Careening, Scraping Off the Barnacles

       

As a result of the research I’m doing for my novel set in the NC Outer Banks and the Atlantic Coast in 1799, I have lots of interesting trivia about pirates I’d like to share.
        One practice is called “careening,” turning a wooden ship on its side to expose the hull. It was the most dangerous time for pirates as it made them vulnerable to attack.
        Ships’ hulls would become thick with grasses, seaweed, worms, mold, and organisms such as barnacles making the ships difficult to steer. Since speed was critical to pirates, it was necessary for the hulls to be scraped every two to three months.

       Careening also allowed for repairs of damage caused by dry rot or cannon shot and for coating the exterior with a layer of sulfur, tar and tallow to reduce leakage.
        A wooden ship would be beached at high tide to expose the ship below the waterline. This was also called “hove down.”
        Ships would be taken to a shallow area and the masts pulled to the ground by securing the top halyard to an object such as a tree.  

The practice of heeling over a ship in deep waters by shifting ballast or cannon to one side was called “Parliamentary heeling.” It was a much faster way of cleaning the hull. In 1782, the HMS Royal George was lost while undergoing this procedure.

 

Susan F. Craft is the author of The Chamomile, an inspirational Revolutionary War romantic suspense set in South Carolina. Her work in progress is the third book in The Chamomile trilogy.

Visiting Kensington Palace

Patty standing in front of the historical section of Kensington Palace.

Hey everyone! Patty Smith Hall here, and I've just returned from a trip of a lifetime! My darling husband decided to surprise me with a 30th anniversary trip to the one place on earth he knew I wanted to visit--London! So over the next few months, I'm going to share pictures and history from one of the most historical places on earth.









Today, we're visiting Kensington Palace.  If you're a royal watcher, you know that this is the place where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with their new son, Prince George will soon be living. Built in 1605, it was first known as The Nottingham House and did not become a palace until  William and Mary assumed the throne in 1689.

The Presence Chamber in the King's Apartments

As a Georgia native, I found the room pictured above to be interesting as was in this very room that King George II and Queen Caroline met the king and queen of the Cherokee Indians in the summer of 1734. The Cherokees were asked to wear more clothing than they did at home, in particular, something around their waist before they were presented to the King. But once introductions were made, the adults spoke while the royal children played nearby

Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset

This is a portrait of Elizabeth Seymour, the Duchess of Somerset. She was Queen Anne's confidante and she, along with her husband, were great favorites of the Queen which brought many enemies ready to take her down. But her ability to understand life at court and her intelligence kept her in the Queen's favor  up until Anne died in August, 1714.

Queen Victoria's day gown

Probably one of the most famous residents of Kensington Palace is Queen Victoria. Born in May, 1819, Victoria spent her childhood roaming the halls of the palace. In her own words, "I was brought up very simply, never had a room to myself until I was nearly grown, always slept with my mother until I came to the throne.

The room where the Queen's gown is shown is also the room where, on June 20 1837, Victoria held her first meeting with cabinet members and close advisors, just a few hours after ascending to the throne.

Queen Victoria's Wedding Dress

One of the happiest periods of Queen Victoria's life was her marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Together, Victoria and Albert worked to make life better for the destitute and forgotten of Great Britain, draw attention to the arts and were the forbears of the industrial age. They also brought a renewed sense of morality that had been absent during her uncles's eras on the throne.

Prince Albert's Wedding clothes

But Victoria's happiness was short-lived. After twenty years of marriage and nine children, Prince Albert died in December 1861 at the age of 42. Victoria mourned him the rest of her life, so much so that on the occasion of each of her children's marriages, she wore black and demanded that all photographs be taken around a marble bust of the prince. Victoria mourned Albert until her own death in 1901.

Various events in Princess Diana's life

Another famous resident was Princess Diana. Here at Kensington Palace is where she raised her boys, William and Harry, and where, after her tragic death in September, 1997, a makeshift memorial of flowers were laid at the golden gates on the southern side of the palace. This was the wall outside of the restrooms.











Well, that's all for now. I hope you've enjoyed this short tour of Kensington Palace. Next time, we'll visit the Tower of London where the last execution was held not some 500 hundred years ago but in the late 1930s! Until then, I'll share one more picture, this one just outside of the Bow Room at Buckingham Palace. I wished I had pictures to share from there but snapping them would have gotten me thrown into the dungeon!

