 17-1996) OVERSEERS: Chairman, RADM Dav id C. Brown; Clive Cussler; Richard du Moulin ; Alan D . Hutchison; Jakob Isbrandtsen; Gary Jobso n; Sir Robin Knox-Johnsron; John Lehman; Brian McAl lister; John Srobarr; William Winterer NMHS ADVISORS: Chairman, Melbourne Smith ; D. K. Abbass; Geo rge Bass; Oswald Brett; RADM Joseph F. Callo, USNR (Ret.); Francis J. Duffy; John S. Ewald; T imothy Foote; W illiam Gilkerso n; Steven A. Hyman; J. Russell Jinishian; Hajo Knurrel; Gunnar Lundeberg; Joseph A. Maggio; Conrad Milster; W ill iam G. Muller; Stuart Parn es; Lori Dillard Rech; Nancy Hughes Richardson; Bert Rogers; Joyce Huber Smith SEA HISTORY EDITORIAL ADVISO RY BOARD: Chairman, T imothy J. Runya n; No rman J. Brouwer; Robert Browning; William S. Dudley; Daniel Finamore; Kevin Foster; John Odin Jensen; Joseph F. Meany; Lisa Norling; Carl a Rahn Phillips; Walter Rybka; Q uentin Snediker; William H . White

NMHS STAFF: Executive D irector, Burchenal Green; Mem bership D irector, Nancy Schnaa rs; Communications Director, Suzanne Isaksen; Marketing D irector, Steve Lovass-Nagy; Accounting, Jill Romeo; Store Sales & Vo lunteer Coordinator, Jane Maurice SEA H I STO R Y. Editor, D eird re O ' Rega n; Advertising D irector, Wendy Paggiotta; Copy Editor, Shelley Reid; Editor-at-Large, Peter

Stanfo rd

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LETTERS The Value of the Weather Gauge My limited understanding of naval tactics in the Age of Sail was that it was of great advantage to obtain the weather gauge (to be upwind) over your opponenr. In rhe two wonderful paintings by Patrick O'Brien in rhe spring issue (Sea History 134), USS Constitution vs. HMS Java (front cover image) and USS United States vs. HMS Macedonian (page 14) , both appear to show the British ships to windward. Yet the Americans won both battles. Did the Brits really have the weather advantage? ]AMES ScoTT Bend, Oregon From NMHS Trustee William H White: While rhe "weather gauge" was surely preferable and did, indeed, provide an advantage to whomever was in that position, it did not always presage the winner of the contesr. As you will learn in the article about the Macedonian and the United States in this issue (see pages 10-14), Decatur tried, unsuccessfully, to gain the weather gauge when he met HMS Macedonian; Carden's ship was more weatherly and our-sailed Decatur's less able vessel, But in the end, as yo u pointed our, United States was rriumphanr. Why? The answer applies to both the Constitution/java engagement and rhe United States/Macedonian fighr. The US Navy employed heavier weight of metal, more skilled crews, and captains willing to "put it all on the line" to win.

Heavier weight of metal refers to the broadside of the American frigates versus the British warships. The US Navy used 24-pounder cannon while the British employed 18 pounders; the heavier shot and greater range enabled the American ships ro fire earlier and with more devastating results than their British counterparts.

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US naval ships were manned with volunteers and they were very eager to become more than proficient with their guns. They could sustain a faster rare of fire than most of the British crews, who generally were not volunteers but rather pressed or conscripted sailors. And !er us nor forger-the Americans were out to prove something, while the British seemed a bit cocky; they were, after all , the most powerful force on the planet!

While gaining the weather gauge at the start ofa battle was surely an advantage, it was not the only factor involved in the outcome.

Consider, for example, a modern-day sailing race, where a vessel may not get a great start, but they are not necessarily destined to lose the race, as they could gain ground through clever tactics, faster sailing, and favorable wind shifts. Thus it was during the Age of Fighting Sail as well.

Eulogy for Iron-Not So Fast!

I enjoyed reading Olaf Engvig's eulogy for iron in shipbuilding (Sea History 133). Iron ships were, in fact, still being built in the early part of the 20th century, somewhat later than the article suggests. In 1906, the fire-float Fire King was built on order for Mr. F. T. Harker (my great-grandfather), for the River Wear Watch (fire/ police) in northeast England. Her hull was riveted iron-60 ft.

LOA, 14-ft. beam, 4-ft. draft-and fitted with twin Harker compound steam engines. Fire King remained in active service for more than 50 years-and through both World Wars.

In 1998, Fire King re-appeared from the mists of rime-rebuilt as a sai ling barge. Intrigued by rhe family connection, I bought ir. The original hull and superstructure were in remarkably good condition, despite being abandoned for twenty years, but, the previous conversion included pouring an entire truckload of concrete into the bilges, making inspection and repair below the waterline impractical.

Inspection of accessible plate areas, however, showed only minimal degradation of the original 3/s-inch plating. The former Fire King, now in Seattle and re-named rhe Sarah Elizabeth Banks, still retains the original riveted-iron fantail stern and bow sections, plus the coach-house top and sides. The midships section has been re-plated below the waterline with steel, welded onto rhe original iron frames ; a steel deck-house has also been added. The original deck was teak-on-iron plate; repairs of rhe deck have been few. The vessel is now a comfortable live-aboard, much admired, even among the many classic boats here in the Pacific Northwest. The similarity of the hull form with classic wooden ocean-going motor yachts is remarkable until you consider that rivets are basically big nails.

Hull shapes only changed significantly when welding enabled large Bar steel plates to be "glued" together, with sharp corners. Better/ faster/cheaper no doubt, bur sadly lacking the style and elegance of traditional forms.

MALCOLM HARKER Seattle, Washington

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SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 20 1I

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NMHS: A CAUSE IN MOTION

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National Maritime Historical Society Washington DC Awards Dinner, 13 April 2011 The April NMHS Washington DC Awards Dinner held at the National Press Club was an evening of pride and patriotism, fri endship and camaraderie-nothing I could write here would come close to doing it justice.

We were very fortunate in our presenters: Admiral Robert J. Papp, Commandant of the US Coast Guard; Admiral Bruce DeMars, USN (Ret.), Chairman of the Naval Historical Foundation; and Dr. Jack London, Chairman of CACI International, Inc.; and in our talented and dynamic emcee, Gary Jobson, president of US Sailing and a National Maritime Historical Society overseer. The award recipients are extraordinary individuals and each proved to be an excellent and provocative speaker.

CDR Everett Alvarez Jr., USN (Ret.), was a POW in North Vietnam from 1965 to 1973. When he returned to the United States, he continued to serve his country-first as a naval officer and then in leadership positions in the Peace Corps, the Veterans Administration, and the CARES Commission.

Throughout her remarkable career as reporter and producer of the television series The Port That Built a City-and State and as a member of Congress, Helen Delich Bentley has been a steadfast advocate of our merchant marine and American maritime industry.

Gathered before they took to the podium are the evening's distinguished speakers (l-r): Under the leadership of Admiral John C. Dr. jack London; Ronald Oswald; CDR Everett Alvarez, Jr., USN (Ret.); Admiral Harvey Jr., USN, Commander of US Fleet Forces Robert J Papp, USCG; Helen Delich Bentley; Admiral john J Harvey, USN; Irmy Command, the US Navy Commemorations Office is Webster; Admiral Bruce DeMars, USN (Ret.); Philip Webster; Gary Jobson. busy planning educarional programming and major public events, including coordinating with OpSail 2012 for a parade of sail all along the Eastern seaboard and the Great Lakes, plus Fleet Weeks on every coast, to commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 181 2.

Dinner co-chairs Philip and Irmy Webster remarked on several highlights of the evening; here are some of their recollections: The standing ovation given World Wtir II Army POW TSgt Frank Wright, who landed on Omaha Beach in June 1944 with the Army 83d D ivision, 331" Infantry, and was captured in Normandy on 4 July 1944 by the German army. The standing ovations given to Vietnam-era POWs, as well as all the honorees. The pride felt when CDR Curt Jones, USN, the first skipper of USS New York was recognized.

The wonderful and often humble remarks of our awardees, who demonstrated what it takes for ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary achievements. The greatjob done by our award presenters and the always dynamic emcee, Gary Jobson. When we were thanking Admiral Papp for joining us for the event, he replied, '1 wouldn't miss it. I'm a proud NMHS member. It's a highlight of my year. " A terrific silent auction, and art gallery displaying the best works of four prominent Chesapeake maritime artists-john Barber, Marc Castelli, Patrick OBrien, and Bill Storck.

The compelling video-documentaries on our awardees by Vice Chairman Rick Lopes and The Lopes Picture Company.

A room filled with more maritime VIPs then we have seen in yearswe had enough Admirals to launch a fleet, plus leaders ofevery other discipline in American society.

Incoming NMHS Wtishington Awards Dinner co-chairs, Donna and William Dudley (left), present an engraved Weems and Plath clock to Irmy and Philip Webster, thanking them for their efforts as founding chairs ofthe gala annual event.

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We were profoundly struck by the words of Captain Patrick C. Burns, USN, the director of the Commemorations Office of the Naval H istory and Heritage Command, who said to the Websters, "In my mind, what you, the dinner committee, and NMHS are doing is as important, or more important, than anything I have been associated with. NMHS and related organizations are the very foundation of our culture. Without you and those like yo u, there is nothing worth protecting!"

-Burchenal Green, President SEAHISTORY 135, SUMMER2011

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'lhe War C

aptain Carden, perhaps in the flush ofthe fine spirits that hadflowed most liberally, pointed out to our captain in a voice easily heard by all the shortcomings ofU nited States.

"You know, my friend, "he offered, 'Macedonian is considered, by those who know, to be the finest frigate in the Royal Navy. Fast, weatherly, and renownedfor our gunnery. Even though only two years have passed since her launching, she has already established quite a fine record for success against the French. It is indeed too bad your Navy Department saw fit to provide you with twenty-fours; not nearly as efficient as our eighteens. Too difficult, by half they are, to manhandle into battery, and demand too many men to train 'em. I'd warrant your crews tire more quickly than were they handling an eighteen. " Decatur smiled at his opposite number; he was of a quite different opinion, but a well-developed sense ofpropriety denied him the luxury of hostility toward a guest in his home. 1he only indication that his smile belied his thoughts was the two bright blotches of color that had appeared on his cheeks. 1hen Carden went on.

"You know, old fellow, should our ships ever meet in combat, I suspect there would be little doubt as to the outcome. After all what practice have you lads had with war? Very little, I think. At least since that business in the late century, and as I remember it, you chaps did not fare all that well. 1here is the rub. Of course, we meet now as friends, and may God grant that we never meet Commodore Stephen Decatur, USN, (1779-1820) as enemies, but, as officers ofour navies, we must follow the orders ofour governments. I would surely regret having to destroy that fine looking frigate ofyours!" Carden smiled ingratiatingly.

'1 surely reciprocate your sentiment, Captain, about our meeting as enemies and offer that we may never do so. But, should our governments order us to war, and were we to meet with equal forces, you may rest assured that it would be a most severe conflict, as the flag of my nation will never again be lowered as long as there is a hull for it to wave from!"

A profound silence filled the room and a look of surprise flashed across Carden's face. Decatur's veiled reference to Barron's surrender in 1807 had struck home.

In the moment, the British captain regained his serene expression, smiled and proposed, "Captain: I would, in light ofyour considered opinion, offer you a wager. Should we ever meet in battle, though my hope, as yours, is that our two countries return to amity, and quickly, I will HMS Macedonian, 1812 purchase for you a new beaver hat, should they still be in fashion, were you to prevail in a contest between our two ships.

And I would expect that you would reciprocate, should the outcome be as I predict. What say you to l'RO!l! LE BY H OWARD I. C llAl'ELLE, PUB LI Sll ED I N T i m AJ\'IERICAN SAI LI NG NAVY, W. W NORTON & CO., NEW YORK, 1949, 2 17 that, my friend?"

"Would not the outcome ofsuch a meeting provide sufficient reward to the victor without the added inducement ofa new hat?

But, should you desire to buy me one, were our paths to cross with hostile intent, I shall be most pleased to wear it with pride. " Decatur's smile had faded, leaving not a trace ofjocularity in its place. Indeed, both his grave look and his tone suggested he held no doubt about the accuracy ofhis words. -Con versation (apocryphal) excerpted fro m Jn Pursuit of Glory, ŠWilliam H . White, Till er Publishing, 2006. lO SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER2011 I'.

HMS Macedonian, 25 October 1812

F

ebruary, 1812: Caprain Stephen Decatur, commanding officer of USS United States, nicknamed "Old Wagon" by her crew (commentary on her sailing abiliry), entertained Captain John Carden, commanding officer of HMS Macedonian, at a dinner parry at his home in Norfolk, Virginia. Each captain was attended by several of his officers. The day before, the American officers had toured the British ship, anchored in Hampton Roads, reciprocating Decatur's earlier hospitaliry.

On the surface, relations berween England and the United States had returned to some degree ofnormalcy following Britain's grudging and insincere-but official-apology for what became known as the Chesapeake/ Leopard Affair, 1 there still existed some degree of tension laced with civiliry berween the rwo countries and, especially, rheir navies.

While Carden's wager was likely an attempt at joculariry, Decatur took umbrage at his counterpart's disparaging remarks about his ship and crew. Before the year was out, both men wo uld see their wage r realized.

On 8 October 181 2, three American sq uadrons departed Bosron in search of the enemy. Commodore John Rodgers embarked in USS President, sailing in company with the 36-gun frigate USS Congress. The second squadron comprised Constitution, recently returned from her stunning victory over HMS Guerriere, but now commanded

by W illiam Bainbridge who had replaced Isaac Hull, and the brig Hornet. The rhird pair consisted of the heavy frigate United States, commanded by Stephen Decatur, and the brigArgus. Each commander hoped ro "give rhe country a good account of our cruise."

Realizing that small gro ups were more effective hunters than large concentrations of ships, Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton had revised his previous policy and dispatched the Aeet in three squadrons, intending they should cover more area and, hopefully, encounter more opportunities for success. Constitution's single-ship vicrory 7Y2 weeks earlier laid precedent that there was little need for multiple-ship sorties.

Some four days after sinking Boston astern, Rodgers and Decatur parted company, following rhe secretary's orders. Decatur headed southeast for the coast of Africa, hoping to find some British targets-merchants, most likely-berween the Azores and

SEAHISTORY 135, SUMMER2011

by William H. White

-·

~-·

....

USS United States .

~-

vs.

•

~6.

HMS Macedonian

·· ~°'). 25 October 1812

a

\

rJ the Cape Verde Islands. Shortly thereafter, Decatur ordered Argus to hunt on her own while he continued roward Africa.

Sunrise 25 October found the United States at latitude 29°N, longitude 29°W. An alert lookout at the masthead cried out that there was a ship some four leagues 2 to rhe sourheast and sailing before rhewind, but he could not identify the stranger as warship or merchant. Decatur, wearing his "at sea" clothes-canvas trousers, a homespun shirt, and floppy straw hat-ordered the yards braced around to sai l as close to the wind as his ship could, and headed southwest. The other ship altered course as well, bearing up to intercept. When they were some three miles apart, both vessels ran up their colors and Decatur realized he would be meeting a British warship. Immediately, Captain Decatur headed up in an attempt to steer his ship across the bow of the other, trying to gain the weather gauge, bur his opponent recognized the move and also headed up to counter it. Decatur then eased his sheets and fell off again, bringing United States onto a course parallel to his enemy's-with about one mile berween them. The American ship had been out-sailed by the British, and Decaturwould remain in the less advantageous leeward position as the time to fight drew

nigh. Usually, the ship to weather would begin the engagement, bur Decatur, as we shall soon see, rarely did what was expected.

As he studied his enemy, Decatur realized who itwas: HMS Macedonian, John Carden commanding. In a letter to his wife Susan following the engagement, he indicated that he recalled Carden's visit to Norfolk, the dinner at their home, and, of course, the offensive comments made by the British

SKI· JC H BY FRE D COZtFNS, CO URTESY N HH C

11

captain and the resultant wager.

In M acedonian, meanwhile, the crew was at quarters and knew they were fac ing an American fri gate. They had not heard, however, of Constitutio n's defining victo ry over HMS Guerriere less than two m onths before, and thus had no idea of how an American heavy fri gate would stand up to powerful British broadsides. Most of them ass umed it would be a sho rt and on e-sided fi ght, and many were disappointed that their oppon ent was no t a Frenchman.

There were in the British crew a number of pressed American sailors; they sent a del egation to Captain Carden requesting that they not be forced to fight their own co untrymen, bur were told that should any of them refuse to do his duty, he would be shot. Carden then moved about his gun deck exho rting his crew with N elson's fam o us wo rds at Trafalgar: "England expects every m an to do his du ty!"3 D ecatur and his first lieutenant, William H enry Allen, were stron g beli evers in training, and their men had been wo rked relentlessly at the guns bo th in "dumb show" and in live firin g. By this time, each gun crew worked well as a team, needing no o rders to follow the necessary sequence of firin g the big 24-pounder cannon . The competitions they had held shooting at flo ating targets since putting to sea had succeeded in inspiring cam araderie and pride, which would now come into play when it really mattered . At 9:00 that morning, D ecatur ordered them to open fire with a broadside.

T he battle qui ckl y becam e hot.

Both ships fired full broadsides, bur the American ra re of fire was nea rly twice that of the British frigate. From the M acedonian's deck, however, rhe wreath of heavy smoke and fire on the United States's side blocked their view of the fr igate, and the British crew let o ut a cheer, thinking their shot had set fire to the enemy ship . When the next barrage of shot hit them, they realized their error; the smoke and flames were from the cannon mouths-not from British fire! Captain D ecatur had to have smiled when he recalled Carden's comments about how British gun crews could handle their 18 pounders with greater ease and speed than the Americans could their 24 pounders!

