Kearsarge (1880): links, questions, comments, coordination, ...

[bohara]

I have finished transcribing June and will now start on July.

[Michael]

[Randi]

[bohara]

I have finished transcribing July and will now start on August.

I love the Alt-1, Alt-O, Alt-P, and Alt-U Soft Keys!! They definitely make transcribing go much easier and faster (and as Michael mentioned, more accurately).

[Randi]

If you find something interesting and/or amusing in the log, please share it here.

[bohara]

Will do!

[pommystuart]

I have finished transcribing July and will now start on August.

I love the Alt-1, Alt-O, Alt-P, and Alt-U Soft Keys!! They definitely make transcribing go much easier and faster (and as Michael mentioned, more accurately).

Don't forget Alt3 to copy down to the end of the hour block.

[bohara]

Thanks, pommystuart! I had forgotten about Alt-3. I'll be able to use that quite often with wind directions and cloud types.

[bohara]

On the sea temperature data for Aug. 26, 1880, I noticed four entries that were 65-5, 69-5, 66-5, and 67-5. I transcribed and saved them with the hyphens, but did the log keeper use hyphens instead of periods? In the future should I transcribe those as 65.5, 69.5, 66.5, and 67.5?

Thanks!

[Michael]

I would interpret those as decimals. You will have noticed by now that the log writers have a rather free and easy spirit when it comes to matters like neatness, spelling, consistency and accuracy.

[bohara]

That I have! Thanks, Michael. I will interpret them as decimal points.

[bohara]

Here is a log entry that you probably wouldn't often see from a modern-day Navy warship (from the September 5, 1880 event log page of the USS Kearsarge while it was anchored at Hampton Roads, Virginia):

"Received one drummer from the Marine Barracks at the Washington Navy Yard."

This was in September and not December, so I assume it wasn't a "little drummer boy."

[bohara]

The results from severe weather from the ship's log book for the USS Kearsarge on Sept. 6, 1880, anchored at Hampton Roads, Virginia:

"Violent rain squall with thunder and lightning last hour. Veered to 90 fathoms and counterbraced yards and rigged in flying boom to avoid a barque (Alhambra) which drifted down on this ship."

[Randi]

[bohara]

From the log book of the USS Kearsarge for October 5, 1880: "USS Constitution anchored to the southward and eastward of this ship and hoisted senior officer's pennant." Launched into Boston Harbor on October 21, 1797, the USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides," was over 80 years old in 1880.

[Michael]

[Randi]

[bohara]

An entry on the Event page of the log book for the USS Kearsarge for November 4, 1880: "Sent two apprentice boys to the U.S.S. Constitution to compete for the Bailey gold medal."

The Bailey gold medal was awarded to the Naval apprentice who achieved the highest score on a seamanship examination throughout the entire U.S. Navy. It was apparently awarded to only one apprentice per year (on December 31 of that year) by the Navy Department, but it was later awarded to two apprentices, one on the Atlantic coast and one on the Pacific coast. The name of the winner was inscribed on the medal. Quite an honor!

[Randi]

Thanks for posting that!
I joined to help climate science, but it is the fascinating little details in the logs that keep me going.

[Michael]