ITALY, ART, and, THE MONUMENTS MEN by J. KENT

Santa Maria del Fiore

One of my friends, Julie, recently returned from Florence, Italy where she'd spent the month of July studying Renaissance art. The pictures on this page are from her camera. Love the architecture.

 Julie's an art teacher in our school district. She told me about a day she went to the library in Florence and discovered a book, called Saving Italy:The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazis. This non-fiction book written by Robert M. Edsel, just happened to be the name of the man who wrote the text book that Julie and her class where studying regarding Renaissance art.

She also discovered that it was soon to be a movie starring George Clooney and Matt Damon based on another book by Edsel titled, The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History. I had never heard anything about these books or the story behind them.

Days after Julie returned from Italy USA TODAY (August 8, 2013) ran a feature about the movie stating it's, ". . . about a platoon tasked with going behind enemy lines to retrieve the masterpieces stolen by the Nazis."Later I found the video trailer on YouTube. You can watch it here. And you can watch it here too. For those of us who thrive on treasure hunting books and movies, and I think there are lots of us, my guess is the movie theaters around the country will be packed on December 18th when the film releases. But for now I'm reading the books and soaking up the information behind the movie.


This upcoming film feels like a combination of Raiders of the Lost Ark and National Treasure but it's based on a true

Alternate view of Santa Maria del Fiore

story that is fascinating. I have a feeling it's going to be a huge success. I hope it's as good as it sounds. Hey, if it's got Clooney and Damon starring in it they can't go wrong. 


The Mission

If you read the book, page two of The Monuments Men states, "The Monuments Men were a group of men and women from thirteen nations, most of whom volunteered for service in the newly created Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section or, MFAA."

"Their job description was simple: to save as much of the culture of Europe as they could during combat."

Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio is this bridge over the Aron River is enclosed and filled with jewelry shops according to Julie, but in days long gone it used to be utilized by butchers selling their meat products as well as tanners. The stench became overwhelming and changes were made. I know I'd prefer the jewelry shops. The Ponte Vecchio is the only bridge in Florence that was not destroyed by the Germans during WWII.

I've never been to Italy but looking at the hundreds of pictures Julie took of Florence allowed me to get lost in this wonderful world.

Have you ever been to Italy? If so, what was one of your favorite places? Do you think you'll go see The Monuments Men movie?

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, which means St. Mary of the Flower. I found this video on YouTube.

Christianity in Japan by Author Walt Mussell

I’d like to thank Patty Smith Hall for inviting me to guest blog today. I appreciate the chance to talk about the history of Christianity in Japan. I hope everyone enjoys it. (If not, there’s still a nice prize at the end for one lucky commenter.) 

The first documented arrival of missionaries to Japan occurred in the mid-16^th century. For Europeans, Japan had long been a fabled place mentioned in the writings of Marco Polo. Fable became reality in 1543 when an off-course Portuguese trading vessel landed on Tanegashima Island, just south of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands. Annual trading visits soon followed and in 1549, a ship brought Francis Xavier, a founding member of The Jesuits, to establish a base in Nagasaki (on Kyushu).

Japanese Map(www.gojapango.com)

The Christian message resonated in a country that had endured much civil war. The first church opened in Nagasaki in 1569 and converts nationwide totaled 20-30,000 by 1570. Efforts expanded to the capital city of Kyoto (on the main island) where a church was erected in 1576. However, language and cultural issues remained as missionaries attempted to force the Japanese to adopt western culture. Eventually, the missionaries began studying the Japanese language in earnest, adopting Japanese diet and practices. Converts grew at a faster rate, with a number of key daimyo (regional governors), along with their communities, embracing the faith. 

Christianity faced a greater challenge than culture: warring between daimyo in a divided nation. The latter half of the 16^th century in Japan saw the country unified by three people. The first, Oda Nobunaga (last name first), unified half the country. Nobunaga allowed Christianity, likely to gain support of Christian daimyos as well as irritate large Buddhist sects arrayed against him. Nobunaga was assassinated in 1582 and his most loyal general, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, rose to power. Unlike Nobunaga, Hideyoshi was suspicious of Christians due to European conquests in other parts of Asia. In 1587, Hideyoshi banned the religion. The ban, though, was mostly a political statement. He stripped the most prominent Christian daimyo of his fief and confiscated church property in Nagasaki. Christians downplayed their activities, but the religion continued to thrive, particularly in Kyushu.