12

USS United States vs. HMS Macedonian, 1812 by Patrick O'Brien, oil on canvas Wh en the next American broadside rook down the M acedonian's mizzen mast, one of D ecatur's gunners cried out, "Look sir! We've made a brig of her!" Decatur is repo rted to have respo nded, "Aim carefully, lads; she'll soon be a sloop! "4 Shortly afterwards, he instructed his gun crews to "aim at the yellow stripe. H er ri g has seen eno ugh damage."

Captain Carden must have tho ught that the American ship had sustai ned damage comparable with that of his own ship. H e ordered his only remaining sail, the fo res'!, hauled around to allow him to cl ose with United States, intending to board and "decide our cause with sword in hand." 5 As soo n as he saw Macedonian begin to move towa rd him , Decatur countered, sailing ahead of the British ship and offering her a devastating rakin g fire, which brought down the last mas t standing, the fo remas t.

The British sailors waited for the coup de grace, fully expecting the American ship ro finish the job. Bur instead of fi nishing off the British ship, D eca tur sailed off som e distance and ceased fi ring.

In the complete silence that ensued, the only sound the Bri tish could hear was th e groans of their wo unded and the scream s of the patients being treated by the surgeons below. The men threw the dead over the side to make space to wo rk the gun s when the battle wo uld, they ass umed, resume.

David H ope, Macedonian's first lieutenant, had urged his captain to close soo ner to

enable their sho rter-range 18-pounders to do th eir work more effi ciently; now he urged his captai n to show "further valor" and maintain the fight ra ther than "dishono r rhe British Navy by surrenderin g to the upstart Jo nath ans." 6 W hen Decatur return ed, sailing his lightly damaged ship across the stern of what Carden described as a "perfect wreck and unmanageable log," he did not fire.

H e hailed Carden , whereupo n the British captain o rdered his co lors lowered in surrender. The battle was over, som e ninety minutes after it had started .

Deca tur sent a yo un g li eutenant, John N icholson, in a boat to Macedonian with instructio ns ro bring the captain back to United States. Nicholson co uld scarcely believe his eyes when he saw the devastation his ship had caused the British frigate.

The gundeck, es pecially, rese mbled m o re a slaughterhouse than the deck of a m anof-war. Physically, the ship was, indeed, as Carden had described it: "a perfect wreck."

All three mas ts were down, mo re than 100 shot we re lodged in the hull , whi ch in turn had allowed abo ut eight feet of water to flood the holds. Thirty-six m en were dead, sixty-eight wounded, and all but nine of the quarterdeck sail ors and officers were dead. N icholson , remembering m any of the officers he had m er when Macedonian had visited No rfo lk, was stunned at the carnage.

Cap tain Jo hn Carden was equall y stunn ed when he stepped through the

SEA HI STORY 135, SUMMER2011

''Look sir! we've made a brig ofher!'' bulwarks onto the deck of United States, but for the exact opposite reason; the American ship was immaculate with barely a line out of place. In fact, only five of the crew of 450 men had been killed and seven wounded (rwo of those subsequently died from their injuries). Looking aft to the quarterdeck, Carden did not see the victorious Decatur.

When he inquired of his escort for the captain, Nicholson pointed him out on the quarterdeck, still wearinghishomespun shirt and straw hat. Carden was astounded at the lack of pomp-indeed, the casual and informal air-aboard the American ship. How could these chaps fight so well without the discipline and formaliry of the Royal Navy? The British captain made his way to the quarterdeck, speechless at the serene, business-as-usual attitude of the Americans. He presented his sword to Captain Decatur, who welcomed him aboard but nobly refused the gesture in recognition of the skillful and good fight the British put on.

Captain Decatur was the soul of cordialiry to his opposite number. Discussing the condition of Macedonian , Decatur learned from Nicholson and Carden that the ship was in shambles with an overwhelming number of wounded and dead.

He immedfately ordered his own surgeons, along with helpers and other crewmen, to the stricken ship. The severely wounded, those who could be moved, were transferred to the American ship for treatment when the doctors returned. In the meantime, the surviving members of the British crew had broken into the liquor stores and were roaring drunk, making it difficult for the American sai lors and officers to restore some order.

Lieutenant Allen was sent on board Macedonian with more US sailors, and he quickly brought order to the chaos, locking the recalcitrant Englishmen in the hold. He determined that the ship could be salvaged, and reported as m uch to Captain Decatur.

It was then, according to Decatur's report to the secretary of the navy, that the captain realized he could gain some glory by bringing the ship into port instead of simply burning or sinking her at sea. He recalled the last time he had bested a frigate: USS Philadelphia in Tripoli Harbor back in 1804.

While he had wanted to recapture the ship

SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 2011

instead of burning it, he had little choice at the time; this time he did. He had to have been thinking of the fanfare that Isaac Hull and the Constitution crew had received after their defeat and sinking of HMS Guerriere.

Decatur could only imagine the glorious reaction ashore were he to bring his conquest in as a prize!

Allen allowed the remaining British sai lors to vent their wrath at the Americans for a while, but within rwo hours he had all the able-bodied sailors from both ships working together to make repairs. While the prize crew worked to stabilize the British ship, jury-rig spars as masts, and plug holes in the hull, the two vessels drifted, hove to in the Atlantic, keeping a wary eye out for British cruisers. Only a Swedish merchant ship bound for Europe passed the two drifting warships, and Decatur imposed on the captain to take Carden's purser and his report of the battle to Europe; the American captain wanted the British Admiralry to receive the bad news as quickly as possible.

The weather held, and within two weeks, Allen deemed the ship capable ofsailing the nearly two thousand miles back to America.

Together, the United States and her prize made sail, setting a course to the west.

In United States, meanwhile, Decatur treated his prisoners with the utmost courtesy; Captain Carden dined in the cabin

every night, the wounded British sai lors were given the same treatment American sailors received, and the British officers ate their meals in the gunroom with Decatur's officers. Decatur had purchased Carden's $800 wine collection and moved it aboard United States to be enjoyed by all of them, captor and prisoner alike. It was simply Decamr's way. The American tried his best-according to Carden's memoirs-to cheer up his former enemy, despondent over his defeat. Carden was still unaware of Captain James Dacres's loss of Guerriere to the Constitution in August, and thought he was the first British officer to lose his ship to the Americans. Even Decatur's illumination did little to improve the man's depression .

Incredibly, the two ships sai led all the way to the US coast without encountering a single British cruiser, though Carden had predicted that they would cross tacks with a British warship before seeing the Gulf Stream and that h is late command would be restored to him and the Royal Navy.

On 3 December 1812, the two ships raised Montauk Point thro ugh a winter fog, and Decatur signaled Lieutenant Allen in M acedonian to head into Newport, Rhode Island, for further repairs and then to jo in him in New London or New York.

As Decatur anticipated, Macedonian's arrival in Newport provided cause for a huge

Capture ofHMS Macedonian by the US frigate United States by Thomas Birch

13

celebra tion, as the citizens rejoiced at another William H White is a maritime historian and Trustees for the National Maritime H istorof the ve ry few American victories in the award-winning author who specializes in the ical Society, the USS Constitution Museum, yo ung conHicr. 7 history ofthe US Navy during the Age ofSail. and the Lynx Educational Foundation . For As a m atter of interest, now-U SS H e serves as chair ofthe NMHS Committee more about the author and his other books, M acedonian, repaired and res tored as a for the Commemoration and Bicentennial visit: www.seafiction.net. unit of the American Navy, did not fight of the War of 1812 and the Star Spangled again in the War of 18 12, blockaded as she Banner, and he is the author ofthe upcoming Note: Artist Patrick O 'Brien's paintings of was in New London with the United States NMH S book, " .•• our flag was still there," the sea battles from the War of 1812, as seen and USS H ornet. Her second career wo uld The Sea History Press Guide to the War on page 12, are available fo r purchase and begin in 18 15 in the Mediterranean the- of 1812-Its History and Bicentennial commission. (Patrick O 'Brien Studio, 600 ater and it concluded in 1875 after having Commemorations, available in D ecember Gladstone Avenue, Baltimore, M D 2 12 10; served as station ship in Japan , in African 2 011. Mr. White serves on the Board of www.patrickobrienstudio.com. waters working to suppress piracy and rhe slave trade, and finally as a "practice ship" Step hen D ecatur's daring and successful raids in the Barbary wars had already made him a for the U nited States N aval Academy in national hero before the war of 1812 even began. When his crew returned to Newport, RI, Annapolis. with a heavily damaged British frigate taken as a prize, they were treated to a hero's welcome In 1875, she was sold out of the navy and Decatur's name became synonymous with excellence in naval warfare and leadership. due to the government's inabili ty to fund a necessary refit, even though she was recognized as a relic of the "golden age of heroes."

The New York firm of Wiggins and Robinso n purch ased the famous wa rship for $ 14,07 1. No records exist that document her next twenty-five years, bur she does show up later, converted to a hotel on C ity Island, New York. While the structure was not the ship itself, the construction of rhe hotel did use her very desirable live oak timbers after other parts of her structure had been cannibalized fo r m any other vessels. The M acedo nian Hotel , later renamed rhe City Island Casino, burned to the ground in June of 1922, thus ending the remarkable careerof a legend from the Age of Fighting Sail. -!, NOTES 1 Seeking to recapture British deserters said to have shipped on the American fri gate, Leopard fired three broadsides into Chesapeake, killing four and wo unding twenty.

Commodore Jam es Barron tried to surrender his ship but was refused. Ir was clearly an act of war by a non-belligerent.

2 A league is three nautical miles, so the ship was some twelve nautical miles distant.

3 Carden's memoirs 4 D ecatur's report to the secretary of the navy 5Carden's memoirs 6 Carden's memoirs 7This was the fi rst ofonly two rimes in history that the US Navy brought an enemy warship in to an American port as a prize; the second was in Wo rld War II when rhey brought in a Ge rman U -boat, now on display at the Chicago M useum of Science.

14

SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 2011

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Eagleat75 T he US Coast Guard Cutter Eagle is 75 years old this year, and in that time, she has lay quiet only for ab our eighteen months in the middle of World War II, tied to the dock in Nazi Germany while the war raged on and the seas were unsafe for navigation. Those months could be considered an intermission of sorts, ea rly on in the life of this remarkable vessel.

Before that time, the 1,816-ton, 295foot barque served as a training sh ip for German naval cadets of the Kriegsmarine. Eagle was built at the Blohm & Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, in 1936 and was originally christened the Segelschulsch iff (Sa iling School Ship or SSS) Horst Wessel, in honor of the German Nazi activist Horst Ludwig Wessel (1907-1930).

Horst Wessel was the second of three sister ships built by the German navy as training vessels: the first and third, respectively, are Gorch Fock (1933) and the Albert Leo Schlageter (1937). All three of these vessels are still sa iling; the Albert Leo Schlageter,

renamed Sagres III by its current owner, the Portuguese navy, completed a circumnavigation just last winter and is expected to take part in OpSail 2012 next su1nmer.

Though naval school ships existed in several countries in the nineteenth century, the belief that naval training under sail builds strong moral and physical character has origins in the Victorian world. In 1866, just as the transition from sail to steam was taking place, the reformer Anthony Ashley Cooper, Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury, ra ised support for the outfitting of a ship to teach impoverished boys of London a maritime trade and prepare them for naval or merchant service.

Ten years later, the United States Revenue Cutter Service, predecessor of the Coast Guard, established a School oflnstruction aboard the topsail schooner j. C. Dobbin.

The schooner served as both classroom and home to cadets immersed in the practical application of seamanship for five months of the year. Since Dobbin, the Coast G uard

by Jennifer Gaudio Academy has maintained a sail-training vessel to teach cadets, in addition to navigation and seamanship, "a liking for the sea and its lore." After 1930, the Coast Guard Academy was without a large training ship, a situation which continued well after their 1932 move from Maryland to its current location in New London, Connect icut.

It wasn't until after World War II, when the spoils of war made available one of the three German sail training vessels, which in 1946 were left tied to the dock in Bremerhaven.

The Germans believed strongly in the value of sail training, even after the horrific loss of 69 cadets and officers in the 1932 capsizing of the barque Niobe, which had served as a training ship for the German Navy since 1922. After this tragic experience, the Germans made improvements in ship design to increase stability and improve maneuverability of their next training vessel. The contract for the new ship was awarded to the Blohm & Voss Shipyard, which immediately set to

Three sisters: Horst Wessel, Albert Leo Schlageter, and Gorch Fock

Horst Wessel cadets performing a boat drill, ca. 1937.

work, building in a few yea rs' time the three aforementioned sister ships, each rigged as a three-masted barque. Since then, the Blohm & Voss designs of Gorch Fock and Horst Wessel have become the standard for sail-training ships wo rldw ide; Blohm & Voss built two more on this design after the war, and a number of the naval sai l tra ining ships in South America are thought to be based on them as well.

Horst Wessel proved an ideal platform for training cadets, but when Germany went to war, the ships saw som e use transporting supplies and personnel, and then they finished out the wa r at the dock. After the war, the Allied nations seized Germany's naval fleer, including its sai l-training ships, as war reparations. Admiral James Pine, then USCG Academy superintendent, learned of the ships and requested that a crew be sent to occupied Germany to rake possession of Ho rst Wessel, make her seawo rthy, and sail her back to rhe US .

In late 1945, Commander Gordon McGowan and a crew of two junior line officers, an engineer, and several petty officers traveled to Germany by air on a journey plagued by m echanical failures and weather delays. It took nearly three weeks to get there, and their first look at Horst Wessel was a sobering experience.

Wartime shortages of manpower and materials had left the ship sorely neglected.

Discouraged, the crew sought out the other sail-training ships, only to find them in wo rse condition than Ho rst Wessel; the Germans had scuttled Gorch Fock in the Russian Zone (East Germany) at the end of the war, and Albert Leo Schlageter had been damaged from a submerged mine.

McGowan and his men we nt back to Ho rst Wessel, where they faced a monumental task.

Allied bombing h ad leveled Bremerhaven and the neighboring ports. Shortages of food, fuel, and other materials were extreme.

Slowly, wi th cunning, scavenging, diplomacy, pleading, ingenuity, skill, hard work, and some luck, the combined American and German crew rebuilt the ship, including replacing the Nazi swastika, carved in between the figurehead eagle's talons, with the shield of the US Coast Guard. On 15 May 1946, the Coast Guard officially commissioned and christened her Eagle, the seventh Coast Guard vessel to bear SEA HISTORY 135 , SUMMER 2011

Horst Wessel on a port tack, ca. 1937 that na me since 1792, when the Revenue C utter Eagle was put on station in Savannah, Georgia.

Eagle was scheduled to leave Germ any for the voyage home on 30 May 1946.

A shortage of manpower still plag ued McGowan: he did not have enough men to sail the ship home. He wo uld need at leas t seventy men to handle the sails, not counting the men needed below deck- he only h ad fifty. A chance encounter with

a British nava l officer resulted in the transfer of a sufficient number of German sailors from his vessel to Eagle. Now that McGowan had a crew, he had one final challenge to meet: few of them had ever served aboard a sailing ship of this size. As the crew wrapped up the final repairs to the ship, McGowan ran them through drill after drill to prepare them for the transArlantic journey back to the United States.

After successfully navigating through

Eagle (then Horst Wessel} at the dock in Bremerhaven, Germany, 1946.

"When we took a look at it. .. the whole thing was rotten, rusty, peeling, bent over, laying in the mud in the shallow water in the Weser River in the shipyard. .. She was heeled over on the starboard side at a pretty good cant. The rigging's all shot. And painted a dull gray. And it was just a hell ofa surprise. "-Ed Lowe, on seeing Horst Wessel for the first time, 1946.

¡v

17

minefields and storms-including a hurricane, Eagle arrived at her new home at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, on 12 July 1946.

Eagle's first training cruise for the Academy took place just six weeks later, with 108 4th-class cadets on board for their introduction to the sea. For the next thirty years, Eagle followed a consistent training schedule: she was commissioned every summer and decommissioned in the fa ll. Routine maintenance, conducted by a skeleron crew of enlisted men and cadet work derails, was carried out during the winter months while the ship was in porr in New London. Until 1963, Eagle's summer cruises traveled ro European ports in the company of other Coast Guard cutters as part of a cadet practice squadron.

Cadets rotated between the cutters in the squadron for a variety of training. The Academy discontinued practice squadrons and shortened Eagle's summer cruises after 1963. As technology changed, Eagle received updated equipment, such as radar and longrange aid ro navigation (LORAN). Cadets gained an appreciation of the new technology, but training in celestial navigation has always been a part of the curriculum and continues roday.

In 1972, the West German chancellor successfully petitioned President Richard Nixon ro send Eagle back ro Germany ro

18

participate in the festivities surrounding the Munich Olympic Games. Ir was the ship's first trip back ro Germany since leaving in 1946, and the event was celebrated as a homecoming. Over time, the Eagle has developed a very public and diplomatic role, one that occasionally clashes, but for the most part works well, with her primary OpSail 1976, New York Harbo r: Eagle has become the public mission as a training face of the Coast Guard and has gained a diplomatic role in ship. As the only active addition to training the majority of USCG officers in her years square-rigged sa iling ofAmerican service. Eagle has hosted royalty, ambassadors, govvessel in US government ernors, and other dignitaries. Many US Presidents, including service, Eagle also serves Truman, Clinton, Bush Sr., and Kennedy, have been aboard. as a goodwill ambassador Eagle draws visitors in every port-more than 110, 000 people ab road, representing toured the ship in 2010. the United States at international events a ll over the world. In Hamburg, Germany.

The introduction of female cadets was the last 25 years, she has participated in perhaps the most significant change ro major celebrations near and far, includEagle's training program. The United States ing a 1987-88 round trip ro Australia; a Coast Guard Academy was the first milivoyage to San Juan, Puerro Rico, in 1992 tary service academy ro accept women, for the 500th Anniversary of Columbus's starting in 1976.

