Posted on 08/31/2003 6:44:39 PM PDT by annyokie
The U.S.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides) as a combat vessel carried 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men. This was sufficient to last six months of sustained operations at sea. She carried no evaporators (i.e. fresh water distillers!). However, let it be noted that according to her log, "On July 27, 1798, the U.S.S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a full complement of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum."
Her mission: "To destroy and harass English shipping." Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum. Then she headed for the Azores, arriving there 12 November. She provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine.
On 18 November, she set sail for England. In the ensuing days she defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English merchantships, salvaging only the rum aboard each. By 26 January, her powder and shot were exhausted. Nevertheless, although unarmed she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Her landing party captured a whisky distillery and transferred 40,000 gallons of single malt Scotch aboard by dawn. Then she headed home.
The U.S.S. Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February, 1799, with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum, no wine, no whisky and 38,600 gallons of stagnant water.
GO NAVY!
Congressman Billybob
Latest column, "In the Justices We Trust?" posted on FR, other publication to come.
(48,600 - 38,600 =10,000) gallons of fresh water / for her crew of 475 = 21.05 gallons per man for the trip.
Nov (13)+Dec (31)+Jan (31) +Feb (20) = 95 days for the trip.
21.05 gal/man / 95 days = 0.2216 gal/day/man or 28.36 ounces/day/man
That’s almost a quart a day.
Now the booze.
79,400 gallons of rum + 68,300 gallons of rum + 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine + 40,000 gallons of single malt Scotch = 252,000 gallons of booze.
This works out to 5.58 gal/day/man
It appears, the US Navy must have donated the booze to the British Navy before attacking, There is no way the US crew could have drunk this amount of booze.
At the beginning of the Civil War, the railroads and telegraph to Washington were cut from the North. The first volunteer troops to arrive to relieve Washington were from Massachusetts. Arrangements had been made for them to be sent to Washington even before they were called by Benjamin Butler.
Above Baltimore, rail cars were put on a ferry to cross the Susquehanna. The Ferry boat captain told Butler that the rails were out to Baltimore, so Butler loaded his troops on the ferry boat 'Maryland' and went down the bay to Annapolis. They anchored off the Naval Academy in the night, and Butler sent his brother ashore to find anyone he could.
In the dawn, out came a small boat with his brother and the Commandant of the Naval Academy. Here is Butler's account of the exchange:
" Just as day was breaking, Captin Haggerty came back with my brother and Commodore Blake. I invited the commodore to the quarter-deck where we could be alone. and told him who I was, and why I was there, and asked what he desired.
The old man burst into tears, and shed them like rain for a moment, and then broke out:- "Thank God! thank God! Won't you save the Constitution?"
I did not know that he referred to the ship Constitution, and I answered:- "Yes, that is what I am here for."
"Are those your orders? Then the old ship is safe."
"I have no orders," said I; "I am carrying on the war now on my own hook;" I cut loose from my orders when I left Philadelphia. What do you want me to do to save the Constitution?"
'I want some sailor men,' he answered, 'for I have no sailors' I want to get her out, and get her afloat.
"Oh, well," said I, "I have plenty of sailor men from the town of Marblehead, where their fathers built the Constitution."
"Well," said he, "can you stop and help me?"
"I must stop," I replied. "I can go no further at present, and I propose to stop here and hold this town."
...........
" Immediately after breakfast, I detailed a company, the Salem Zouaves, Captain Deveraux, the best drilled company I had, as guard on board the Constitution. I also detailed a company of Marbleheaders, who were fishermen, to help work the ship under the command of Lieutenant (afterwards Admiral) Rogers. He worked with a will, and I shall never forget my delight at his efficieny. He ransferred all the upper deck guns and their carriages on board the Maryland, thus lighting the Ship. We got up her anchors, which were several feet deep in the mud, and after very strenuous efforts on the part of all of us, the Constitution, attached to the Maryland, was worked around and down the bay into deep water."
Thus was the Constitution saved.
You, my good man, must never have made a port call to Subic Bay, Phillippines!
Seriously, though, it is JUST A STORY!
Now THAT would have been uber-cool!
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