In 1596, Hideyoshi proclaimed a second ban of Christianity. He arrested 24 Christians in Kyoto, humiliated them publicly, and sent them to Nagasaki. Two more were added to their total and all 26 were crucified in 1597. It is likely that persecutions would have continued. However, Hideyoshi died in 1598. By 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu established himself as ruler, beginning the 250-year reign of the Tokugawa shogunate.  

Monument to the 26 Christians at Nagasaki (www.tripadvisor.com)

Around this time, other European nations reached Japan, pressing for trade, and the Dutch gained the upper hand. By 1612, Christians numbered 220,000. However, concerns over possible Christian allegiance to Rome led Ieyasu to ban Christianity from the new capital of Edo (Tokyo). In 1614, all churches in Kyoto and Nagasaki were destroyed. 

The next several years saw numerous martyrdoms as the government attempted to control the population.  In 1629, the government began requiring suspected Christians to stomp on images of Christ and Mary. Those that didn’t were tortured, either to recant or to death. In 1635, Ieyasu’s grandson outlawed Catholics, restricted the Dutch, and prohibited other Europeans from entering and any Japanese from leaving. In 1638, a tax uprising of Christians in Kyushu was put down and approximately 37,000 people were executed. The religion was successfully driven underground. Further missionary visits to Japan saw those missionaries executed.

In 1853, four U.S. ships, under the command of Commodore Matthew Perry, steamed into Edo Harbor. Commodore Perry demanded that Japan open trade with the West. The arrival of these ships created an internal struggle that eventually produced the downfall of the Tokugawas. By 1873, Christians, descendants who’d maintained the religion in secret over two centuries, were allowed to openly practice again.

As a prize for today’s post, my wife has made an origami Kissing Ball. A Kissing Ball is like a Christmas ornament, though it can be used for other occasions. It’s not innately Japanese, but the origami part is. Again, thanks for having me today. 

About the author: Walt Mussell is represented by Terry Burns of Hartline Literary. He has several magazine credits and one published novella in a Christmas anthology titled Hot Cocoa for the Heart (http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Cocoa-Heart-ebook/dp/B0064VYNZM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1377217861&sr=1-1&keywords=hot+cocoa+for+the+heart). His primary focus is historicals set in medieval Japan and he refers to his work as “Like Shogun, but the heroine survives.” He maintains a blog called Daddy Needs Decaf (www.waltmussell.blogspot.com ) where he talks about parenting challenges. If you have a chance, please check out his book and/or visit his blog. 

Fun and Games in 1864

by Linda Farmer Harris

In her June 26th CFHS post, Schoolyard Games, Winnie Griggs posed an intriguing question, “Was there a favorite game you remember playing during recess?” She mentioned Hop-Scotch. Wow - that brought back lots of memories. There is something irresistible about a chalk diagram on a sidewalk. Children and adults alike will hop across the board and go on their way with a chuckle and a smile. But, how many of them actually know the rules.

In the 1864 edition of the American Boys Book of Sports and Games (Dick & Fitzgerald, New York), the rules required that the player hop on one foot and kick an oyster-shell or small flat stone from one compartment to the other, without putting the lifted foot on the ground and without allowing the shell/stone to land on a line.

The diagram consisted of thirteen compartments, twelve were numbered, and the last one had a large “P” standing for plum-pudding. No explanation was given for why the plum-pudding designation.

One method to decide who went first was for each player to throw a stone onto the diagram and the one nearest to the P played first.

The winner would stand on the place marked with the star and throw his shell into the No. 1 box; he would hop into the space and kick the shell back to the star.

For his second move, he threw the shell into No. 2, kicked it from No. 2 to No. 1, then kicked it back to the star, all the while hopping with one leg lifted. For his third move, he threw his shell into No. 3, kicked it from 3 to 2, from 2 to 1, and out to the star. He would follow this kicking sequence again for No. 4 — 4 to 3, from 3 to 2, from 2 to 1, and out to the star. He followed suit for No. 5 and No. 6. He proceeded to No. 7 where he was permitted to rest by standing with one foot in No. 6 and the other in No.7.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired already! I found it interesting that this was a game played primarily by boys. I’ve always thought of it as a girls’ game.

The player must resume hopping before he can kick No. 7’s shell back to the star, following the kicking sequence. He passes through the beds 8,9,10, and 11 in the same pattern as 1-5, until he reaches the P. He can now rest again. He is then required to place his shell on P and while standing on one foot, kick the shell from P to the star in one kick.