With the addition of "discovery" of the New World; and trips women on campus, the ship's berthing ro Leningrad (St. Petersburg), Russia, in was overhauled to accommodate both 1989 and 1996. In 1996, in celebration of genders, and the first women came aboard the ship's 60'h birthday, Eagle sa iled back home to the Blohm & Voss Shipyard in Eagle as cadets in the summer of 1976 .

SEA HISTORY 135 , SUMMER 2011

Between 1979 and 1983, Eagle expeEagle's Racing Stripe Controversy rienced a complete overhaul with an eye The "racing stripe," a narrow blue bar and w ide red bar canted 64 degrees running towards moderni zation, with the work befrom lower left to upper right, was adopted by the Coast Guard in 1967, and by ing done at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis 1975, Eagle was the only service asset without the symbol. With the vessel's role Bay, Maryland, including the installation as host ship for the upcoming Operation Sail in 1976, the Coast Guard saw it as of nine new watertight bulkheads. Up to an opportunity to unthis point, Eagle had still been sai ling with veil the new emblem most of her original 1936 rig, so that was on the world stage. TI1e replaced, along with the installation of new sight of Eagle, stripe electrical systems, a new teak deck, and emblazoned on her new ventilation system s. Finally, engineers bow, caused a stir in the replaced the old German diesel engine maritime community, with a turbo-charged 16-cylinder engine. and the Coast Guard The shipyard completed the overhaul in four received hundreds of yearly phases during the winter months, letters in response. allowing the Academy to run a training "The Eagle was a cruise each summer. bea utiful ship wit h Eagle's crew complement has increased the graceful lines that as the demands on the ship increased. The become a sa iling craft. first year-ro und commanding officer, CapNow those lines have been cut by an advertisement on her bow and bulwarks, tain Paul Welling, joined Eagle in 1976. making her an eyesore in comparison to her former self...The first time I saw what TI1e crew has grow n from five officers and had been done to her I felt sick-and that is not a figure of speech. I compare this thirty-one enlisted personnel in 1990 to the to strip mining: beautiful countryside, then destruction-no, desecration. I feel present crew of six officers and forty-nine sorry for the Eagle and the beauty she has lost." enlisted personnel, including three chief "Bravo! Stand by your guns!" peny officers. Positions aboard Eagle, or "The barque Eagle is the Queen of the Coast Guard Fleet. Queens are Ladies. billets, are open to anyone serving in the No Lady needs to advertise."

Coast G uard. The billets run two to three "It looks wonderful on the Eagle and it's time that everyone knows it's a Coast years, and crew members can return for G uard ship! " several terms. Eagle's comm anding officer "Has the Coast G uard lost its sense of dignity?" is required to have served previously on "The Eagle was so cleanly and functionally designed. It is truly a thing of board the ship, usually as executive officer. beauty.

The addition of racing stripes adds to the beauty of a modern ship, but As Eagle is primarily a cadet-run ship, m akes this great lady look like a painted tart." much of the crew's time is spent mentoring cadets and observing their progress.

"The Eagle is truly a cadet ship. The these jobs competently, which I am sure Eagle."-D. A . Colussy, USCG Academy cadets man it completely, and literally run no one will question as being excellent Cadet, 1st-class, as quoted in the Alumni it. ..They begin to feel that they are being training ... Not too many commanding Association Bulletin, November 1952.

Cadets spend six weeks in Eagle-one trusted and that they are beginning to learn officers would want to give the cadets emsomething. A system such as this tends to barked on their ship for a practice cruise week as a 4th-class cadet during "swab build up confidence in their abilities to do the freedom of action they are given on summer," and five weeks as a 3rd-class

SEAHISTORY 135,SUMMER201 1

19

• Boatswain's Mate First Class Kathie Robillard supervises deck operations during a storm, as Eagle and her crew make their approach into Victoria, British Columbia, in June of2008. cadet. Their experience is focused on life at sea, standing watches, and gaining an appreciation for the duties performed by the Coast Guard's junior enlisted personnel. Cadets rotate through Eagle's three departments: Operations (helmsman and lookout watches, navigation, seamanship, and hull and rig maintenance), Engineering (oiler watch, damage control, and machinery maintenance and repair), and Support (food preparation and clean-up, administration, compartment cleanliness and maintenance). In addition, cadets learn to hand, reef, and steer, memorizing

and manipulating the 139 lines that run Eagle's 23 sails. Eagle is traditionally rigged, meaning that running rigging is not automated and must be managed by hand. Few sail operations can be accomplished by one person alone, which makes the square-rigged ship a perfect platform for developing team coordination and cooperation. Cadets must also learn to "up and stow" and get comfortable working the rig aloft. Gathering the confidence and courage to work out on the royal yards, 143 feet above the water, is both character building and memorable.

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of its 1936 launch at Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, the Eagle will sail from its New London home port on 7 May 2011 to visit the following international and domestic ports in conjunction with its training mission: •Waterford, Ireland •Hamburg, Germany •London, England •Reykjavik, Iceland •Halifax, Nova Scotia •Boston, MA •New Bedford, MA •New York, NY

27-30 3-6 10-13 24-27 15-18 22-25 29 July-1 5- 8

May June June June July July August August

You can follow Eagle underway through photos and updates on Facebook by "friending" the "United States Coast Guard Barque Eagle." For her 75th birthday, Eagle's crew is hoping to get 7,500 Facebook friends. As of this printing, more than 4,500 have done so. Won't you join them? (www.facebook.com) 20

Twenty-one upper-class cadets also sail in Eagle. They stand watch in the lead positions of Officer of the Deck (managing the bridge watch and safe navigation of the ship) and Engineer of the Watch (monitoring propulsion, electrical generation and auxiliary machinery). They also oversee, train, and evaluate underclass cadets. Each upperclass cadet is assigned one or more collateral duties that assist in the day-to-day running of a Coast Guard cutter. These include assistant navigator, damage control training officer, port officer, morale officer, and ship's store officer. As this is the cadets' first time carrying out such duties, experienced officers, chiefs, and senior enlisted personnel stand by to assist.

This summer, Eagle is celebrating her 75'h birthday with another homecoming voyage to the Blohm & Voss Shipyard in Germany, with port stops in Ireland, England, and Iceland before returning across the Atlantic by mid-summer. Be sure to note her scheduled port stops back in the United States, starting in July, to catch the ship in a port near you. Finally, keep your eye out for the next issue of Sea History for coverage on the cadet experience crossing the Atlantic in Eagle from New London, Connecticut, to Waterford, Ireland. 1,

Jennifer Gaudio is the curator of the Coast Guard Museum located on the Academy campus. (US Coast Guard Academy, 31 Mohegan Avenue, New London, CT06320; www.cga.edu) For more stories and information on Eagle, you may want to check out the Foundation for Coast Guard History's 2010 tome, The Coast Guard, edited by Tom Beard andJose Hanson (ISBN 978-0-7893-2078-0), and the new documentary on DVD examining life and work aboard Eagle in the 21st century, The Eagle: America's Tall Ship,

by Wittkower Productions (www.davidwittkower.com). Also, later this year NMHS will be publishing a new, updated edition of The Skipper & the Eagle, the fascinating story told by Captain Gordon McGowan of that tumultuous season refitting the ship and sailing her back to the US from Germany in 1946. Check www.seahistory.org for details later this year about release dates and how you can purchase the book.

SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 2011

Rigging

National Historic Landmark & National Memorial to Coast Guardsmen who lost their lives during WWII th rough Viet Nam. • Awarded two Naval Presidential Unit Citations for her service during WWII & Vietnam.

• Credited with sinking U-Boat 626 during convoy duty in the North Atlantic Don't miss the opportunity to tou r this ship, learn about its remarkable history, the recently completely underwater re-fit and the current work being done restori ng her topside.

USCGC INGHAM is located in Key West on the Tru man Waterfront, alongside USS MOHAWK (CGC).

You Can Visit ... You Can Help The foundation seeks donations to continue restoration of this important vessel. Please send your tax-deductible contributions to:

BUILDERS OF HIGH-Q ALITYHAND-FINJSHED SAILS Fu ll-service sa il and rigging loft

USCGC INGHAM Memorial Museum P. 0. Box 186, Key West, Florida 33041 •Phone: (305)-219-6600 www.uscgcingham .org

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21

BLOHM +Voss SHI which Eagle is just one of many famous vessels to have slid down the ways over the last 134 years.

The Flying-P Liners Pamir (1905) and Peking (1911); the Norddeutsche Lloyd ocean liner Europa (1928); the sail training ships Gorch Pock, Eagle (exHorst Wessel), and Sagres III (ex-Albert Leo Schlageter) (1933, 1936, 1937); the infamous German battleship Bismarck (1939); the world's two largest private yachts, Eclipse and Dubai (2009, 2007); and the MEKO warships, such as the Argentinean des troyer Almirante Brown (1983) and the Portuguese navy frigate Vasco da Gama (1990)-these are just Hermann Blohm (1848-1930) a handful of the noteworthy vessels that n 3 June 2011, the US Coast Guard have come out of the same shipyard, in the Barque Eagle will make her way sa me location since 1877.

Blohm+ Voss Shipyard was founded up the Elbe River in Germany, bound for the Blohm + Voss Shipyard on 5 April 1877 by Hermann Blohm in H amburg, where she was christened and Ernst Voss as Schiffswerft und Masand launched 75 years ago. Blohm + Voss chinenfabrik Blohm+ Voss (Blohm+ Voss has a long history of building ships, of Shipyard and Engineering Works) on the

0

Pamir (1905)

22

Europa (1928)

island of Kuhwerder, near the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Then, as it has remained to this day, Hamburg was one of the busiest ports in Germany-and in the world. In the 1870s, Hamburg was undergoing a period of tremendous growth; its population quadrupled in the second half of the nineteenth century and the port became a major hub for transAt!antic shipping. Hamburg was also home to the Hamburg-Amerika Line, the first German transAtlantic steamship line, which was founded in 1847 and grew to be the largest shipping company in Germany and, for a period, the world.

Hamburg is geographically well suited as a deep-water port. Located at the southern end of the Jutland Peninsula, about seventy miles from the mouth of the Elbe River, Hamburg provides access to the North Sea to the west and to the Baltic Sea to the northeast. The Elbe River and connecting canal system is navigable well past Hamburg, and vessels can work their way all the way to Berlin and Prague. By the turn of the century, the shipyard was busy building massive sail- and power vessels, including five of the Flying-P Liners, some of the largest sailing vessels ever built.

The shipyard was particularly active between the two world wars, and when the Nazi Party came to power in 1933, the shipyard was inundated with orders for naval vessels, both surface warships and U-boats. In that same year, the shipyard also began building aircraft for the state airline, Lufthansa, and the air force, the Luftwaffe. It was during these years that the German navy ordered three sister ships for sail training: Gorch Fock, Horst Wessel, and Albert Leo Schlageter. All three of these vessels are still around today. Blohm+ Voss Horst Wessel (1936); Gorch Fock (1933); Albert Leo Schlageter (1937)

SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 2011

PY ARD (EST.

1877)

by Deirdre O'Regan

was builder of the Bismarck (1939), which sank the British flagship HMS Hood in 1941 and was then hunted down by the Royal Navy after Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill famously issued the order "Sink the B ismarck!"

Blohm+ Voss BV 138 reconnaissance flying-boat, 1937

The shipyard itself was nearly demolished by the end of World War II, but the company survived and reb uilt, and today it is well known for designing and building massive, high-tech luxury yachts, or "superyachrs," and modern naval warships, both for the Deutsche Marine and for foreign navies.

The yard covers nearly 15,000 square meters and occupies 250 meters of waterfront. Ir has three building berths, of which two can accommodate sh ips up to 300 meters in length. The shipyard is also home to "Dock Elbe 17," a 350- by 60-meter drydock, which, at the time it was completed in 1942, was the biggest drydock in the world.

Dock Elbe 17 is still in regular service today and is sought our by navies-domestic and foreign, cruise ship lines, commercial shipping companies, and private yacht owners.

Bismarck (1939)

In Apri l 2010, Abu Dhabi MAR Group acquired an 80% stake in Blohm + Voss from 1hyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), the shipyard's parent company; the two companies have agreed to a 50:50 strategic partnership for the design and program management of naval vessels, with TKMS retaining a lead role in all projects with the German Navy and NATO partners-specifically frigates, corvettes and patrol boars, while Abu Dhabi MAR is responsible for rhe Midd le East and North Africa contracts. Abu Dhabi MAR is an international shipbuilding group based in the United Arab Emirates. (Blohm + Voss Shipyards; www.blohmvoss.com) ,!,

Ernst Voss (1842-1920)

Blohm + Voss 2010

ARA Almirante Brown (1981)

Eclipse (2009)

TENCIA MARirlMA ALE MA N A

SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER2011

23

by D avid Sorensen

In his service to the British Royal Navy (1660-1688), Samuel Pepys effected major reforms of the Admiralty, helping to make the Royal Navy emerge as the most powerful naval force on earth, a position it held for more than two centuries. As was common during this time, Pepys was assigned his initial post with the Admiralty through his connection with an aristocrat, his cousin-the Earl of Sandwich, Sir Edward Montagu. Pepys had no naval or maritime background, but it was through his tireless efforts, vision for a professional navy, and influence that he rose through the ranks, becoming Secretary to the Admiralty in 1686.

he D iary of Samuel Pepys is, perhaps next to Boswell's Life of Johnson, the greatest nightstand read of the English language. In his diary, written from 1660 to 1669, the naval bureaucrat is known for hi s witticism s, his self-deprecating sense of humor, and his brutally honest insights into human nature. H e was a veritable Forrest Gump of!ate seventeenth-century England. Pepys was aboard HMS Naseby when it transported C harles II and his brother, the future James II, from exile in Holland to retake the throne of E ngla nd and begin the Restoration . In his account of the Great Fire of London of 1666, he recalls digging a hole in his garden with his fri end and colleague W illiam Penn so th at they could sa fely store his beloved w ine collection and "Parmaza n cheese."

H e made the arrangements fo r the expedition to suppress Baco n's Rebellion in Virginia (1676) and was fea tured on the tide page a nd in the wo rk of Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica . Much like the fict ional G ump, Pepys seemed to have had ext rao rdinary luck: durin g G reat Fire of London, the bounda ry of the conflagration spread to his doorstep but his house was spared ; and while thousands were dying during the Grea t Plag ue of London, he m anaged to have one of the best yea rs of his life fin ancially.

Samuel Pepys is fa m ous fo r having some connection with almost every consequential event and with the most significant people of the time, a nd then writin g about it in a m anner entertaining even to the contemporary reader. W hile Pepys is well known as a diarist, fewer people know

24

of his career with the British Admiralty.

Aside from his invaluable contribution as a witness and scribe of the times, what was his direct historical influence? To fam ous First Lords of the Admiralty, like Anson , Howe, and C hurchill- and almost every British bureaucrat or naval officer that came after him, Samuel Pepys was revered not as a diarist, but as a managerial mastermind whose influence resonates throughout the halls of the Admiralty to this day.

Pepys's numerous profess ional projects and accomplishments had an eno rmous influence o n t he Royal Navy and, by ex tension, British history as a whole. H e worked tirelessly to rid the navy of the was te and rampant corruption that had plag ued it fo r decades, and then established the institutions a nd in fras tructure that the Royal Navy required to ensure its long-

term success. Pepys transformed the navy fro m an on-again , off-again naval fo rce to a truly professional organization by instit uting a reserve officer corps and a meri t-based system of commissioning officers, and by m akin g sure that the navy's ships were at the forefront of innovation. Lasd y, from the beginning of his career to the end, Pepys went before Parliament to defend the navy from scrutiny and solicit the fundin g that was needed to give England "the fi rst fleet in the world." 1 In the Royal Navy of Pepys's time, greed and administrative in effi ciency were bleed ing mo ney from the navy and compromising its combat effectiveness . When he started working fo r the Navy Board, he became awa re of-and was appalled by- the deep -rooted corruption and was te throughout the navy, particularly at the

Great Fire ofLondon, 2-5 September 1666

SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 2011

"1his day died Mr. Sam. Pepys, a very worthy, industrious, and curious person, none in England exceeding him in knowledge ofthe Navy, in which he had passed through all the more considerable offices, Clerk of the Acts, and Secretary ofthe Admiralty, all ofwhich he performed with great integrity."

- Diary of John Evelyn, 26 May 1703

Samue/Pepys (1633-1703) naval dockyards, recounting "in chis age and all pas r, borh in rhe navy and ocher offices, rhe efiecrs of ignorance and corruprion run in a circle." 2 H e made ir a prioriry, from his early days as C lerk of rhe Aces co rhe Navy Board co rhe culminarion of his ca reer as Firsr Secrerary of rhe Admiralry, ro ensure ch ar rhe king was gerring a good rerurn on his invesrment in rhe navy, despire rhe rampant indifference and profireering char were occurrin g amongs r his colleagues.

One colleague who srood our in char capaciry was Sir William Barren, Surveyor of rhe Navy Board during rhe early 1660s. Barren paid fo r his opulenr home ar Walrhamscow by dipping into rhe C harham Chesr-rhe disabled sailors' fund.

Barren, "whose chears I do daily oppose ro hi s grear rrouble," was as inco mperent as he was corrupr. In his diary, Pepys describes a survey of rhe Navy Yards ar Deprford conducred by Barren as "so poorly and unlike a survey of rhe navy, char I am ashamed ofir."

Pepys's indicrments of his colleagues were nor benign; rhe srandard he set did not go unnoticed by King Charles II and rhe commissioners of rhe Navy Board.

