Old Weather Forum

Wild! Seems like a messy sort of day - being shot at for carrying the mail. Perhaps the Bristol's commodore needs glasses - and not just for reading the mail?

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 6_0142.JPG

Ashuelot 10 Feb 1868.
1100 Sent launch alongside store ship Onward.
1330 Launch sheared off and was dropped down with the tide by a line from Onward, When she got nearly alongside she gave a shear and ran ontwart ? athwart our hawser causing her to flounder loosing 140 brass boiler tubes. The crew boat and most of its gear were saved.

ran athwart our hawse.

From the The Sailor's Word-Book:
ATHWART. The transverse direction; anything extending or across the line of a ship's course.—Athwart hawse, a vessel, boat, or floating lumber accidentally drifted across the stem of a ship, the transverse position of the drift being understood.—Athwart the fore-foot, just before the stem; ships fire a shot in this direction to arrest a stranger, and make her bring-to.—Athwart ships, in the direction of the beam; from side to side: in opposition to fore-and-aft.

That would be "sideswipe" in automobile terms?

Sort of. If I understand correctly it was the ship's bow and the boat's side rather than side to side

Whilst trying to read a name in the log by looking up the Naval position in 1986 I came upon this letter which may be of interest to some.

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/p ... ntent.html

Last two line events page.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 9_0125.JPG
P.S. I think it was Dewey and W.B. Harriss ?

“W.B. Howell, Assistant Secretary.”

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/p ... sul-4.html

“Direct Commanding Officer U.S.Steamer McCulloch on arrival proceed HongKong report his command duty Commander Dewey Asiatic Station.”

“W.B. Howell, Assistant Secretary.”

Thanks.

McCullock 11th April 1898

The following cablegran was transmitted to Comd'g Officer by US Consul General Pratt:-
"Send word to Consul at Singapore to direct Commanding officer of Revenue Cutter McCulloch on his arrival then to proceed quick to Hong Kong and avoid Spanish Ports and Men-of-war", which message was thus endorsed:-
If the undersigned, Consul General of the United States, do herby certify that the above is an exact copy of message from Department of State, dated April 2nd 1898.
As communicated to in dispatch from Hon, John Barrett, US Minister at Bangkok, dated April 4th 1898, and received by us on the date below.
Sqd E. Spencer Pratt, US Consul General, Singapore April 11th 1898"

McCulloch 23rd April 1898

Received on board certain provisions for crew on requisition approved by Commodore George Dewey making full Navy Rations for 50 men from April 21 to August 1st. Received 20 gallons alcohol and 75 pounds of shellac.

Interesting coupling of stores received.
[Yes I guess the alcohol and shellac were for French polishing, but you never know. }

Hic! Sounds like a lot of polishing

McCulloch 27th April 1898

Received a telegraphic signal "Publish to ships company proclamation of Gov of Philippine Ids"
In compliance then with all hands were called to muster and Lt Elliott, USN, read the document which was received by crew with their cheers.

See
https://www.scribd.com/presentation/431 ... e-Filipino
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippin ... ependence#

Kearsarge 19 June 1869.

At 5pm the HBMS "Galatea" Captain The Duke of Edinburgh came in and anchored.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 6_0036.JPG

The following day when The DoE left his ship and passed ours we manned the yards and rigging and hoisted the British Ensign at fore.
Next day HRH Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh visited the ship as Captain of the Galatea.

[In 1868, Prince Alfred Ernest Albert, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Kent and Earl of Ulster and second son of Queen Victoria,]
_______________

See also the amusing article here in the left side bar. Its a Google optical recognition so its full of typos.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13186689

Here is my best attempt at the corrected version, some bits still need fixing.
THE DEPARTURE OF THE GALATEA.
The Galatea, 26, Captain his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, left Plymouth Sound on Monday, November 9, for Madeira, the Cape of Good Hope, East Indies,

The following graphic and amusing sketch appears in the Echoes of the Clubs :-"
It must have been a pretty sight on Monday, November 9, when her Majesty’s screw steam frigate Galatea, Captain his Royal Highness Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, was about to sail from Devonport harbour on another voyage round the world. There was plenty of time to make a good start ; no hurry in getting ready for it. At 4 o'clock in the morning a gang of riggers left the dockyard for Barnpool, where the gallant ship lay, for the purpose of unmooring her.
At 6 o'clock all was ready, but as there was a sea fog on, it was thought better to wait another tide. So, at 12, being nearly low tide '-depth of water being one of the requisites, as we shall afterwards see, forgetting comfortably up to 'The Hon '-out of Barnpool, away goes the good ship, with a tug, the Carron, made fast on her starboard bow (and her own steam up, of course), her namesake, the Trinity steam yacht Galatea, Captain Attersby, being also in attendance.
The ship was, as a matter of course, in the hands of the Queen's Harbour- master, Captain Ayton and lest there should be any deficiency of cooks in a work of such small difficulty as taking one of her Majesty's ships out of harbour, which ought to be as little a matter of danger, and as much a matter of business as an ordinary tradesman going in and out, of his shop door-Captain Ayton not only had at hand the best advice' that the ship's captain, his Royal Highness Prince Alfred, Duke' of Edinburgh, could give him, but also had >ox Ira assurance of that safety said to exist in a multitude of counsellors, by the presence of not less than nine officers on the bridge,' as well as that of the Admiral Superintendent Drummond-and a distinguished party of naval dignitaries on the quarter-deck.
Now boat from here that it was broad daylight midday that the depth of water drawn by the Galatea frigate, 25 foot, is known; nor is it less well known that under the port of a ship coming out of Barnpool and making towards Plymouth Hoe, about 500 yards south of it, lies the Winter Rock, the quantity of water over the point of which that the Galatea had to round can be thoroughly estimated to an inch at every minute of the tide. Here we should say there was plain sailing enough. But there is a mystery in naval matters that is unfathomable. In spite of her own steam-of the skill, knowledge, and experience of the Harbour-master, the presence of the Admiral-Super-intendent, the supervision of the senior officers on the bridge,' the tugging guidance of the Carron, and the vigilant nursing of Captain Attersby in the Admiralty yacht, they managed amongst them-to the great scandal of the service to run the Galatea aground on the Winter Rock; not merely grazing it, as the newspapers say, for her masts shivered.
Luckily she backed off, got the anchor inside the breakwater, and subsequently went into dock, had about £2000 worth of repairs done to her is out of dock! again, and by this time off in safety. Of course there has been an inquiry, and there will be a report;' but as everybody was in it, we don't expect to hear of any one being to blame."

(And we think our ships had some embarrassing moments.)

The DoE did not fair any better when he reached Sydney, Australia.
https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/as ... lfred_1868

Now I know how the RPA got its name.

Special Board of Survey condemmed as unfit for use and recommended to be sold for benefit of Government 7509lbs beans.

Any offers?

What kind of beans and will you deliver?