A player loses his “innings” if he throws his shell into the wrong compartment, if his shell or his foot rests on a line; or he kicks the shell out of the diagram.

This made me think of the ways we chose teams or the person to be “it.” No matter the group, everyone seemed to know the Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe chant. This counting rhyme has existed in various forms since well before 1820 and common in many languages with similar-sounding nonsense syllables. I think locality had some influence on the rhyme also. Some chants caught a tiger by the toe, some caught a monkey or a chicken, others caught a teacher (hmmm). We caught a cowboy and made him pay fifty dollars every day instead of letting him go.

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,

Catch a tiger by the toe.

If he hollers, let him go,

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.

There was always some kid who wasn’t satisfied with the person pointed to on the last moe so he had to add “My mother told me to pick the very best one, and that is Y-O-U.”

Growing up I heard “Hop, Step, and Jump” used to denote distance. Such as, “Old man Brown’s pond is a hop, step, and jump behind his barn.” Or, “It ain’t far, just a hop, step, and jump and you’ll be there.” In New Mexico, it was a hop, skip, and a jump.

Lo, and behold, the boys played a game as early as 1864 that may have originated that measurement phrase. To play, mark a long line on the ground as a starting point. Ten yards from this point make another mark for the “spring.” Players line up along the starting point line and in succession run to the spring line. From the spring line, he makes first a hop on one leg, then a long step, then a long jump. He holds his ground until every player springs. The winner is the one who covers the most ground. This is now an typical track and field event plus a variation of it is one of the Olympic Games competitions.

I never thought of boys needing to be taught to jump, but the 1864 manual encourages them to jump upward, downward, backward, and over long distances. They are to practice these moves in earnest.

Now, that you’re tired and want to play indoors, “Twirling the Plate” and "Cupid’s Coming” will fit the bill. These are particularly good for cooling down after a vigorous romp.

Twirling the Plate was new to me, but lots of fun when I tried it with some visiting children. I used a plastic “charger” plate; set it on its edge and gave it a spin. I called the name of one of the children and she had to catch it before it quit spinning or pay a forfeit. We used a dime’s worth of pennies as the penny-forfeit. The forfeit went to the person who twirled the plate. The person called on now spins the plate and calls on someone to catch it. It isn’t as easy as it sounds.

The girls really liked Cupid’s Coming. Yes, we Eeny, meeny, miny, moe’d to choose the person to start the game. She chose a letter for a word that ended in “ing.” For example, R was chosen. The IT girl said to the person next to her, “Cupid’s coming.” The person responded, “How is he coming?” Miss IT replied “Racing.” The person now tells the girl on her opposite side, “Cupid’s coming.” The third person asked, “How?” The response was “Rudely.” The question and response goes around the circle until the “R” (or chosen letter) and its “ing” are exhausted. The penny-forfeit was used when someone couldn’t answer with an “ing” word.

Indoors or outdoors, kids need to be active and interact with each other. Maybe some of these old games need to be refreshed in our backyards and family outings. Have you or your family invented any games to play or modified an old game?

Blessings, Lin

Lin grew up in Lovington, New Mexico and married Jerry 47 years ago this month. When she isn't researching the many fascinating things in and around Chimney Rock, Colorado, where they now live and ranch, she is working on her new series Voices in the Desert. The first book, Treasures Among the Ruins, is set in 1926 and introduces Cornelia Miller and her adventures as a Southwestern Indian Detour Courier. The other four books span the years 1928-1932.  

Chapel Cars

Hi!  Winnie Griggs here.

As I was researching circuit preachers for a minor story thread in one of my books I came across an interesting little rabbit trail I couldn't resist pursuing.  The tidbit referenced a very unique tool utilized by clergy and other missionary-minded folk who were attempting to do their own brand of ‘taming the west’ - namely Chapel Cars.

These utilitarian traveling churches were constructed inside modified railroad cars.  They rode the rails from town to town, parking on sidings for as long as they were needed, then moving on to the next stop.  Space was set aside for very modest living quarters for the missionary and perhaps his wife.  The rest of the space was utilized for church services.

They were furnished with pews, a lectern, an altar table and in some cases an organ.  Depending on size and construction, they could accommodate 70+ people.  The Chapel Car served as a home, church, Sunday School, social hall, library and meeting place.  They carried bibles and tracts to be distributed all along the lines.  The missionary and his wife, in addition to their usual ministerial duties, were expected to function as singer, musician, janitor and cook.  They helped organize permanent churches, including raising the necessary funds and helping to construct the buildings.