His opposition ro rhe corruprion of chose like Barren caused him ro "grow more a nd more considerable" in rhe offi ces of naval adminisrrarion. When rhe Earl of Angelesy, Treasurer of rhe Navy Board, dipped into rhe C harham C hesr for rhe second rime, Pepys drafred new rules for rhe adminisrrarion of chis and ocher a reas of rhe navy, which were passed successfully by rhe King's Council.3 If rhe Royal Navy were ro ever be a perm a nent insrirurion in England a nd rhe srrongesr navy in rhe world, ir needed infras rrucrure ro rrain and mainrain irs personnel. Pepys was especially devo red Samuel Pepys's home barely escaped the flames that destroyed most ofLondon within the ancient Roman city wall in J 666 As he did for so many significant events in his lifetime, he was there to bear witness, not only for history, but as an on-site reporter ofsorts to King Charles 11 during the hours the fire was raging. Pepys's home is located on the lower right quadrant of the map, just above the boundary of the fire's reach; the orange-shaded area marks the burned part ofthe city.

SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 2011

25

to the cause of improving th e navigational abilities of the navy's crews, and therefore was a stro ng advocate of the establishment of the Royal O bservatory at Greenwich .

H e was a fr iend of Jonas M oore, who enlightened him to the potential of the science of celestial naviga tion. Pepys then helped Moo re obtain his charter for the Royal Observato ry from Kin g Cha rles II, a nd Pepys's friend, John Fla msteed , was appointed As tronom er Royal. Pepys was also deeply committed to his own pet project, the Royal Mathematical School at C hrist's H ospital, where he envisioned, and eventually achieved, "a nursery of children to be educated in M athem atics fo r the pa rticula r use and service of navigation ." 4 The idea of a hospital fo r injured seamen first ca me fro m the Duke of York, th e future K ing James II . Pepys, however, along with hi s fri end and colleague, John Evelyn, outlined its plans. What beca me the G reenw ich Seam en's H os pital was essential to Pepys's vision of a perma nent, profess io nal navy; if the navy were going to be at war regularly, it was crucial not o nly that there be a hospital exclusively fo r its sa ilo rs, but also that there wo uld not be a burden placed upon Bri tai n's civilian hospi tals. 5 The series of personnel reforms that Pepys enac ted were some of the m ore las ting of his initiatives, for they are what es tabli shed the navy as a perma nent a nd professional fi ghting force. This was cruci al because in his time and in the next century, wa r at sea was no longer a m atter of if, but a matter of when. The British wo uld spend a solid majority of the next hund red yea rs in a rmed conflict, and success at sea ensu red that there wo uld be no fight on the home isles and that the trade profits wo uld continue to pour in.

For England to be prepa red fo r wa r at any given time, it needed a system by which the navy never lacked experi enced offi cers. Since maintaining wa rtime-level numbers of operational ships a nd ac tive men was cost-prohibitive, and the quick recruitmenr of new officers inev itably led to a fleet run by amateurs, Pepys established the half-pay system. H alf-pay gave retiring o r laid-off officers half of their ac tive-duty pay, a nd in return, the officers wo uld re turn to service if called upon. The result was an experienced extension of the naval offi cer

26

corps that co uld be quickly mobilized in time of wa r, which was importa nt because ir took more time to train a good offi cer tha n it did to bu ild or refit a good ship.

As the son of a tailor who rose in positi on mostly on the basis of his meri t, Pepys had a fo nd ness for those in the navy of modest birth who were, or were trying to become, officers. H e wo rried abo ut t he post-Restoration influx of inex perienced aristocrats ta king commands a nd compro mi sing the navy's effective ness. Nevertheless, Pepys was a pragmatist; on the adva ncem ent of young gentlema n in the navy at a fas ter rate than their ta rpaulin colleagues, he noted that "After the King's com ing in . .. being begun, it grew upon us, hath continued, and w ill hard ly ever be broken."6 So to these ends, in 1677 Pepys pu t before the Navy Board his proposa l for a n "Establishment fo r asce rtainin g the D uties and Trust of a Lieutenant," 7 layi ng the groundwork fo r the revolutionary Lieutena nt's Exam. The new qualifications requ ired th at ca ndidates must have served three years at sea, must possess a positive referra l from their captain, and must pass a comprehensive tes t on nav igatio n and seamanship.

Though , predictably, the Lieutena nt's Exam was met with bitter opposition by many, ir had the support of Ki ng Cha rles and the flag officers and was passed, w ith a muchupdared version still in use today.

Thro ughout hi s career, Pepys oversaw a sha rp rise in the quality of English wa rships. First, the ships of Pepys's navy grew increasingly longer fo r their bea m, lower at the quarterdeck and forecas tle, and with a gun deck closer to the wa ter line than those belo nging to Ki ngs James or C ha rles I. The result was a faste r, less top-heavy, and ultim ately more seaworthy ship, mo re closely resembling those of the eigh teenth century commanded by Rodney and Graves than those of the ea rlier seventeen th centurytake the fa miliar Mayflower as an example.8 Another important fix ture in Royal Navy ships was the adoption of the cast-iron cannon. Although they were more prone to overheating than their bronze counterparts, they were much lighter, cheaper, a nd every bit as effective, and they even becam e a popular expo rt item th ro ughout Euro pe. Although the cast-iron ca nnon had been aro und long before Pepys's time, they were no t universal in the fleet, and he

made sure that new ships we re full y outfitted with only cast-iron cannons which, when pro perly m aintained, allowed for a lighter, faster, cheaper warship with as devastat ing a broadside as any. Pepys consta ntly pursued a va riety of other techn ologies to the benefit of the navy's ships, includ ing solutions to the problems of corrosion, a new method of expelling worms from ships' timbers, a nd improvements to the bilge pump.

W hen Pepys was pro moted to First Secretary of rhe Ad m iralty in 1673, o ne of hi s fi rst acts was to move t he Ad miralty offices to D erby H ouse in Londo n, situated halfway betwee n rhe kin g ar W hi tehall and Parliam ent at W estminster, to symbolize the navy's relationship with both bra nches of government. The closest that Pepys ever came to obtain ing the ki nd of recognition enjoyed by a victorious flag officer of the fleet was thro ugh his appea ra nces before Parliament. Although he fo ught fo r the navy m any times at Westm in ster, two occasions stand out as being especially im porta nt.9 The first came after the Second D utch W ar, during which the D utch ma naged to bring a squad ron dow n the R ive r M edway near the mouth of t he Th am es and burn several moored E nglish wa rships. 10 This was a hu m iliating blow, and natu rally Parliament dem anded a nswe rs. The Committee o n M iscarriages was fo rmed, and the first to give t hose answe rs was the Ad m iralty, with several ad m irals blami ng the Navy Board for nor a rranging the pro per fort ificatio n s to guard rhe ent ra nce to the Medway. It fe ll upon Pepys, then Surveyor- General of the Navy Board, to defend the office. This was a moment that wo uld decide bo th Pepys's professional fa te a nd the fate of the Navy Board . The nigh t before the hearing, his wife urged him to "qui t [his] h ands of this office and endure rhe tro uble of it no longer."

However, the next day, Pepys gathered his notes and on h is way to Westminster Hall, as h is diary recalls, "to com fo rt myself did go to the Dogg a nd d rink half a pint of m ulled sack, and in the H all did drink a dra m of bra ndy" a nd "with the warmth of th is did find myself in bet ter order as ro courage, truly." Inside the H all, M embers of Parliament began their indictment "with great praejudice," and shortly thereafter, Pepys began his speech . Over the course of th ree ho urs he convinced Parliam ent that any shortcomings of the Navy Boa rd we re

SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 2011

due to a complete inadequacy of funding, and that the Board was in fact doing more with what they had than could be expected of them. Parliament was left, it seems, silent for once. The next day, when Pepys walked into his office, the first greeting he got was from the Treasury Commissioner, Lord Coventry, who said to him, "Goodmorrow Mr. Pepys, that must be Speaker of the Parliamenr-house! " 11 Pepys had saved his career, and perhaps prevented the dissolution of the office that had done, and would continue to do, so much for the advancement of the Royal Navy.

The second such momentous occasion came at a time when the French were rapidly expanding their Aeet under the direction of Colbert and the Durch were continuously building new ships. In November 1675, Pepys secured a resolution from Parliament to grant the navy ÂŁ300,000 for the construction of twenty new ships of the line, bur the money never came. Fifteen months later, Pepys once again laid out his case for an aggressive building plan ro the new session of Parliament. In his speech, he first summarized the progress that the French and the Durch had been making in their naval expansion, and then went on to explain in great technical detail why new ships were needed and what types, and concluded with an enthusiastic endorsement of the King's naval initiatives and the efficiency of the navy's administration since the Restoration. As Pepys recalled, upon finishing his speech there was "a vote for supplying his Majesty with a sum of money for building ships not exceeding ÂŁ600,000." With this sum at his disposal, Pepys oversaw the construction of thirty new ships of the line, of greater tonnage and firepower than those first proposed, and he had enough money left over to repair others in the fleet. 12 The thirty new ships of the line were constructed from a uniform design, making them the first-ever "class" of warsh ips. This set a precedent of naval architecture and procurement that would lower costs and expedite construction to this day. 13 Samuel Pepys's contributions ro the Royal Navy were as great as those of any other individual in the service's long history. He was, as General George Monck called him, "the right hand of the navy." 14 His administrative achievements and the SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 2011

The Battle of Copenhagen, 1801, by Nicholas Pocock While Samuel Pepys is most famous for his diary, it was his work as a naval administrator that left a more indelible mark on history. His influence and reforms paved the way for the Royal Navy to mature into the dominant force on the high seas for almost two centuries. vision and efficacy of his work were as important to the success of the navy as were the tactical and strategic achievements of the most glorified admirals- from Blake to Nelson to Beatty. Through his efforts to eliminate waste and corruption, his establishment of lasting institutions viral to the navy's success, the uniform standards he set for Royal N avy personnel, his emphasis on the need for superiority of warship design, and his advocacy before Parliament, Pepys transformed the British Navy from an interm itrendy-necessary and often neglected tool of monarchs into a professional and permanent asset of government-a magic wand of empire that went on over the next quarter-millennium to defend the Isles from tyrants and impose Britain's will on the world with a level ofsuccess unprecedented

by Pepys and h is contemporaries. From him we are bequeathed not just a masterpiece of literature and primary source material, but, to a degree, the British Empire itself and everything that came with it, from capitalism to common law. ~

NOTES

4

Bryant, Years ofPeril, 100.

Herman, To Rule the Waves (New York: HarperCollins, 2004), 203.

6 Letters and the Second Diary ofSamuelPepys, ed. R. G. Howarth (New York: E. P Dutton & Co. Inc., 1933), 381-83, 415.

7 Bryant, Years ofPeril, 185-87.

8 1he Diary ofjohn Evelyn, ed. E. S. de Beer (London: Oxford University Press, 1959), 520, 920-21; William James, The Naval H istory of Great Britain (London: W. C lowes and Sons, 1860) Google Books, July 2008, http: //books. google .com/ books? id= oApAAAAYAAJ. 9 de Beer, 520; Herman, 202-203; Arthur Bryant, Samuel Pepys: Saviour of the Navy (Londo n: Collins C lear-Type Press, 1949), 5Arthur

91, 186-87, 236.

10

Arthur Bryant, Samuel Pepys: The Man in the Making (London : Collins C lear-Type Press, 1947), 331.

11 The Shorter Pepys, ed. Robert Latham (Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1985), 842-844. 884-85.

12 Bryant, Years ofPeril, 155-169.

13 Herman, 202-03.

14 Latham, 484.

1

Arthur Bryant, Life of Samuel Pepys: The Years ofPeril (London: Collins Clear-Type Press, 1949), 168.

2 Letters and the Second Diary of Samuel Pepys, ed. R. G. Howarth (New York: E. P Dutton & Co. Inc., 1933), 448.

3 1he D iary ofSamuel Pepys, ed. 0 . F. Morshead (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1960), 122, 172.

David So rensen is a student at the University ofMaine School ofLaw, where he is pursuing his interests in government and oceans law.

A native of Cape Cod, he has been around boats all his life and this, combined with his love ofhistory, led him to research and write this article. Mr. Sorensen resides in North Yarmouth, Maine with his wife and son.

27

f;

by H o pe Koseff Corse and C raig Bruns, Independence Seapo rt M useum

or m o re than 200 years, generations of student-artists and their instructors fro m the Pennsylva nia Academy of the Fine An s in Philadelphia (PAFA) have found inspiration in the region's wa terways fo r their art. N ow you can see the paintings elicited from their musings at the Independence Seaport Museum at Penn's Landing th ro ugh the end of 2011 in a new exhibit, Drawn to the Water, Artists of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Capture Our Region's Waterways 1830-Present.

Philadelphia was fo unded, and still thrives, as a major seaport, co nnecting people and goods from the coast and around the wo rld to the Pennsylva nia hinterland via the Atlantic Ocean, Delaware Bay and the Delaware River, and the Schuylkill River. While the use of these wa terways has changed over time, th e tradirion of painting them continues . "We're not often challenged to take a fresh look at our regio n's ocean, bay, and rivers," explains C raig Bruns, senior curato r at the Independent Seapo rt M useum , where Drawn to the Wa ter recently o pened to the p ubli c. "What can we learn from artists about how nature and industry combine? In o ur everyday lives, we d rive along or pass over these wa terways bur seldom stop to see how beautiful they are."

Everyday scenes of views from the ocean and coast, bay, and rivers are depicted- from rom antic seascapes to industrial scenes of wo rk and infras tructure built alo ng the waterfront. M aritime acriviry fro m this regio n includes commercial, naval, and recreational pursuits, and each is represented in a wide range of perspectives and sryles and from a range of time periods.

Independence Seaport Museum's mission is to help reco nnect res id ents of the D elaware River region with their maritime heri tage, and D raw n to the Water is ve ry much a locals' exhibit, fro m the Pennsylvania artists to the subjects of their paintings. W hile local in ori gin, it's an exhibit worth a visit whether yo u come from the Keysto ne State or from far afield. All of the paintings depict water scenes fro m around the Delaware Valley, and exhibit panels include a map showing the location of the scene and where the artist wo uld have been standing to capture the view. In addition to th e tradi tio nal exhibit displays at the museum , Drawn to the Water also includes live painting demo nstrations and is giving away coloring sketchbooks to visito rs so they can create their own images, m o tivated by their experience at the museum and inspired by the same wa terways that have been such a powerful draw to artists fo r centuries.

The sketchbooks include nine o riginal line drawings by Liam H odgson, a current PAFA student, maps of the locatio ns depicted in the d rawings, and blank pages fo r their own original art. Participants can send their artwork to the museum to be included in an online companion exhi bit. D erails at www. phillyseaport.o rg.

Coal Boats on the Lower Schuylkill c. 1905 by Fred Wtzgn er

28

SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 2011

Delaware Avenue, 1980,

by Chris Nissen

South Side, Easton, c.1940,

by Walter Emerson Baum The industrial waterfront is not typically depicted in marine art, but artists Walter Emerson Brown (above) and Giovanni Marino (below), painting in the 1940s, and Chris Nissen, at work capturing the unromantic side of the river bank four decades later in 1980 (right), found beauty in the stark colors and unglamorous development of the waterfront.

Canal Bridge, 1946, by Giovanni Martino

Drawn to the Ulater Plein Air Painting Events In conjunction with the exhibit, the museum is organizing plein air (open air) painting events with artwo rk being created specifically for the Drawn to the Water exhibit.

On completion, these paintings will be installed with the other paintings on display at Independence Seaport Museum. •Saturday, 11 June, artist Larry Francis will be at Art in the Open (AiO) , Schuylkill Banks, Philadelphia, PA, from l lAM - 4PM. •Saturday, 18 June, artist Giovanni Casadei will be on the beach a few blocks east of the Absecon Lighthouse, Atlantic City, New Jersey, from l lAM - 4PM.

SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER201 l

29

Schuylkill River, c. 1868, by Thomas J Fenimore

New Jersey Beach, 1911, by Richard Blossom Farley

,

.

h

Independence Seaport Museum Founded in 1960, Independence Seaport Museum maintains one of the largest maritime collections in North America, combining more than 25,000 artifacts with hands-on exhibits, large-scale models, and audiovisuals; it is home to the]. Welles Henderson Archives and Library. Located on the waterfront at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia, the museum also runs a wooden boat shop and is the steward of two National Historic Landmark ships-USS Olympia and the WWII submarine Becima.

(ISM, 211 South Columbus Blvd. & Walnut St., Philadelph ia, PA 19106; Ph. 215 413-8655; email: seaport@ phillyseaport.org; www.phi llyseaport.org)

•.

. .¡

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is America's firs t school of fine arts and is a recognized leader in fine arcs education. Nearly every major American artist has taught, studied, or exhibited at the PAFA since its inception. The institution's world-class collection of American art continues to grow; it provides the rare combination of both an outstanding museum and a distinguished faculty known for its commitment to students and for the stature and quality of its artistic work. PAFA is located at 118-128 North Broad Street in Philadelphia, just across town from the Independence Seaport Museum at Penn's Landing.

(PAFA, Ph. 215-972-7600; www.pafa.org)

Ships and Sailboats on the D elaware River, c. 1874, by Thomas Eakins 30

SEA

HI~STORY

135, SUMMER 20 11

Marit1e Art News Explore Paradise at the Maritittte Museuttt of Satt Uiego The Maricime Museum of San Diego is launching a new exhibic, bringing chree discincc experiences of che beauciful and exocic Souch Pacific closer co home. Cook, Melville and Gauguin: Three Voyages to Paradise seeks co illuscrace che diverse experiences of chese chree South Sea icons wich more chan 110 pieces of original an and arrifaccs. Exhibiced for che first cime in che Uniced Sraces, Three Voyages co Paradise feawres original oil paimings by Caprain Cook's official expedicion anises, Will iam Hodges and John Webber; a colleccion of paimings, engravings and whaling anifaccs selecced co illuscrace quoces from Melville's wricings; and 34 original oils and

Matavai Bay, Island of Otaheite (Tahiti) by William Hodges, 1772.

wacercolors, woodblock prims, engravings, and lesser-known wood carving and sculp cural works from Gauguin's years in Tahici. Included among Gauguin's works is che newly discovered wood sculpwre, Nave Nave Faruru, found in Tahici by Dr. Richard Kelto n of The Kelton Fou ndacion.

The experiences of chese individuals-explorer, auchor, arcisc-wich very differem reasons for craveling co me remoce islands of che Souch Pacific, were imerpreced in unique, creacive, and moving ways. Presenced by che Maricime Museum of San Diego, Three Voyages is drawn from che excensive colleccions of The Kelton Foundacion and runs fro m 27 May 2011 chrough New Year's Day, 20 12. (Maricime Museum of San Diego, 1492 Nonh Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92 101 ; Ph. 619 234-9153; www.sdmaricime.org. The museum is open every day of che year.)

Nave Nave Faruru, Paul Gauguin, c. 1892.

fhe Cape Atttt School

Skipjack Nautical Wares Maritte Folk Art Show

The Oil Painters of America 20th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, 10 June-9 July, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, will include a presemacion by Charles Movalli on che "Cape Ann School."

1l1is gro up of G loucescer and Rockpon, MA, paimers-including Aldro Hibbard, Lescer Scevens, Emile Gruppe, and Carl Pecers-never moughc of chemselves as a "school;" chey were, in face, friendly rivals for masc of cheir careers. Their bond was chrough a devocion co ourdoor paiming, even chrough che biner wincers of coastal New England. Movalli's calk wi ll show how chey each developed cheir own shonhand for paiming oucdoors. Even non-anises will gain an en hanced appreciacion for che kind of chinking required co complece a paiming in che 2-3 hours allowed by narnre's shifring ligh c. (Devin Gall eries, 507 Sherman Avenue, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814; 208 667-2898; OPA, www. oilpaincersofamerica.com)

Skipjack Naucical Wares & Marine Gallery in Porrsmouth, VA, is preseming the 2011 Marine Folk Art Show, 3-29 June, featuring a colleccion of original anwork by some of che coumry's besc comemporary fo lk anists. Wooden wall carvings and sculpwres of whales, mermaids, fish and fowl, plus ship models, weachervanes, scrimshaw, crade signs, sailor an and fancy knorwork will be on display. More chan a dozen anises will be represemed, including sculp tors Jae and Pacricia Johnson, master decoy carver Gentry Childress, scrimshander Tony Perry, and folk fish anist Joe Marinelli. Esrablished in 2003, Skipjack Nautical Wares moved co ics currem locacion in 2008 and boascs a sweeping view of che Elizabech River and che Hog Island Lighchouse Lens. The show is free and open co che public and may be viewed in person in che showroom or online ac www.SkipjackNaucicalWares.com. (For more in fo rmacion, comacc Joe and Alison Elder by email ac askus@skipjacknaucicalwares.com or ac Skipjack Nautical Wares, One High Screet, Suite 3, Porrsmouth, VA 23704; Ph. 757 399-5012.)

Ripple Effect fhe Art of ff20

Opening on 18 June in che Peabody Essex Museum's imeraccive An & Nawre Cemer, Ripple Effecc highlighcs wacer as an inspriracion for aniscic expression and a medium for hands-on exploracion. Encoumer water in ics differem sraces-solid , liquid, and gas-as yo u invescigace anworks inspired by rivers, geysers, snowflakes, fog, and more. (PEM, East India Square, 161 Essex Sc., Salem, MA 01970; Ph. 978 745-9500; www.pem .org)

32

Errata: In the last issue of Sea History, we congratulated marine artist William G. Muller for having been awarded "Fellow Emeriws" status with the American Sociery of Marine Art:ists. In that notice, we mistaken ly stated that he had served in World War II. Mr. Muller served in the Army from 1956-58 and was still in gram1mar school during che Second World War. We regrec che error.

SEAHHSTORY 135, SUMMER 20 11

Marine Folk Art Show June 3--29, 2011

A folksy collection of whales, mermaids, fish, fowl, carvings, models, seashells, scrimshaw, sailor art and signs. Some are whimsical, others memorable, but they are all simply delightful.

AVAILABLE-Rare , original Nichol steam calliope

Skipjack Nautical Wares&: Marine Gallery One High Street; Portsmouth, Virginia 23704

Served aboard the Mississippi sternwheeler Washington .

Played first by Leslie Swanson in 1928, and continued aboard the Washington until she was decommissioned .

This instrument is a rare and unique antique and is available with a 15 HP Bryan propane boiler, 50 gallon propane bottle, pressure regulator, flexible piping , books (5" x 8" paper back) by Swanson about calliopes and several hundred calliope recordings . $105 ,000, buyer collects .

Contact Murphy, FAX 305-666-0501 Book & CD available , $50, pp.

www.SKIPJACKNAUTICAL

(757) 399-5012

w ARES.COM

Cus tom N a utical T a bles from V intage Ship Grat e s Solid mahogany bases Mortise and tenon construction See our website for grate sizes in stock

Skipjack Nautical Wares&: M arine Gallery One High Street ; Portsmouth, Virginia 23704

(757) 399 -5012

www.SKIPJACKNAUTICALWARES.COM

PRESENTS

A Gathering of Marine Masters 2011

SM ®

FEATURING 3 OF THE NATION'S TOP MOD EL MAKERS

GALLERIES

Greg McKay \

(1 944-20 1O)

Steve Rogers Lloyd McCaffery

A juried exhibit of some of the w orld's top Marine Artists + 3 of the nation's most pro minent sculpto rs and carvers: BRONZE-CATHY FERREL;

MARBLE-WILLIAM NUTT;

WOOD-WICK AHERNS

Art of the Sea Galleries At the reversing fa ll s

Rt. 73, South Thomaston, Maine 04858 • 207-594-9396 • www.artofthesea.net SEA HI STORY 135, SU MM E R 20 11

33

ORY for kids ~

everyday

speech f rotn

esterday sailors of Y

There are words we use every day that come from our maritime heritage.

Below are a few and where they came from.

first-rate In the 1700s, a person would never have been called "first-rate"-that designation would have applied only to a particular kind of warship.

The British Royal Navy designated its sailing warships by ratings, from First rate to Sixth rate. First Raters were the largest ships and carried at least 100 guns (cannons). The only surviving First Rate ship of the line is HMS Victory, Admiral Horatio Nelson's flagship from the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Second Rate ships carried 90-98 guns, Third Rate ships had 64-89 guns, Fourth Raters had 50-60 guns and Fifth- and Sixth Rate vessels were frigates with 20-48 guns.

Nelson's performance in the Bartle ofTrafalgar was FIRST RATE!

under the weather There are two popular explanations for where this expression comes from, but only one makes sense if you have ever been out on a rocking boat, big or small.

The original expression was to be "under the weather bow." Mariners use the word "weather" as a synonym for windward. To be located under the weather bow, or anywhere near the windward bow, puts you in the roughest part of the ship where the wind is blowing strongest and where the waves are smashing on the hull. In rough weather, only those with the strongest stomachs would be able to stay there without feeling seasick.

The other explanation you might come across is that people who were feeling seasick would be sent below deck, out of (and under) the weather deck where, according to some, the movement was steadier. This explanation doesn't hold water, however, because anyone who has ever been seasick knows that you feel much worse down below deck, away from the fresh air and steady horizon.

cranky Of course, if you are feeling under the weather, you might be a little bit cranky or grouchy. A ship is cranky if it is top-heavy and heels or tilts over too easily and is in danger of capsizing. Sailing on a cranky boat is both uncomfortable and stressful, which would put even the most cheerful person in a sour mood.

~E:A

HISTORY 135. SUMMER 2011

Careers in AmyKukulya Oceanographic Engineering Technician

Amy Kukulya works for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where she maintains and operates underwater robots known as REMUS (Remote Environmental Monitoring UnitS). REMUS is torpedoshaped for swimming efficiency; oceanographers use it to carry scientific instruments underwater to collect data and images, often in very deep parts of the ocean where humans can't dive to.

It's Amy's job to make REMUS streamlined and fast and to put as many instruments on it as she can, and to operate it out at sea. She has taken REMUS vehicles all over the world-from warm, sunny Hawaii to the frigid icy waters of the Arctic. "

,.

...

"I spend time in the office, in a lab, and out in h fi , . I typically spend a quarter of my time in m y office anal ing the data we've collected in the field, writing reports, and working with other scientists to write publications and prepa presentations for science and engineering conferences." Anoth r q arter of my time I spend in the lab, testing vehicle compone ts using computers and special software. The rest of my tim ·i: pent on the water-almost always on a boat-where I mign be running anywhere from 1 to 4 vehicles at a time. On average, pend about three months of the year away n large research vessels and always near water from home, usual to places like H awaii, New Zealand, Italy and Antarctica."

When Amy was a kid, she realized that she could learn new things best when they were hands-on. She also found that she was happiest when she could be outside, esRecially ar water. She had no idea that her interest in the ocean-and the planet as a whole-would involve workin ,on nderwater robots, until she had the opportunity to work on one while she ,~,r co'ilege. She calls it an "accidental opportunity." was working on a research crui "I had no idea how much I would love tinkering on futuristic-like robots until I was asked to help fix a broken one." Amy got her college degree in Environmental o icy, but after this experience, she started to study engineering as well. Now, gets to combine her interests in biology, environmental science, and engineer·ng i;!irough research , development, and exploration at WHOI. "The best part • my job is being able to try things that have never been done before and, of cour making new underwater discoveries. Every day is different. I never stop learning an · asking questions."

e,

In the field.

When scientists do "field work," that usually means they leave their office and go our ro collect data wherever their research subject is located. An oceanographer, for example, would go our on rhe ocean in a research vessel; a volcanologisr would travel to places where volcanoes are found; and an ornithologist might travel ro a rain forest to study a certain species of parrot.

--SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMl"R 2011

All photos counesy WHO!, REMUS photo by Tom Kleindinst, WHO!

.

BY

RrcHARD KrNG

PASSENGER

A

~~ ¡

little ovor 100 yws ago, a storm b'5hed a small sdi " onto the rocks of m ishnd in one of the loneliest archipelagoes on eanh-rhe Crozer Islands. Thirteen Norwegian sealers rowed to safety from rheir doomed ship, rhe Catherine. For weeks rhey survived ashore well enough, earing penguin and fish , and raking shelrer in a makeshifr home rhey builr from rhe wreckage of rheir ship.

When rhese guys wrecked in 1906, the only humans that ever visired the Crozets were whalers and sealers. The islands are pinpricks in the middle of the southern Indian Ocean, some 1,400 miles from the nearest inhabited land of Madagascar.

The sailors were actually closer to Antarctica. Afraid of being srranded rhere for years-a reasonable fear-the captain and rwo men sailed off in a whaleboat to try to hail a passing ship or, Neprune willing, to make landfall in Africa or Ausrralia, where rhey could ger help for the others. Meanwhile, the resr of rhe men decided to also try to reach rhe ourside world.

Instead of putting nores in bottles, they sealed small messages into metal canisters and ried them to rhe legs of sixty albatross, the large seabirds that nested on the island.

Seriously? Did they rhink this would actually work? Like trained passenger pigeons?

A bit of reading and research reveals a surprising, if small, tradition of sailors tying messages to albarross. In 1847 a whaling captain named Hiram Lurher shot an albarross rhat had a vial tied around its neck containing a note from another whaler. The other caprain seemed to have been bored, complaining in the message that he hadn't seen a whale in four months. Based on the position and date written on the nore, that albatross had flown nearly 3,400 miles in 22 days. In the novel Moby-Dick (1851), Herman Melville wrote of a captain "making a posrman" of an albauoss, "tying a lettered, learhern tally round irs neck, with the ship's time and place and then lening ir escape." In 1888 another captain reported capturing a note-toting albatross on the coast of Wesrern Australia. This albatross's message reported a French vessel shipwrecked-on the Crozets.

SF-A lll'iTORY 135, SL1\i1MFR 2011

So, not only were the Norwegian m en of the shipwrecked Catherine not the flrst to think of the idea, but they were not even the first to do so from that desolate clump of islands.

Several different kinds of albatross could have been the earners of these ankle messages, such as the largest and most famous, the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans), or the most common, the black-browed albatross (1halassarche melanophrys), both of which nest on the Crozets, the island chain that perhaps holds the greatest diversity of these birds anywhere. Recent satellite tagging has confirmed that individual albatross can indeed fly thousands of miles in a few weeks. According to Carl Safina, "a parent albatross may fly more than 10,000 miles to deliver one meal to its chick." These long-distance sea birds use their thin long wings-spanning up to eleven feet-for gliding. They rarely flap their wings, in order to conserve energy while soaring and scanning the surface for food . The birds sail and n avigate in the most brutal and windiest conditions on the planet.

Albatross spend their entire life at sea, gliding nearly all of that time, and coming ashore only to breed. In fact, a major source of fres h food for those shipwrecked Norwegians was albatross omelets. The leader of the expedition wrote later: "Not less than one hundred and six albatross eggs form[ed] a substantial and very palatable contribution to our table. The weight of an albatross egg is about nine times that of a hen's egg, and the taste in every respect as good."

Appeals f or rosoue wcro attached to (J/xtg albatrosses and the birds set free.

We don't know if anyone ever found the albatross messages from these sealers, but the crew of the Catherine was eventually rescued, thanks to the three men in the small boat who happened across a German merchant ship at sea, in part because the men sailed toward a collection of albatross.

They knew that these birds tend to follow ships at sea, in the hopes of eating a few scraps.

"When robbed of her solitary egg, the albatros s would remain contentedly hatching nothing for weeks ."

I

~(l

Where are they?

The Crozet Islands are in the middle of the southern Indian Ocean, some 1,400 miles from Madagascar.

Next issue: Albatross , Part II: What happened when, instead of tying a message to an albatross, sailors tied an albatross to one of their shipmates? • For past "Animals in Sea History" go to www.seahistory.org.

SEA HISTORY 135, SL rv!"v11R20 I

c

1

¡i.,:l

Sr H•

Plotting the FixA Call for a National Consensus to Save Historic Ships n the United States, we have no mechanism for ensuring the preservation of nationally-or even internationally-significant vessels.

The 1797 frigate Constitution is maintained as a commissioned ship of the US Navy, and a handful of vessels are in the custody of the National Park Service. The vast majority of historic ships in the United States, however, are owned by private non-profits, ranging from major maritime museums to small gro ups of volunteer enthusiasts. The competence and resources of these institutions are likewise all over the map.

We can't save them all , and over time the attrition of decay will overwhelm the resources avai lable for maintenance and repair. How do we identify and prioritize those vessels that are most hisrorically significant? Why should we? The intent is not to condemn or take away anybody's ship, which, whatever its ranking, may be doing very well through a good level of local support. The val ue of a ranking is to identify those vessels which have been participants at turning points in our national story, ships that may qualify for some level of assistance beyond local or regional support, because their loss wo uld be a loss to us all.

Every historic ship has its advocates, or it would have gone to the breakers long ago. Many tell stories of sacrifice and courage-so how does one rank them? Consider historic events which took place onboard or in which the vessel participated; superior examples of naval architecture or builder's crafi:; vessels representative of an important type, age and rarity; or closeness to original condition- these are the principal factors.

Then there are those vessels with multiple stories to tell by having connections to several strands of the national narrative.

If we emphasize historic events that took place onboard a given vessel, the list will be dominated by warships. When we look at the whole story of the development of the nation, merchant ships representing significant types and industries are important to include for being typical rather than unique.

To attempt a list of the top ten vessels based solely on historic significance, I propose a caucus process. In the first round, ask the members of maritime preservation organizations and academics teaching US history to list their choices for the thirty most significant, with a short write-up explaining their choice. My guess is that about half of the named vessels will be common to at least half of the lists. A year later, repeat the exercise, this time limiting the choice to rwenty vessels, with the results of the first round available. A year later, repeat for the top ten choices. The list is not intended to be a reflection on the stewardship of the institutions and individuals currently managing these vessels; scoring ships on condition, interpretation and programming, economic viability, and other criteria independent of the vessel's connection ro history has to be a separate discussio n. To get the process moving by example, I will list my top three and a more comprehensive list will be published in time. For now, I am m erely hoping to introduce the idea.

I

USS Constitution At a glance: 1797 US Navy Frigate. A superb example of both design and construction, Constitution was part of the first naval construction effort of the new Republic, a veteran of numerous battles which made her a national icon by the time the War of 1812 was over, and instrumental in establishing the US Navy traditions of excellence and bold action.

Constitution is the only surviving US Navy sailing frigate and o ldest of five on the planet.

There is no more iconic ship to embody the spirit of the nation. Named for the document that above all others defines our nation as the source of our strength, and sum of our hopes. Built in a time of doubt and peril, then a small, weak, parsimonious and squabbling excuse for a nation, this ship was a triumph of determination, courage, inspiration. Constitution's broadsides were the definitive announcement to the world that despite all of our sins, mistakes, and foib les, this new experiment of a nation was going to survive and be reckoned with .

The first national maritime historic preservation effort in American history, and perhaps the first anywhere (burial ships are a different class) was to save this ship when the navy first proposed disposal in 1831. Constitution has had to be rescued from oblivion several times since, as a poignant reminder of what a short-sighted people we often are.

USS Constitution in Boston Harbor

38

~EA

HISTORY 135, SUMMER 20 11

and the Battle to Save Olympia

by Caprain Walrer Rybka

ex-USS Olympia At a glance: 1895 Protected Cruiser. Olympia is the sole surviving U S Navy vessel of its era and one of only fo ur major warships in the world from the period from 1890 to 19 14-the others are the Russian cruiser Aurora, 1900; the (B ritish-built) Japanese battleship Mikasa, 1900; and the (Italian-built) Greek arm ored cruiser Giorgos Averoff, 19 10. Although it was one of Am erica's forgo tten wars, the Spanish-American War of 1898 w as a turning point in American history, in large measure because of the naval battle of M anila Bay, at which Olympia was the US Navy's Bags hip.