The idea of the chapel card was not original to the U.S - they had existed in Europe for some time.  The first Chapel Car in the America was commissioned by Reverend William Walker, the Missionary Bishop of North Dakota.  The task of ministering to the people in such a vast and sparsely populated territory was a daunting one.  That, and the fact that many towns didn’t have the funds, or any certainty of permanence, to invest in a building, and it seemed a better solution had to be found.  Having knowledge of the chapel cars used in England, Bishop Walker decided that would be a workable solution to his challenge.

These Chapel Cars traveled throughout the West and Midwest.  They visited mining towns and logging camps, tent cities and fledgling towns, bringing their gospel message and the reminder of civilization to people who had seen neither for a long time - if ever. 

And their appearance was surprisingly well received in these wild and lawless places more often than not - especially by the ladies of the area.  The arrival of a Chapel Cars signaled not just the chance to attend Sunday services, but the arrival of someone to perform weddings, funerals, baptisms.  It also provided a welcome excuse for social gatherings.  In addition, many a rough and tough cowboy who would have balked at attending a traditional church, seemed to feel differently about these side rail services.  In fact, the very novelty of the Chapel Car brought folks from miles around just to have a look.

Of course, they didn’t always receive a warm welcome.  There were instances of Chapel Cars being pelted with eggs and refuse, defaced with graffiti and even set on fire.  But these were rare instances and the cars and their custodians survived to continue their mission.

In actuality, the peace-minded missionaries who rode the rails played a larger part in bringing peace to the lawless west than any gun-toting lawman or vigilante.  They traveled in their mobile churches to remote areas of the country, bringing spiritual direction and a civilizing influence to people who were starved for something to offset the violence and loneliness of their existence. 

Chapel cars remained in use on into the early twentieth century.  With the advent of World War I, however, the railroad tracks had to be kept clear for troop movement.  In addition, new regulations prohibited the railroad companies from giving ‘free rides’ to the Chapel Cars, something that had been common practice up until then.  And as paved roads and automobiles became more common it was easier for people to travel on their own to attend church.  Thus, the Chapel Cars that had brought their spiritual message and civilizing influence to the rough and tumble west faded into history.

So, where is the most memorable place where you have attended a church service and what was it about it that made it memorable?

Florida's 500th Anniversary and El Galeon

Are you aware that this year, 2013, marks the 500th anniversary since Juan Ponce de Leon landed in Florida? The state of Florida is doing some special things to commemorate the occasion, and while vacationing in St. Augustine last month, my family and I got to see one piece of the celebration. I wanted to share a bit about it with you.



El Galeon, © Jennifer Uhlarik

When we arrived in St. Augustine for our few days away, it didn’t take us long to notice a huge wooden ship docked beside the Bridge of Lions. We quickly learned that the ship was a life-size, all-wooden replica of a Spanish Galleon, like those Ponce de Leon and his contemporaries would’ve sailed. El Galeon, as it was called, was making the rounds of several Florida ports—Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Cape Canaveral, and St. Augustine—docking for several weeks at each in order for visitors to take self-guided tours of the impressive vessel. El Galeon had such a great turnout the first weekend in St. Augustine that they opted to stay from several months in order to accommodate the visitors.

Looking toward the stern, ©Jennifer Uhlarik

The life-size replica measures 170 feet in length, and weighs 495 tons. Forty crew members manned the ship and sailed it on the same general path that Ponce de Leon took to Florida 500 years ago. (You can see an interactive map of their route here). I have never been much of a sea-faring person, so stepping onto such a ship was awe-inspiring. It was also pretty mind-boggling when I began to realize that, while large, a ship this size didn’t provide a lot of personal space for that many people. And when you stop to consider that back in the days of New World exploration, many times an explorer would set out with several ships, only to lose some along the way. When that happened, the crew of the abandoned ship would get absorbed into the crews of the other ships. So by the end of their voyages, these ships often carried two or three times the number of people than they started with. Just imagine the trouble getting to use the bathroom must have been. LOL

Bathroom. Was this authentic to the time period?
©Jennifer Uhlarik

On a side note, one of the interesting things we were told while vacationing was that many of the explorers’ ships were lost not to storms or running around, but rather to a particular type of clam, the shipworm or toredo worms, that lives in saltwater and eats wood. These worm-like clams would begin to bore into the wooden vessels, and over time, the ships would spring leaks. When the crew couldn’t stop the incoming water, they would inform the captain that the ship couldn’t be saved, so they would flag down their sister ships, abandon their own, and watch it sink as they sailed away. After stepping foot on such a magnificent ship as El Galeon, I can only imagine the heartbreak such a sight would cause.

Tall ship! ©Jennifer Uhlarik

While El Galeon has departed from St. Augustine as of July 23, my understanding is that the crew will be sailing up the eastern seaboard for the next 3-5 years on tour. If you missed the ship in Florida, you might still have an opportunity to see it in another eastern port. And we also were told that El Galeon had petitioned to make St. Augustine its home port while not out touring. At the time we were there, the petition was being considered, but no decision had been made. Hopefully those in power will allow it, as it seems only fitting to me that such a ship should make historic St. Augustine home. You can find more impressive photos here.

Ship's bell. ©Jennifer Uhlarik

Now it’s your turn. Have you ever been onboard a boat or ship (including small boats or cruise ships)? What was your experience like?




Interesting view of Anastasia Island from El Galeon.
©Jennifer Uhlarik

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen, when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has won the 2012 CWOW Phoenix Rattler, 2012 ACFW First Impressions, and 2013 FCWC contests, all in the historical category. She is also the winner of the 2013 Central Florida ACFW chapter's "Prompt Response" contest. In addition to writing, she has been a schoolteacher of English, literature, and history, as well as a marketing director. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, teenaged son, and four fur children.

Victorian Bathing Suits: The Great Cover-up--Book Giveaway

A recent study by Anytime Fitness showed that more than 70 percent of Americans would rather go to the dentist, do taxes or sit in the middle seat of an airplane than go shopping for a swimsuit.  Agree or disagree?

I just got back from Laguna Beach, California, which explains why bathing suits are very much on my mind this week.

Young and the not-so-young alike wore the teeniest, tiniest of bikinis everywhere, even in restaurants and on trams.  As a mother, I was tempted to pull my husband’s shirt off on several occasions and wrap it around some scantily-clad teen whose bikini string threatened to pop. 

Fortunately, I contained myself, but one thing is clear; Nothing documents the mores of the times as much as bathing suits. 

Two French designers get credit for inventing the bikini in 1946, but women wore bikini-like costumes for sports and public bathing as early as 1400 BC.  After the fall of the Roman Empire, the church came into power and public bathing disappeared.

  Two things happened during the Victorian age that was to have an impact on fashion; Railroads made the seashore a popular destination and women began participating in croquet, golf, bowling, tennis and other sports.The most controversial sport was swimming. Considered good for health, swimming also found favor for not causing women to do something as unfeminine as (gasp) sweat. But modesty and white skin took precedence over comfort and even safety.  Any effort to make swimwear more suitable to the sport was met with opposition. 

As a result, feminine bathing suits were typically black and long-sleeved wool dresses were worn over bloomers.  Black stockings, lace-up bathing slippers and a ruffled cap completed the outfit.   

Of course Victorians never left modesty to chance; for added protection weights were sewn into hems to prevent a skirt from floating up and revealing a feminine limb.

Show a leg in the 1800s and the offending woman would find herself arrested for

indecent exposure.  One woman in Coney Island was indeed arrested for merely wearing a bathing suit under her street wear.  Men didn’t fare much better.  In 1892 William B. Hemmenway of New York was arrested for swimming in a bathing suit that lacked sleeves. And, of course, strict rules forbade men and women swimming together as more than one hapless couple found out. 

Since some bathing suits reportedly weighed as much as twenty-two pounds, ropes were attached to buoys to give “swimmers” something on which to hold. 

Bathing machines became all the rage in the mid 1800s.  Invented by a Quaker in 1753, bathing machines contained a “modesty tunnel.” These little cabanas would be drawn into the water by horses and allow a female swimmer to emerge from the water in her dripping flannel or wool dress in complete privacy.

This all changed in 1907 when the first woman to swim the English Channel, Annette Kellermen was arrested in Boston for wearing a one-piece form-fitting bathing suit. Considered scandalous at the time, her bathing suit helped pave the way for bigger and…uh…smaller things to come.

I’m happy to report that the teeny-tiny bikinis weren’t the only ones creating a sensation in Laguna Beach last week; my “Mother Teresa” approved swimming suit got its share of attention. If only the looks of disbelief weren’t accompanied by shaking heads.  It’s a good thing I left my hem weights at home. 