The eventual growth of the United States into a major naval power would likely have occurred regardless, but the die was cast in the events of 1898. Although the Spanish-American War may have been hastily conceived with no strategic designs on the Pacific, the early and complete victory at M anila Bay prompted conquest of the Philippin es, which in turn had profound lo ng- term, unintended consequences. If the war had been confined to C uba and Puerto Rico, it is just possible the US may have remained hegem o nic only in the Atlantic-Caribbean theater and retained only a coastwise Navy to guard the approaches to the Atlan tic-Pacific Canal which was sure to be buil t soon (Panama as a natio n did not yet exist). Nevertheless, once we had defeated Spain in the Philippines and decided to remain there ourselves, the US had self-imposed wo rldwide res ponsibilities, which required the establishment of a wo rld-ranging navy.

Some believe the US conquest of the Philippines was the next, natural, and ultimately beneficial step in M anifest D estiny.

So me see it as a murderously foolish and caras trophic blunder, which set us on a collision course with Japan a generation later. Eith er way, there is no arguing that it was no t a pivotal event in wo rld history, and the catalyst for a wo rld-ranging chain reaction was the powder burned in Olymp ia's guns, at the precipitating moment of what became the ''American Century."

ex-USS Constellation At a glance: 1854 Sloop-of-War. The last sail-only warship designed and built fo r the United States Navy, this is an excellent example from a period of US dominance in design of fas t wooden sailing ships. Constellation is the las t vessel aBoat to have served in the C ivil War and the las t vessel to participate in the suppression of the African slave trade.

Slavery, if nor the original sin ofhumani ry, was mosr certainly ,Jo, the original sin in rhe founding of this nation; it had been as common I as war and pestilence through all recorded history. The remarkable story is how the system cam e crashing down in about a 100-year period . Of course, it persists even today, but o n nothing of the scale of the past and, importantly, is delegitimized and shrunken into a furtive criminal activiry. The passing of m ass chattel slave ry is to human social development o n the same order of magnitude as the mastery of fi re, agricul ture, and th e wheel were to technical progress.

The particular chapter known as the Atlantic slave trade was a nearly fo ur-hund red-year saga of horror. Any tangible lin k to its interpretati on, let alone an instrum ent of its ending, is worthy of preserva tio n, es pecially so when the same ship is a survivo r of active du ry in the war over slave ry that, to this day, is the most tra umatic event in American history.

ex-USS Constellation in Baltimore Harbor SEA HISTORY l35 , SUMMER 201 l

39

Of rhese ships, Olymp ia is currenrly in grearesr peril. Independence Seaporr Museum in Philadelphia is seeking an insrirurio n willing and able ro rake rhe ship off of its hands and has pledged a two-year extension for maintaining the ship while transfer applicants raise funds and complere the exrensive applicarion process. The candidate organizations that have expressed a desire ro take over stewardship of the ship are newly created o rganizations, and, however capable their members, they will be lackin g in rrack record and nam e recognirion, while comperin g fo r fundin g from the sam e sources, maki ng rhe case with similar words for similar reasons. Supplementing rhis process with a narional campaign for public awareness and addirional fundin g is being discussed among man y ship preservarion groups just now, with the obj ect of helping preserve the vessel no matter which group ends up with ride, because ultimately Olymp ia belongs ro all of us. ,!, Olympia, Captain Wa fter Ry bka serves as administrator fo r the com bined Erie Maritime November, 2010 Museum and US Brig Niagara's operations, a p roject ofthe Pennsylvania H istorical & Museum Commission, and is Niagara's senior cap tain. H e is an editorial advisor for Sea Hisrory, a member of the American Sail Training Association's advisory board, and p resident ofthe Council ofAmerican Maritime Museums. / Olympia is one of two hisroric ships at Independence Seaporr Museum (ISM ) in Philadelphia, where she has been located as a museum ship since 1957 and operated by IMS since 1996. Las r spring the Museum announced that the hull suffers from extensive corrosion and is in dire need of drydocking and repairs. Facing an estimated bi ll in excess of $ 10 mi llion ro fully resrore her, ISM stated it can on longer afford the long-term commitment ro Olymp ia's preservarion needs and rhar it wishes ro dives t irself of rhe ship wirhin a twoyea r rimefram e. M ore rhan hal f a dozen groups have expressed srrong interest in acquiring rhe vessel, bur the Navy has srricr requirements that must be fullfill ed befo re ir lers an y group rake ownership of a decommissioned naval vessel. The nexr cusrodian will face a grear preservarion need, bur rhe opinio n among professio nal surveyo rs consulted is rhar a relarively m odest investment will buy rime for rhe ship. In March, ISM issued a Transfer Application (TAPP), available o n rhe museum's website at www.phillyseapo rr.o rg. The deadline for a lerrer of intenr and execurive summary application is 1 September 2011 . In rhe meanrime, Olympia remains open ro visiro rs, and rhe museum is commirred maintaining rhe warerrighr intergri ry of rhe hull while rhe search for, and rransfer ro, a new owner is co mpl ered (ISM, 2 11 Sourh C olumbus Blvd. & Walnur Sr., Philadelphia, PA 19106; Ph. 215 41 3-8655; www.phillyseaporr.o rg)

Olympia, at the Cutting Edge of Technology

A

r rhe close of rhe ninereenth century, rhe C ruiser Olymp ia was ar rhe curring edge of rechnology. When she was commissioned in 1895, Olymp ia was ourfirred wirh four General Elecrri c dynamos, which provided direcr current power for lighring, relephones, push-burron bells, annunciarors, morors for rhe machine shop and ve nrilarion blowers, and fire and Aooding alarms. The vessel's sick bay included a dedicared surgical suire complere wirh sream auroclave. H er armor was manufacrured wirh innovarive rechniques never before used by a budding American sreel indusrry. The newly creared Naval G un Facrory in Washingron, DC, m anu facrured her o rdnance, all of American design .

Olymp ia was powered by myriad sream engines large and small. She was rhe firsr ship ro have verrical rriple-expansion sream engines and sream -powered hydraulic sreering gear. H er massive rurrers were powered by sream , as were rhe freshwarer evaporarors and disrilling plant. She was even equipped wirh sream-powered Allen dense air icemaking machines for refrigerarion andcold drinking warer. Today, we co nsider all of rhis as srandard ship des ign . Back rhen ir was srareof-rhe-arr. Al l of rhis machinery remains o nboard and is in an am azing srare of preservario n, much of ir in operaring condirion.

Olympia is rhe lasr remaining ship of her age. She is a rime capsule of rechnology as well as American naval hisrory and is worrhy of being preserved for furure generarions.

- Howard Stephen Serlick Technical Advisor Friends of rhe Cruiser Olympia Engine Order Telegraph

D

40

SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 20 11

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.SHIP NOTES, SEAPORT & MUSEUM NEWS Stolen Scrimshaw Alert! In April, two pieces of 19th-century scrimshaw were stolen from a museum exhib it at the Cape Cod National Seashore Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham, MA. The National Park Service is asking for collectors, sellers, and others who might come into contact with them to keep an eye out and report any information to Ch ief Ranger Bob Grant at (508) 957-0735. The first piece is a 22- in ch-long walrus tusk with the inscription "Ship. Wm. Thompson," and the second piece is a 3Y2-inch piece of

Save Our Seafarers (SOS), a campaign mounted by a group of international shipping associations, is asking the public to pressure their governments to address the Somali piracy problem in a more timely and effective way. Save Our Seafarers is seeking a "peaceful, lawful, and political solution to the scourge of piracy on the high seas ." They have set up a website at www.saveourseafarers.com, where people can learn more about the latest news on this topic, what the cam- island communities through photos, vidpaign is abo ut, and the groups involved. eos, and stories. Photographs by David The site also h as a form letter that website Harp and text by environmental writer visi tors can perso nalize and send to their Tom Horton combine to explore the culchosen government leaders. SOS is made tural and environmental changes of the up of the following organizations: the In- Ch esapeake Bay. New to the exhibit this walrus tusk carved into the shape of a wal- ternational Transport Workers' Fo unda- year are stories of the Smith Island Crabrus head. Both pieces are valuable histo ric tion (ITF), the International Chamber of meat Cooperative, a business enterprise artifacts and h ad been displayed at the Shipping (ICS), INTERTANKO (the In- of watermen's wives who pick and sell visitor center in a locked display case ternational Association of Independent meat from the crabs caught by their famsince 1989. The Cape Cod Tanker Owners) , INTERCARGO (Inter- ilies, and the story of a father-son crab National Seashore is a unit national Association of Dry Cargo Ship- potting team whose livelihoods have been of the National Park Ser- owners), and BIMCO (an international impacted by new crab h arvesting limi ts. vice (NPS); the stolen shipping association representing ship- (CBMM, POB 636, St. Michaels, MD items are the property of owners and other shipping industry 2 1663; Ph. 4 10 745-4960; cbmm .o rg) the United States govern- stakeholders) . ... The Chesapeake Bay .. . The 1877 Barque Elissa in Galvesment and are protected by Maritime Museum (CBMM) in St. Mi- ton, Texas, is scheduled for $2 million ap plicable state and federal chaels, Maryland, has expanded its ex- in repairs, after the Coast Guard idenlaws. The N PS has over 12 1 hibit, A Rising Tide in the Heart of the tified problem areas caused by corromillion items in its collections Chesapeake. The special exhibit runs sion in the hull during a drydock inacross the country, and accord- through 2012 and examines changing spection in March. These repairs must ing to George Price, the superin- forces in the Ch esapeake's low-lying be completed before she can resume tendent of the Cape Cod National Seash ore, incidents of theft are extremely rare. The museum will remain open during the investigation. (Park Headquarters, 99 Marconi Site Rd. , So uth Wellfleet, MA; www.nps.gov/caco/) ... On a hapIsland Art & Histor_y exhibitions: pier note, the Cape Cod National Seashore is celebrating its 50th anniversary We Are Marching Along: Martha !s Vineyard and the Civil War this year and is organizing an electronic Spatlight Exhibition - Your Town, Our Island - Eisenstadt and Us photo album project, sponsored by the Open Monda_y - Saturda_y IOam - 5pm Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore. Members of the public are invited '":!~ to share photos and stories of their experiGa_y Head Lighthouse: . - __ti-~'-¡ ences at the Natio nal Seashore from over Tue. - Sat. IOam - 5pm, Fri. & Sat. Sunsets the last 50 years. The website is open to new postings through September and Edgartown L ighthouse: Dail_y llam - 6pm then will be available for viewing though the rest of 20 11. Images sho uld contain people and a recognizable feature or sign that con nects the photo to the Cape Cod l National Seashore. (50th Anniversary Memories Album is at www.fccns.org)

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sailing but will not prohibit her fro m operating at th e dock as on e of Galveston's m ain to urist destinatio ns and histo ric landmarks. According to Jamie W hite, D irector of the Texas Seapo rt M useum, the first phase of repairs has already been completed and Elissa is back at the

mo re. Each employs interactive compone nts including puzzles, scales, m aps, and flow charts that teachers and students can tailor to their needs. Visitors to the website can : browse or search fo r documents and activities; customize any activity to fi t the needs of a uniq ue classroo m; create new activities with their own web address from scratch , using one

of seven distinctive tools; and save and organize activities in an acco unt to share with studen ts. After they have participated in an activity, the site allows students to sub mi t their work to their instructors via e-m ail. (National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washingto n , D C 20408; www. archives .gov)

(continued on page 45)

AMERJICAN MARINE SUPPLY museum dock. She will then return to drydock in Texas Ci ty in October fo r the 2nd and fin al phase of repair wo rk. Once the Coas t G uard has approved the repair wo rk, Elissa can return to full sailing status and resume offering daysails out of Galveston . It has been 30 years since Elissa underwent a major res to ratio n (refer to Sea H istory 132 fo r details), and the wo rk being done on her hull this year will ensure her ability to continue sailing. (Elissa, Texas Seaport Museum, Pier 2 1 #8, Galves ton , TX 77 550; Ph. 409 763-1 877; www. tsm-elissa. org) The National Archives has launched a new educational website, www.DocsTeach.org, to provide online access to original documents and to provide an interactive educational program for teachers and educators, students, and the general public. The National Archives, in partnership with the Fo undation fo r the Natio nal Archives and with suppo rt from Texas Instruments, invites educators to explore mo re than 4,000 docu ments in a variety of media fro m the holdin gs of the archives-item s such as George Washingto n's draft of the C o ns titutio n , the cancelled check fo r th e purchase of Alaska, and President Richard N ixo n's res ignation letter- but it also all ows teachers andeducators to combi ne these materials using o nl ine tools to create activities th at students can access online. The we bsite features tools designed to teach historical thinking skills-weighing evidence, interpreting data, focusing on de tails, and

SEA HISTORY 135 SUMMER 20 11

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Laying the Keel for San Salvador in San Diego The con structio n of t h e San Salvador, a rep lica of Juan Rod riguez Cah rillo's flagsh ip from 1542, is und erway in San Diego, Califo rnia. On 15 April, heads of the Maritime Museum of San Diego (MMSD) and the Cabrillo National Monument, elected officials, Kumeyaay tribal leaders, and the public gathered at the Cabrillo National Monument to participate in a keel-laying ceremony to mark the beginning of the project. Sixty-five years before the first English settlement on the North American continent and eighty years before Mayflower crossed a much smaller ocean to New England, Europeans sighted, charted, and made first contact with the native inhabitants of what would one day be the west coast of the United States. The original San Salvador sailed into San Diego Bay on 28 September 1542. Cabrillo continued sailing northwards along the coast of California, reaching the latitude of the Oregon border before turning around and heading back to New Spain. His name is iconic all over the state of California, but few people know who h e was or what his ro le in California history was. The Maritim e Museum of San Diego seeks to rectify this situation by building a replica of Cabrillo's ship, which will serve as an exhibit and living classroom to teach and interpret this important but nearly forgotten chapter in history. The build site itself will also serve as an exhibit showcasing historic ship construction methods. Buil t in full view of the public, crafrsmen will demonstrate woodcarving, blacksmithing, sailmaking, and rigging. San Salvador was the venue whereby the first contact was m ade between Europeans and West Coast Native Americans, and an important component of the project includes participation and input from the Kumeyaay, a tribe from the region. In additio n to th e shipbuilding site, the maritime museum is constructing a Kumeyaay village. With no ship's plans to go by, the museum sought out prominent historians of naval architecture, shipbuilding, and voyages in the age (1-r) Allen Rawl, Master Shipbuilder; Anthony Pico, Chairman of exploration, including Dr. Ray Ashley, executive director of of the Viejas tribe; Supervisor Greg Cox; Dr. Ray Ashley, MMSD MMSD; Dr. Carla Rahn Phillips of the University of MinneExecutive Director; Port Commissioner Scott Peters; Councilman sota; Dr. Filipe Castro of Texas A & M; Dr. Iris Engstrand of the Kevin Faulkner.

University of San Diego; Dr. Tim Runyan of NOAA's Maritime Heritage Program and East Carolina University; Bob Munson, historian at Cabrillo National Monument; naval architect Doug Sharp; and master builder Allen Rawl. When completed, San Salvador will measure 92 feet in length •and 24 feet on the beam and will be a fully functional sailing vessel. The project is estimated to cost $5 million, of which more than $3.5 m illion has alread y been raised through private donations and funding from the California Coastal ConcJll[arine c.Antigues - e;/fmericana servancy. The bui ld site and Kumeyaay village wi ll open to the public on 24 June 2011.

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(continued from page 43) The Fireboat John ] . Harvey has been awarded a Save America's Treasures $165,955 matching grant towards its ongoing 11-year restoration process. As a matchin g grant, the o rganiza ti o n (a 501 (c) (3) no t-for-profit corpo ratio n) has to raise a like amount, and they have made it eas ier fo r donors to send tax-deductible do nations securely th ro ugh th eir website (credi t card or Payp al). The j ohn ]. Harvey served the New York C iry Fire D epartment fro m 193 1 ro 1994. At 130 fee t and 268 net tons, sh e is amo ng the

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most powerful fi reboats ever in service, capable of pumping up to 18,000 gall o ns of wa ter a m inute. During h er six decades of service, she assisted in fightin g th e C unard Line pier fi re of 1932, the burning of the Normandie in 1942, and the fire aboard the ammun itio n sh ip EL Estero (see Sea History 126) . On 9/ 11 , the retired fi reboat cam e to the aid of New Yo rkers by ass isting in evacuations from lower Manhat tan and then was put o n offi cial du ry as M arine 2, pumping wa ter o nto Gro und Zero. The H arvey and her crew pumped wate r at the site fo r the next 80 ho urs until the FD N Y was able to fi x th e damaged wa te r m ains. j ohn ].

Harvey is privately owned by a small gro up, which bought her at auctio n in 1999; she was placed on the Natio nal Register of Historic Places in 2000. Located at Pier 66 M aritime, No rth River (a.k.a. Hudson River), between West 26 th and Wes t 27 th Streets in Manhattan, she offers free trips fo r the public and puts on imp ress ive harbo r displays in good wea ther. Volunteers are welcom e; donatio ns are m uch appreciated . (www. fireboar.o rg) . . . The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced last month it h as awarded $18.8 million in grants for 216 humanities projects for t h e 2011 awards cycle. This fundin g will support a w ide variety of

SEA H ISTORY 135 SUMMER 2011

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projects, including fellowships for scholarly research and the development of new undergraduate courses in the humanities, production and development of films, the development and staging of major exhibitions, digital tools, and the preservation of-and access to-historic collections. Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the NEH supports research and learning in hisrory, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. For a listing of grants, categories, and deadlines for the upcoming awards cycle, vis it www. neh.gov/grants/grantsbydivision.html) ... All is quiet but not entirely forgotten on board the schooner Virginia. In April, despite the lack of a crew and administrative staff to run the show, a group of volunteers put together a work party to remove the schooner's winter cover and do some basic maintenance. In 2009, Virginia was in the Caribbean for the winter season, her crew planning on operating the vessel for a

number of educational programs, when her board of directors recalled the ship home to Virginia and promptly laid off most of the staff, both shorebound and shipboard. The organization was out of

In April a volunteer work party dismantled Virginia's winter cover. money; in fact, it was, and is, still in debt to the tune of about $ 1.5 million from construction costs and the organization's $1 million yearly budget, which it couldn't maintain. The Virginia has not operated under sail nor run any programming since. About $5 million in taxpayer money was used to build and operate the vessel, which was launched in 2004. Last

winter, the schoo ner's owner, the Virginia Maritime Heritage Foundation, entered into a partnership with Nauticus Foundation of Norfolk to bring the schooner to the downtown Norfolk waterfront.

The 120-foot wooden knockabout schooner is modeled and named after a 19 16 pilot schooner. Virginia is currently docked behind Nauticus on the downtown Norfolk waterfront. The sevenyear-old schooner's future is very much up in the air, but h er faith fu l volunteers understand well that if you don't maintain a wooden vessel, there won't be anything left to work with in a few years' time. (VMHF, www.schoonervirginia. org; Nauticus, One Waterside Drive, Norfolk, VA 23510; Ph. 757 664-1000; www.nauticus .org) ... Hy-Line Cruises and the Cape Cod Maritime Museum are celebrating 100 years of continuous service of the coastal steamer MN Prudence this summer. The museum deb uts a new exhibit on 26 May and Hy-Line will be offering cruises on board Prudence out of H yan nis, MA, though October.

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M/V Prudence was built in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, in 1911 for the Prudence Island Navigation Company in Rhode Island . Hy-Line C ruises was founded as Hyannis H arbor Tours in 1962, when brothers Richard and Robert Scudder Prudence, 1928 t

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and Raymond Taylor bought the 150-passenger Prudence to offer tours from seaward to view the Kennedy Compound.

The company is still owned and operated by the Scudder Family. You can rake a day cruise on Prudence and go ashore and learn more abo ut her history at the Cape Cod Maritime Museum. (HLC, 220 Ocean Street, Hyannis, MA 02601 ; Ph. 800 492-8082; www.hylinecruises.com; CCMM, 135 South Street, Hyannis MA 02601 ; Ph. 508 775- 1723; www.capecodmaririmemuseum.org) . . . The Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, ME, has a new executive director. Elizabeth Lodge, the Director of Museum Programs at Plimorh Plantation in Plymouth, MA, for the las t 17 years, joined the museum in Maine on 28 M arch . Penobscot Marine Museum is Maine's oldest maritime museum and is celebrating its 75rh anniversary this year. (PMM, 5 C hurch Street, POB 498, Searsport, ME 04974; Ph. 207 548-2529; www.penobscormarinemuseum.org) . . . The Noble Maritime Collection on Staten Island recently opened a new exhibition about the Bayonne Bridge entitled, Lifespan: 1he Bayonne Bridge in Transition. The economic livelihood of the m aritime industry in New York Harbor depends on

SEA HISTORY 135 SUMMER 2011

clear passage down the Kill van Kull, one of the world's busies t waterways. The advent of the modern containership has necessitated raising the roadbed of the Bayonne Bridge because the huge ships could not pass beneath it-the exhibit seeks to explore the reasons for the expansion through the works of contemporary artists Bascove, Michael Falco, Dave "The Bridge Man" Frieder, Su-Li Hung, Ben Brock Johnson, D. B. Lampman, Bill Murphy, Michael McWeeney, Michael Ruffo, Scott Van Campen, and Vincent Verdi. The work ofJohn A. Noble (19131983) will also be fea tured. Lifespan is also acknowledges the career of engineer Orhmar Ammann (1879-1965), who designed and built the bridge. His portfolio of New York City masterworks includes

six bridges-the George Washington, the Triborough, the Throgs Neck, the Whitestone, and the Verrazano Narrows Bridges. The Bayonne Bridge is the only steel arch bridge in that gro up, and one in which Ammann rook particular pride.

The exhibit is open to the public through 23 October 2011. The Noble Maritime Collection is a maritime museum and study center located in Building D, a National Historic Landm ark, on the gro unds of Snug Harbor C ultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301; Ph. 7 18 447-6490; www.noble maritime.erg) !,

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Pickle Night Dinner 11 November 2011 at the New York Yacht Club

Those who appreciate the historical significance of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson and the lore associated with his life are invited to attend this special event. The dinner is named for HMS Pickle, which was present at the Barrie of Trafalgar in 1805 and which broughL Lhe news back to Britain of Nelson's victory and death in the battle. Guests from the United States, Canada, England, France, Switzerland and the Bahamas will be attending Admiral Sir Jonathon Band GCB DL, former First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff and currently C hairman of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, wi ll be the principal speaker. Sir Jonathon Band also serves as C hairman of the 1805 C lub, an organization dedicated to the conservation of memorials to Georgian naval heroes. His distinguished seagoing career includes service during the Falklands campaign and NATO operations in Bosnia, as well as a tour with the US Navy in the guided missile destroyer USS Belknap. His last comma nd at sea was in the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. (The event is black tie or military equivalent; ticker price is $240 per person. Searing is lim ited; if you wish to reserve a place, please contact Sally McElwreath Callo, Ph. 212 972-8667 or e-mai l SallyMC79@verizon.net)

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SEAHISTfORY 135, SUMMER 2011

CONFERENCES AND SYMPOSIUMS

•"Wrecks of the World II (WOW II): Evaluating and Addressing Potential Underwater Threats," co-sponsored by the American Salvage Association and the North American Marine Environmental Protection Association, 6-7 June at the Maritime Institute of Technology in Linthicum Heights, MD. (www.americansalvage.org; www.namepa.net) •32nd Annual "Music of the Sea Symposium," 10-11 June at Mystic Seaport Museum and the University of Con necticut at Avery Point. (For more info: contact Dr. Glenn Gordinier at glenn.gordinier@mysricseaporr.org; www.mysricseaporr.org) •South Sound Traditional Inuit Kayaking Symposium, 10- 12 June in Tacoma, WA. A program of Qajaq USA; pre-registration is required. (www. qajaqpnw.org) •"The Social Life of Port Architecture: History, Politics, Commerce and Culture" (18rh-2 l sr century), 23-25 June at the Centre for Port and Maritime History-University of Liverpool. (For more info, contact Robert Lee at w. r.lee@liverpool. ac. uk or Paul Jones at P.JonesOl@ liverpool. ac. uk) •"On Sea and Ocean: New Research in Phoenician Seafaring," 23-25 June at the Marburg Center for the Ancient Wo rld, Philipps University of Marburg, Germany. (Fo r more info, contact Prof. Ralph K. Pedersen ar ralph.pedersen @s taff.uni marburg.de) •"Exploring Empire: Sir Joseph Banks, India and the Great Pacific OceanScience, Travel, Trade & Culture 17681820," 24-25 June. Organized jo intly

by Nottingham Trent University and rhe National Maritime Museum, Londo n, UK. (www. nmm .ac. uk/ researchers/co nfer ences-and-semi nars/cfpbanks) •"Maritime, Migration and Tourism History at Crossroads: Global Maritime Networks and Their Impact on the Movement of People," the Sixth Co nference of the International Maritime Economic Histo ry Association, 2-6 July 20 12 in Belgium. (www.imeha2012.ugent.be) •"Horizons of Change: The Unexpected, Unknown, and Unforgettable," annual meeting of rhe American Historical Association-Pacific Coast Branch, 11-13 August in Seattle, WA. (http://pcb.cgu.edu/ co nference. hrm)

SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 20 11

•"Rustbuckets or Floating HeritageCorrosion of Historic Ships," 5- 8 September in Stockholm, Sweden, and Mariehamn, Finland. (www.sjofarts museum. ax; www. maririma. se) •2011 McMullen Naval History Symposium, hosted by the History Department of rhe US Naval Academy, 15-16 September in Annapolis, MD. (www.usna.edu/ History/symposium.hrm) •"Maritime Museums 2011: Connecting with the Future," the International Congress of Maririme Museums 2011 Congress, 9-15 October in Washington, DC, and Newport News, VA. (www.icmm online.org)

FESTIVALS, EvENTS, LECTURES, ETC.

•Cape Verde Odyssey, 9 June at the New Bedford Whaling Museum . Film screening of Hit and Run History's Columbia Expedition. (NBWM, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA 02740; Ph. 508 997-0046; www.whalingmuseum.org) •32nd Annual Sea Music Festival, 9-12 Jun e at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. (www.mysricseaporr.org) •Cape Cod Maritime Festival, 11-12 June on rhe Hyannis waterfront on Cape Cod, MA. (Cape Cod Maritime Museum, 135 South Sr., Hyannis, MA 02601 ; Ph. 508 775-1723; www.capecodmaririmem use um. org) •Door County Lighthouse Walk, 10- 12 ExHIBITS June in Sturgeon Bay, WI. Lighthouses •Cape Verdean Maritime Exhibit, opens ordinarily closed are open to the public. on 5 July ar the New Bedford Whaling (Door County Maritime Museum, 120 N. Museum. (NBWM, 18 Johnny Cake Hill , Madison Ave., Srurgeon Bay, WI 54235 ; New Bedford, MA 02740; Ph. 508 997- Ph. 920 743-5958; www. dcmm.org) 0046; www.whalingmuseum.org) •James River Batteau Festival, 18-25 •The Art of Passages, th rough 7 October June, Lynchb urg to Richmond, VA. Reat the Atrium Gallery in San Francisco, enactment of to bacco transport by river. with works by Christine Hanlon, featured (www.barreaufesrival.org) artist in Sea History 133. (Atrium Gallery, •The WoodenBoat Show at Mystic Sea90 1 Marker Sr., San Francisco, CA 94103) port, 24-26 June. (MS, 75 Greenmanville •From Prey to Protection, through 5 Sep- Ave., Mystic, CT 06355; Ph. 860 572tember at rhe Cold Spring Harbor Whal- 0711. WoodenBoar Pub!. , Ph. 207 359ing Museum on Long Island. (CSHWM, 465 1; wwwthewoodenboarshow.com) 279 Main Street, Cold Spring H arbor, NY •24th Annual Antique & Classic Boat Festival, 17-19 June ar rhe Chesapeake 11724; Ph. 631 367-3418) •Illuminating the Sea: The Marine Bay Maritime Museum. (CBMM, 213 N. Paintings offames Butttersworth, 1817- Talbot Street, Sr. Michaels, MD 21663; 1894, through 16 October at the Chesa- Ph. 4 10 745-2916; www.cbmm.org) peake Bay Maritime Museum. (213 N. •The San Diego Wooden Boat Festival, Talbot Street, Sr. Michaels, MD 21663; 18-19 June on Shelter Island. (www.koeh Ph. 4 10 745-29 16; www.cbmm .org) lerkrafr. com) •Henry David Thoreau-A Week on the •Opening Day-San Salvador Build Concord and Merrimack Rivers, through Site Village at Spanish Landing, 24 Jun e the 2011 season at rhe Museum of Yacht- in San Diego, a proj ect of the Maritime ing Visitors Center in Newport, RI. (MoY, Museum of San Diego. (MMSD, 1492 Fort Adams State Park, Newport, RI , Ph. North H arbor Dr. , San Diego, CA 9210 1; 40 1 847- 101 8; www.moy.org) www.sdmaritime.org) •Up Pops the Monitor: The Battle of •27th Annual Mahogany Memories Hampton Roads in Pop Culture, through Show, 9 July at the Connecticut River 2011 at the Mariners' Museum. (MM, Museum, sponsored by the New England 100 Museum Dr., Newpo rt News, VA Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boar 23606; Ph. 757 596-2222; www.mariners Society. (CRM, 67 Main Sr., Essex, CT museum.org) 06426; www.ctrivermuseum .org. ACBS , •Written on the Uiaves: Shipboard Logs www.southerr1newengland.org) and]ourna/,s, through 1 October 2012 at •14th Annual International Yacht Resthe Peabody Essex M useum. (PEM, East toration School Summer Gala, 9 July India Square, 161 Essex Street, Salem, MA in Newport, RI. (IYRS, 449 1hames St., 01970; 978 745 -9500; www.pem.org) Newport, RI 02840; www. iyrs.o rg)

49

MARITIME HISTORY ON THE INTERNET

by Peter McCracken

Finding Free Books Online Author's note: Between the writing and the publication ofthis column, a federal judge threw out the proposed Google settlement; the future of Google Books is now more uncertain than before.

Google's book digitizatio n project, called Google Books, was first anno unced in 20 04. Many publishers considered it to herald the end of the world and promptly went into extended litigat ion.

Today, some experts feel that if the draft agreement is ever complerely approved (now more than a year in the waiting), it wi ll be too late to be useful for either Google or book publishers. Google continues to forge ahead, as do a few other projects, as well-often using Google's own information.

Some book digitization projects have long been available; Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org), for example, has been slowly chu rning away at transcribi ng thousa nds of titles since 1971. Bur Google, as usual, has completely upended that process, digitizing thousands of books per day. Yes, Google Books is not free from mistakes: a page (or an entire book) might appear upside down; text migh t be too blurry to read; bibliographic data can range from simply confusing to downright wrong; and more. Bur overall, it makes an enormous amount of monograph ic informa tion instantly available to anyone with internet access.

Google Books is rhe best known, because their content often appears in standard Google searches. Bur Google's strengths are in finding needles in enormo us haystacks, not in effectively organizing either the needles or the hay bales .

W hich explains why I find Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Typ e and Sheep in a jeep among the first five listings in the "Technology & Engineeri ng" section. Conducting searches can be difficult because the pile ofinformation is just so huge. Bur it does also work much of the time: a search for "early submarine h istory" returned the openi ng pages to Paul Fonrenoy's 2007 book Submarines: An Illustrated History oftheir Impact, which were certainly relevant.

Google Books displayed up thro ugh page 18; "Pages 19 to 448 are not shown in this preview," the site explains. Yo u can, however, buy an ebook of th is tid e via Google-in this example, it'll cost yo u $68, while Amazon offers new and used copies (from other sellers) starting at about $25, bur not a Kindle edition .

Google Books offers several levels of viewing: for books not in copyright, one can usually read the entire work. For books in

copyright, the amoun t one can view depends on publisher-set limita tions. In some cases, one can see quite a bit; in others, one can only see a "snippet." Finally, some books have absolutely no text available at all. The most problematic appear to be those published 20 -40 years ago: they're not our of copyright, bur they don't have an identified copyright holder who would allow more content to be displayed.

Hathi Trust (http://hathitrust.org "harhi" is Hindi for "elephant") is another major online collection of ebooks, and they rake a much more enlightened-and nuanced-view of bibliographic data . For example, Harhi Trust offers a "catalog search " box (for looking.for books) and a "full-text search " box (for looking in books).

Working with the library service OCLC (O nline C omputer L ibra ry Center, Inc.), they've created a proper on line cata log for the 8.2 million volumes in their collection. Harhi Trust pulls content from many sources, including Google, though they have fewer books overall.

OpenLibrary (http://openlibrary.org) is an interface to books available through the Internet Archive (http://archive.org); their concept is "one webpage for every book," with on li ne versions of as many of those as possible. Open Library offers links to help people find physical and electronic versions of many of its books, and if you have an account then you can-sort of-" borrow" some of the books.

Many other projects exist, some in other languages. Most major national libraries have book digitization projects, such as France's Gallica (http://gallica .bnf.fr/?&lang=EN for the English language site); Europeana (http://europeana.eu/portall); and Project Runeberg (http://runeberg.org/) , for classic Nordic literature. A n extensive list of other projects appears in Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_ of_digi tal_ library_projects.

Suggestions for other sites worth mention ing are welcome at peter@shipindex.org.See http://www.shipindex.org for a free compilation of over 140,000 ship names from indexes to dozens of books and journals. J,

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Reviews Ship by Gregory Votolato, (Reaktion Books, Objekt Series, London , UK, 2011, 303pp, illus, index, notes, ISBN 978-1-86189772-5; $27pb) It is rare that a fresh reconceptualization of the ship comes along, but Gregory Votolato has done so in a trim, well-illustrated effort simply tided Ship. Reaktion Books handed him the job of contrib uting a volume on ships to its Objekt Series, the goal of which is to "explore a range of types-buildings, products, artifacts-that have captured the imagination of modernist designers, makers and theorists. The objects selected for the series are by no means all modern inventions, but they have in common the fact that they acquired a particular significance in the last 100 years." Using these guidelines, Votolato, a transportation expert based at the VictoriaandAlbertMuseum in London, has produced a text unfettered by romantic visions of our maritime past, one that looks at ships as a design issue that reflects the concerns and imaginings of Western society. Furthermore, he has done so in an accessible style that is intellectually satisfying witho ut being stuffy or pedantic. In short, it is a little book with big ideas that will delight readers with an interest in maritime affairs.

One of the strengths of this book is that its approach is fundamentally architectural, that ship design has elemems of function and form, and that the form powerfully reflects the society rhat produces them, both as they actually existed and how rhey imagined their future. The French architect Le Corbusier wrote in the 1920s "our daring and masterly constructors ofsteamships produce palaces in comparison with which cathedrals are tiny things, and they throw them on to the sea!" At roughly the same time, the French were building ocean liners like the lie de France w ith its glorious Art Deco interiors. This vessel was an engineering triumph, a forward-thinking example of design and a bold assertion of national pride all at the same time, and was but SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 2011

one of several liners built in Europe and the US with those goals in mind. Ocean liners in particular were not merely technical marvels, but reflections of how whole nations perceived themselves and their future, and therefore deserving of serious Cornish Wrecking, 1700-1860: Reality comemplation. and Popular Myth by Cathryn J. Pearce Imagining the furure is one of the (Boydell Press, Woodbridge, UK, 20 10, major themes Votolato 265pp, notes, appen, biblio, index, ISBN develops. This imagining 978-1-84383-555-4; $90hc) Pirates, smugglers, and wreckers are is not!eft to mere technocrats; literary references the holy trinity of the darker side of our abound, such as how maritime past. While historians have thorJules Verne anticipated oughly examined the first two, wreckers the enormous cruise have been largely ignored. Cathryn Pearce sh ip s of the twenty- has salvaged the "historical reality ofwreckfirst cemury in works ing" and offered a nuanced interpretation like Propeller Island. of wrecker mythology, or at least a British Sometimes these imagin- slice ofit, in Cornish Wrecking, 1700-1860: ings were political: the Reality and Popular Myth.