Today I'm giving away a copy of A Bride for All Seasons Collection, featuring Mary Connealy, Robin Lee Hatcher, Debra Clopton and me! So if you have an opinion on bathing suits, good, bad or indifferent, now's the time to speak up! 

www.margaretbrownley.com

A New York Times bestselling author, Margaret Brownley has published 30 books.  Her August, September and October releases include:

*Gunpowder Tea (Brides of Last Chance Ranch) Can be ordered now!

“Exquisitely intriguing" –PW starred review for GUNPOWDER TEA.

*A Bride For All Seasons (Margaret's story And Then Came Spring can be ordered separately as an eBook)

*A Pioneer Christmas Collection  

*A Log Cabin Christmas Collection (republished by popular demand)

The Southern Exposition 1883-1887

by Susan Page Davis

What city had more electric lights than New York in 1883?

That was sort of a trick question, but the correct answer is Louisville, Kentucky!

Louisville was host to the Southern Exposition, which opened in 1883—one hundred thirty years ago. This show, which ran for about 100 days each summer for five years, showcased the agriculture and industry of the South. It was, in effect, a five-year series of world’s fairs.

The show was designed to show the world that the post-war South was strong. Louisville businessmen wanted their city to claim a place in the world trade market. At first, it was planned to show off the production and use of cotton, but the idea grew and grew. The exhibits presented many aspects of agriculture, technology, and industry.

This exposition was larger than any previous American show, except for the Centennial Exposition of 1876, held in Philadelphia. President Chester A. Arthur opened the first annual exposition in Louisville on

Pres. Chester A. Arthur

 August 1, 1883. He was accompanied by several dignitaries, including Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln (Abraham Lincoln's son).

Robert Todd Lincoln

The exhibition grounds covered 45 acres. The main building alone covered ten acres and was 600 feet wide and 900 feet long. It formed a huge rectangle, with pavilions in a cross shape in the center and four large open courts. The buildings were dismantled at the end of the five-year spectacular, and the materials used for other structures. Many beautiful homes were built in the area where they had stood, now part of the Old Louisville Preservation District.

The lighting was a highlight of the event. The company owned by Thomas Edison, who had previously lived in Louisville, was contracted to install the lighting. The Louisville Board of Trade contracted to buy 5,000 incandescent lamps, 4,600 of which lit the exhibition hall and 400 the art gallery. It took one100 men a month to do the wiring.

“The Exposition was the first large space lighted by incandescence,” George H. Yater wrote in his book Two Hundred Years at the Fall of the Ohio. “…many electrical pioneers felt that the Louisville success did more to stimulate the growth of the interior electric lighting than any other Edison plant.”

 Susan Page Davis is the author of more than forty published novels. Visit her website at: www.susanpagedavis.com where her painless drawing for free books is held every month.

Granny's Zippers - Rationing in WWII

 

By Marilyn Turk

Leave comment at end for chance to win!

The bombing of Pearl Harbor not only brought the United States into World War II, it created a wave of patriotism not since experienced. The day after the “day of infamy,” millions of American men lined up outside recruiting offices to sign up for the military.

 But citizens at home wanted to contribute to the war effort as well, and eagerly sought ways to help “our boys overseas.” Shortages of materials soon appeared as factories shifted production from consumer goods to military supplies. People learned to do without or make personal sacrifices of goods, knowing that soldiers were supplied first.

 

So when the government issued “War Ration Book One” in May 1942, most citizens willingly complied and adjusted their lives accordingly. Every man, woman and child in the U.S. was issued a book with rationing stamps through the schools. Sugar was the first food item rationed, followed by coffee. “War Ration Book Two” came out in February 1943, limiting amounts of meats, cheese and processed foods.

 

However, with dwindling supplies at the grocery stores, the food was sold on a first-come, first-served basis, resulting in long lines waiting for stores to open. Once the store’s inventory was sold, there was no more to buy regardless of possessing a stamp or not. In some communities, this dilemma fostered a barter system. The person lucky enough to get their allotted amount of sugar, for example, soon had neighbors at their door, offering a variety of goods in exchange.

 The first non-food item to be restricted was rubber, since 90 per cent of it came from areas overseas where the Japanese had taken control. Rubber was essential for tires for all military vehicles. On the home front, that meant rubber elastic was no longer available, so clothes such as underwear were made with drawstrings instead.

 As a result of American oil tankers being sunk by German submarines, gasoline became scarce. Since the government needed to cut down on rubber use as well, they issued gas ration tickets. Many gas stations closed for lack of supply, and those open often had lines 300 cars long. People were known to follow tanker trucks to their destination to get gas. Consequently, many cars ran out of gas and were abandoned on the roads.

 The other precious commodity to be restricted was metal. No longer were consumer goods made of metal available. People began to reuse what they already had, such as metal zippers, often removing them from old clothes to reuse in new, homemade clothes.

The habit of saving and reusing stayed with the people of that era even after the war ended. Later generations would find boxes of buttons, safety pins, and zippers and wonder why Granny saved them.

 

Did you have a family member from the WWII era who saved something? Did you hear stories about rationing?

Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul – Devotional Stories for Wives.

 

 

 

 

The 1913 Life-Saving Rescue of the L.C. Waldo

Hi Everyone,

It's great to be back with you all today. For the past several months, I've been telling you about the United

States Life-Saving Service, which ran from 1848 until 1915 for the purpose of rescuing sailors and passengers stranded on wrecked vessels. Modern technology and conveniences like radios and helicopters and speed boats that are used by the current Coast Guard were not available in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, so the Life-Savers relied on special equipment, rigorous training, and manual labor to preform their duties.

Today I want to tell you about the real life rescue of the L.C. Waldo, which occurred only a hundred miles from where I live.

In November of 1913, the Great Lakes Region experienced the strongest storm (or series of storms) ever on record. This "Freshwater Hurricane" blew winds of about 70 mph coupled with temperatures of about 24 degrees Fahrenheit across Lake Superior. The L.C. Waldo was a 450 foot freighter loaded with ore and bound for Lake Erie when the storm hit.

The Waldo faced  winds and seas so harsh that the pilot house and was torn away and the steering damaged. The master of the Waldo attempted to steer the mammoth steamer to shelter by slipping into the large bay behind Lake Superior's Keweenaw Peninsula. But in attempting to reach L'anse Bay, the vessel ran aground on Gull Rock, a little patch of rock and reef two miles off the coast of Michigan. The Waldo then broke in two, and the crew took shelter in the forward part of the steamer, where the freezing waves and spray soon formed a wall of ice that sealed them inside. The 22 men crew, two women, and dog aboard then endured almost four days being stuck inside the hull of the steamer without food as they waited for rescue.

The Eagle Harbor Life-Saving Station, 30 miles away, learned of the wreck the next day. Their larger boat (the lifeboat) was under repair, so the crew set out in the smaller surfboat. They made it only 8 miles before the ice buildup on the boat forced them to turn around. Rumor says that some of these men were actually frozen to the ropes on the boat when they returned and had to be cut out by townsfolk. For the next day, the Eagle Harbor Lifesavers worked furiously to repair the lifeboat so that they could head back out to rescue the crew of the Waldo.

The Portage Life-Saving Station, located 60 miles from the Waldo, didn't learn of the the steamer's wreck until the following day. With their lifeboat in tact, the Portage Keeper left for Gull Rock, opting to take the longer route through L'anse Bay, which afforded more protection from the elements by going around the back side of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The keeper also arranged for a tugboat to meet them at the mouth of the Portage Waterway and pull the lifeboat the rest of the way to the wreck.

Both the Portage Lifesavers and the Eagle Harbor Lifesavers arrived at the Waldo in the early morning on November 11, reaching the wrecked steamer within minutes of each other. The lifesavers used axes to cut away at the built up ice sealing that sealed the crew inside the hull and saved everyone aboard, even the dog.

For their bravery, the lifesavers from both stations were awarded Gold Lifesaving Medals for their heroism.

So there you have it, a real life story of true lifesavers, and hopefully a good example of why the United States Life-Saving Service was so important.

If you missed some of the previous posts on the United States Life-Saving Service and are interested in reading more, here's a list:

• Introduction
• Stations
• Beach Rescues
• Water Rescues

*****

Naomi Rawlings is mom to two young boys, a wife to her wonderful husband, an author for Love Inspired Historical, and an avid reader. She and her family live in Michigan’s rugged Upper Peninsula, where they get over 200 inches of snow per winter and share their ten wooded acres with black bears, wolves, coyotes, deer, and bald eagles. Because of her romance novel addiction (and the alarmingly high number of books she devours per week) she started a website for inspirational romance lovers like herself:  www.inspirationalromanceratings.com. Naomi is looking forward to the release of her next book, The Wyoming Heir, in January 2014. For more information about Naomi or her books, please visit her website at www.naomirawlings.com.