Nazis created some of This is a short, but rich, book. After the first purpose-built tracing the development of British w reck cruise ships to reward law, Pearce explores popular justifications the party faithful. Paint- for wrecking and the humanitarianism ers, too, comributed to this imagining, that enabled lifesaving, salving , and with Votolato emphasizing the influence wrecki ng to coexist. Along the way, she of Gerald Murphy and Charles Sheeler in soundly dispels legends of evil wreckers, formulating how the public perceived the ships upon which they travelled. The author THE GLENCANNON goes on to consider comainer ships, tankers, aircraft carriers, submarines, ports, and PRESS the ship scrapping process.

One of the delights of this book is that it leaves the mind racing with what has been left out. What of the lowly break-bulk ships of the twemieth century?

NEW! DarkPassages, VanThe nuclear ship Savannah and liner SS ishing ships of the Pacific United States, both vessels known for their forward-thinking designs and aesthetics, Ocean ... The Freighters are curiously absent, leaving the project to From A to Z .. . Hardluck other writers. Perhaps one of the greatest Coast, west coast shipweaknesses is that the author sees these wrecks ... Grave Passage, a ships from a purely western perspective, wit h little or no notice of how other Henry Grave Mystery ... An societies viewed ships in the last hundred Act ofPiracy, the SS Mayayears. But all in all this is a magnificent guez. . . The Tankers from A little book that will benefit anyone with an interest in sh ips, from the greenest of to Z. The Victory Ships from greenhorns to the saltiest sea dog. The auA to Z. ... more. thor should be commended for grappling with novel ways to conceive of ships, and FREE CATALOG 1-800-711-8985 his book is highly recommended.

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fa lse li ghrs, and murder. Bur Cornish Wrecking is abour more rhan shipwrecks and wrecking. Pearce uses well -known myrhs as springboards ro examine rhe expansion of centralized aurhoriry, rhe relarionship berween manorial landlo rds and ten a n ts, and the cultural work of clergy and the press. The narrative never lags and, in fact, could have been expanded in several places. Pearce's discussion of the creation of the wrecker stereotype, for example, wo uld have benefited from a transnational perspective.

One of the many strengths of Cornish Wrecking is Pearce's depiction of just how conremious life was along rhe Brirish coasr.

Cornish wreckers were not only the piratical miners and fishermen of popular mythology, but men, women, and (yes) chi ldren with surpri sin gly different motives and perceptions. Indeed, wrecking entai led both the opportunistic "harvesting" of a wreck-strewn shore and the aggressive plundering of vessels. As Pearce concludes, the monolithic image of the wrecker in British cu lture simplified the complex realities of the coastal realm.

Pearce has written a thoroughly researched and closely argued monograph that will appeal ro a wide audience. She brilliantly resurrects an important part of coasral life and deconstructs its mythology in British culture. More important, Pearce situates evolving human relationships with the sea in the broader context of social, cultural, political, and legal hisrory. As such, it exemplifies the best of maririme history. The $80 cover price may derer some readers, bur those who purchase it will be amply rewarded . ]AMIN WELLS

Newark, Delaware

MARITIME

52

BOOKS

The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels & Indian Allies by A lan Taylor (Alfred A.

1806 Laurel Crest Madison, Wisconsin 53705-1065 (608) 238-SAIL FAX (608) 238-7249 EmaiI: tuttlemaritime@charter.net http://tuttlemaritime.com Books about the Sea, Ship & Sailor Catalogue Upon Request

Knopf, New York, 2010, 620pp, notes, biblio index, ISBN 978-1-4000-4265 -4; $35hc) This painstakingly researched book is not your typical War of 1812 hisrory; indeed, this volume is more insightful, descriptive, and even-handed in its treatment of the war than most others I have read. Ir does not rehash the same old barrles, controversies, and people; instead, ir foc uses

on the conflicr within rhe warring parties a nd their allies.

The war truly was a civifwar on many levels: American Federa lists vs. American Republicans; Canadian vs. US Indians; TH E CI V IL W A R OF 1812 ~ l t111riru C11l~t111. ?Jrllltb

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Canadian subj ecrs (of the Crown) vs.

American Loyalists (called "Late Loyalists"); British subjects vs. American cirizens; and British subjects vs. Irish immigrants. Each group had irs own axe ro grind and each was committed to its own way of thinking-unless, of course, one of them ch anged sides during rhe war, and this depended on which way rhe winds of war were blowing at any given moment .

Mr. Taylor rakes swipes at all parties with equanimiry, pointing out the lun acy and ineptitude that seemed to pervade all factions . The country was ill-prepared for rhis unpopular war, and the political and ideological divisions guaranteed it wo uld never become popular, well-funded , or well-managed. Madison's administration hoped rhe war wo uld galvanize and unite the coun try, but the partisan politics ensured that would never happen .

The porous border wirh Canada, where many of the land battles took place, provided for free intercourse between sides by spies, rraders, and divided families. Like the American Civi l War, fa milies fo und themselves on opposite sides of this war; some members opted for shifting their allegiance to the Crown and moving to Upper Canada, while others, astounded that their brethren wo uld do such a thing, remained cirizens of the Republic. On occasion, these divided family members mer on due field of battle. Due to the in-

SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 2011

abiliry of eirher government ro control irs populace throughour rhe war, along the border with Upper Canada, anarchy seemed the law of rhe land.

The British supply line was long (as was rhe American) and subj ect ro frequem interruption on rhe Great Lakes. This caused untold hardship, not only for the Brirish regulars, but for the Canadian milirias, their Indian allies, and rhe civilian population (who were ofren stripped of their srores of provisions ro feed rhe army) . On the American side, rhe administrarion, being broke, was crying ro fight the war "on rhe cheap," which creared major shortages and deficiencies for the ground soldier who h ad little choice burro turn to rhe local citizenry for food, firewood, and other necessaries.

Taylor's narrative jumps around a fair amoum, shifting years and venues, which makes for some confusion, and h e tends ro reirerare many of his points, causing some tedium in the srory. Bur, on the whole, this is a well-researched and well-written book thar offers a rotally different perspective on the War of 1812. With the bicentennial approaching, I would cerrainly recommend it to anyone wishing ro be better informed about this period, the politics, or the war.

WILLIAM

H.

themselves. Thus, we have multiple perspectives and multi-layered contexts-an approach particularly suited ro a complex and controversial hisrory.

In 1937, Coast G uard Lieurenant Walsh was assigned ro the whaling ship Ulysses to ensure compliance with American whaling regulations. This was no easy task, and yet his official report wem far beyond mere compliance. Beginning with a short hisrory of American whaling (th in at times: a one-semence transirion from shore- ro pelagic whaling?), rhe author moves quickly ro the advent of the facrory ship, modern killer boats, and the harpoon gun. Short chapters follow on modern vessels, technology, and crew, providing unique material not found in mainstream texts, reminiscent of William W. Warner's Distant Water (Penguin 1984) about the global crawling industry, or pares of John McPhee's work. Walsh provides a direct look imo a little-known world. Phoros, diagrams and sketch es, and appendices are valuable supplemems ro the text.

Walsh covers the complex topic of whaling, not as an academic treatise, but as

a firsthand rale. You can smell the salr in the air and the srench of whale meat. Readers musr nore, however: rhis is a reporr, not a smoothly flowing narrative. Repetition is a fact, and transitions between rop ics are rough, or non-existent. Troublesome at first, I have ro admit thar, in hindsight, the reperirion and transition now simply seem part of Walsh's direct and emphatic style. It certainly serves ro deeply embed the main points.

Walsh 's description is striking in the extreme, portraying an industry that had evolved step-by-step ro the point of ruthless efficiency from a long hisrory of less efficient, but equally bloody, pursuit. His report came at, and indeed was partially responsible for, the end of our involvement in the extinction of the largest mammals on earth, a pivoral transition from persecution ro preservation. This sea change in behavior provides an excellem example of marine stewardship. Yet, in our near-celebration of Captain A hab, a "proud and enduring American legend," it wou ld behoove us ro remember the even darker side ofwhat came next, the industrial scale of mechanized

WHITE

Rumson, New Jersey

The Whaling Expedition of the Ulysses, 1937-38 by Lt. (j.g.) Quentin R. Walsh, edited by P. J. Capelotti (University of Florida Press, Gai nesville, 2010, 368 pp, illus, appen, biblio, index, ISBN 978-0-81303479-9; $34.95h c) In April of 2000, P.J. Capelotti did something very fortunate-he interviewed Quentin R. Walsh, retired Coast Guard captain and an expert on modern commercial wh aling, just seven weeks before he passed away. As a result, we h ave Walsh's firstha nd srory of the Ulysses and its fleet of killer boats in 1937, and his own later commem on his groundbreaking report, and we have glimpses of Capelotri's experience, this time in the introducrory materials, on the role of whaling in ocean exploration.

Furthermore, we have Walsh 's direct insighr inro th e American-flagged Norwegian-ru n Western Operaring Corporation and an understanding of the hunt and rhe prey from the viewpoint of Norwegian gunners SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 2011

53

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By Kurt D. Voss A new pictorial history tells the amazing sto1y of one of Americas finest maritime restorations.

Published by Arcadia Publishing and Galveston Historical Foundation $21.99. 128 pages, 200 photographs Autographed copies available at (409) 763 -1 877, or online at:

www . tsm-e l issa . org

Anne T. Converse Photography

Neith, 1996, Cover photograph

WOOD, WINO ANO WATE'R

grinders, bone pressers, and steam saws, which transformed whales into nothing more than oil, some brown effiuent, and spongy bone mass in a matter of minutes.

Walsh's story is striking in its exact relation to the amount of history we have forgotten.

Sometimes the truth about marine resource exploitation hurts, but these lessons need to be preserved. Wholly one-half of the book focuses on the location, behavior, and manner of killing and processing the selected commercial prey, hunting them to the ends of the earth. These are the hard truths of the whaler's world.

And what of heritage? Whaling as part of cultural identity may be more understandable in relation to indigenous hunters and sustainable practices, but the methods witnessed by Walsh were solely driven by profit. Does heritage include using whales as fenders for ships? The instantaneous damage done by the exploding harpoons, and the fact that almost any whale sighted of sufficient size (or not) was a dead whale, seems to render the hunt a soulless harvest. lhe Whaling Expedition ofthe Ulysses includes the author's own conflicting perspectives. As a government inspector, Walsh is bound by the letter of the law and in numerous instances is ready with suggestions on how to improve the process.

Yet it is also clear that h e was profoundly changed by the decimation he witnessed and the obvious lack of sustainability. It was an industry in its own death throes, taking the giant mammals down as well.

These contrasting perspectives and multiple contexts serve the history of whaling well.

P. ]. Capelotti refers to Walsh's report as a "20'h-century sequel to Moby-Dick."

HANS VAN TILBURG Honolulu, Hawaii

A STORY OF nm OPERA HousECur RACE OF NANTUCKET

Photographs by Anne T. Converse Text by Carolyn M. Ford Live vicariously through the pictures and tales of Classic Wooden Yacht owners who lovingly restore and race these gems of the sea.

10"x12" Hardbound limited edition 132 pages, 85 full page color photographs For more information contact: Anne T. Converse P: 508-748-0638 F: 508-355-0070 anne@annetconverse.com www.an netconverse.com

54

The East India Company's Maritime Service, 1746-1834: Masters ofthe Eastern Seas by Jean Sutton (The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK, 2010 , 311pp, illus, maps, appen, gloss, biblio, index, notes, ISBN 978-1-84383-583-7; $115hc) The title of this book suggests that it focuses on the British East India Company's maritime service between the mideighteenth century and the end of the company's monopoly on the importation of Chinese tea. Although Jean Sutton does discuss company politics and commercial

developments between Britain, India, and China, she indicates in her introduction that her book is really about a single family who participated in the company's service: "The individual voyages made by successive members of three generations of the Larkins family, from their initial involvement in the Company's maritime service in 1746 until its withdrawal from commerce in 1834, form the basis of what follows." (p. 11). Perhaps by trying to accomplish two goals-narrate the company's story and examine Larkins fami ly affairsthe author has attempted too much.

Sutton discusses many important developments concerning East India Company politics. She examines the various factions that sought to control the eastern trade, and she relates the bitter political battles concerning renewals of the company's charter. Because she is also trying to tell the Larkins family's tales, her presentation of the company's " big picture" is ofren vague. Other authors have analyzed the East India Company in greater detai lbooks by K. N. Chaudhuri, Lucy Sutherland, P. J. Marshall, and H. V. Bowen come to mind.

The Larkins family saga also suffers from important weaknesses. Apparently, Sutton is only interested in male family members; most wives are barely mentioned.

The impact of company service on family arrangements is completely ignored. This is a major missed opportunity. Lisa Norling's Captain Ahab Had a Wife effectively examined the problems that long voyages (akin to those the Larkinses experienced) exerted on family life in the American whaling industry. Similar insights would have strengthened Sutton's portrait of the Larkins fam ily. Sutton is also rather sketchy concerning the Larkinses' financial rewards from company service. It is difficult to determine the family members' economic success. She provides no context in which to view company service. Could they have profited more by sailing in other trades?

Her comments that Captain Thomas Larkins "retired in penury" is hard to accept, given the photo of one of the impressive three-story, Georgian homes that he owned or leased.

CARLE. SWANSON, PHD East Carolina University Greenville, North Carolina SEA HISTORY 135, SUMMER 2011

Eagle Seamanship: A Manual for SquareRigger Sailing, 4 th Ed, revised by Captain Eric C. Jo nes, USCG, and LT C h ristopher D . Nolan, USCG (Naval Insti tute Press, Annapolis, 20 11 , 208pp, illus, gloss, index, ISBN 978-l-591 14-63 1-5;$25.95pb) If yo u sail in Eagle, are going to sail in Eagle, have ever made a passage in Eagle, or have the opportuni ty to visit Eagle in port, then buy th is book. In its m ost recent edition, revised by Eagle's Captain Eric Jones and his fo rmer navigator and operations officer, LT Christopher Nolan, Eagle Seamanship is chock-full of specific infor m ation about the ship's history, construction details, safety inform ation, and co mmand sequences.

Every sizable ship sailing today with any sort of transitional crew and trainees has its own manual, which is highly specific to its rig configuration, style of command and operations, and safety info rmation. Few, however, are published fo r retail sale, nor wo uld they find a market beyond their own programs. Not every sh ip is the wo rld-fam ous Eagle, however, the only active square-rigged training ship in US government service.

In this most recent edi tion, Captain Jones and LT Nolan have updated the info rmation so that it applies to the Eagle as she is today. In addition to technical info rmation abo ut vessel operations, the manual includes a concise and very well-wri tten history of the ship, from its beginnings as a German naval trai ning ship th rough its transfer to the US government as a war prize from WWII, to its dual role today as both a training ship fo r Coast Guard cadets and a goodwill am bassador of the United States.

Readers hoping for a more traditional description of life on a square rigger or detai ls of rigging and operations in wooden square-rigged ships fro m the Age of Sail will want to revisit Alan Villiers's The Wtzy of a Ship (1953)-or any Villiers book, for that matter-and John H arland's Seamanship in the Age ofSail (1984). Both are o ut of print but easily fo und online or at most nautical used-book stores.

DEIRDRE O'REGAN Cape Cod, Massachusetts SEA HISTORY 135, SUMME R 2011

New&Noted China and Maritime Europe, 15001800: Trade, Settlement, Diplomacy, and Missions by John E. W ills, Jr. (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 3 12pp, ISBN 978-0-52 14-3260-3; $90hc) The Dogs of Wlir, 1861 by Emory M. Thomas (Oxfo rd University Press, New York, 2011 , ll 3pp, ISBN 978-0-195 17470-0; $ 14.95 hc) The Novel and the Sea by Margaret Cohen (Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2010, 328 pp, ISBN 978-0-691- 14065-0; $39 .50hc) The Oxford Handbook ofMaterial Culture Studies ed. by Dan H icks and Mary C. Beaudry (Oxfo rd University Press, UK, 2010, 620pp, ISBN 978-0-19-92 1871-4; $ 150hc) Pacific Gibraltar: US-Japanese Rivalry over the Annexation of Hawai'i, 18851898 by William Michael Mo rgan (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 2011 , 384pp, ISBN 978- 1-59 11-4529-5; $34.95hc) The Sea: A Cultural History by John Mack (University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, 201 1, 272pp, ISBN 978- 1-86 189809-8; $35hc) Ship Killer: A History of the American Torpedo by Thomas W ildenberg and Norman Polmar (Naval Institu te Press, Annapolis, M D , 2010 , 308pp, ISBN 978- 159 11 4-688-9; $52.95hc) Sweatshops at Sea: Merchant Seamen in the World's First Globalized Industry, from 1812 to the Present by Leon Fink (University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 20 11 , 288pp, ISBN 978-0-80783450-3; $34.95hc) The US Coast Guard's War on Human Smuggling by Dennis Noble (University of Florida Press, Gainesville, 2011 , 320pp, ISBN 978-0-8 130-3606-9; $29 .95 hc) The Viking Longship: From Skinboat to Seagoing warship by Jorn O lav Loser (Wesrholme Pub!. , Yardley, PA, 2011 , 288pp, ISBN 978- 1-594 1-6086-8; $35hc)

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