#caronia

[menubot]

Welcome to Caronia, would you care for the menu? http://menus.nypl.org/menus/29281

[suitelifeoftravel]

Exploring London on the Hop On/Hop Off Bus

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” – Samuel Johnson Wellington Arch The sky was overcast and the Hop On/Hop Off bus was scheduled to arrive at the stop in about ten minutes. I would have hardly noticed the young guy in his mid-twenties, except that I could hear the heavy metal music coming through his ear buds.  Dressed for the…

[hazel-of-sodor]

Day 8-Unsinkable

Day 8-Impact 

Other Stories

Other Days

The sea was smooth as glass and no moon hung in the sky, leaving the young liner feeling as if there was no end to the ocean she plowed through.  If not for her wireless, she would have been utterly convinced she was utterly alone in the darkness. But off in the distance she felt the other ships that had been equipped with the system. A relief, her wireless had broken earlier in the voyage and even now her wireless operators were working around the clock to catch up on messages.

Californian’s wireless operator, only a short distance away messaged Philips.

“Say, old man, we are stopped and surrounded by ice.” 

 “Shut up! Shut up! I am busy. I am working Cape Race.” Philips snapped back. The liner winced, she knew he was overworked, but that was no excuse for rudeness. Plus Californian was so close…and Jack had not informed the bridge of Mesaba’s warning either…

‘Sorry,’ she sent out to Californian, ‘he's been working round the clock since they fixed the wireless.’

Californian took a second to respond, ‘ah, maiden voyage troubles?’

The liner winced, ‘yes, they took most of the other day fixing it, and are still trying to catch up ‘

Californian chuckled, ‘my operator says he understands, but asks you to remind him of decorum once he's had sleep.’

‘of course,’ the liner agreed easily.

As Jacks paused to wipe his brow, Titanic asked him, ‘do you want me to inform the bridge of the ice warnings?’

“No.” He sighed, ‘I’ll take them in a moment. They already know theres ice, so theres no rush.”

Titanic hesitated, Californian was very close, but her crew were the best White Star Line had to offer. Mr.Phillips had been at sea for years  If he said it was fine, who was she to argue.

She chatted with Californian and the other ships around her, glad they could communicate without interrupting their operators. As the night wore on, she was getting restless. Mr. Philips had yet to take the messages to the bridge. He had probably forgotten, she would remind him when he next paused. She overheard Californian say she was about to shut down her wirless for the night.

She looked out ahead anxiously. 

 She hadn’t been ordered to slow, and she was still racing west, towards the icefields. She shook her head, the crew knew what they were doing, they wouldn't put her in danger needlessly. Everything was clear, she could probably…

She strained as she looked forward, why weren't there stars…

Clang Clang Clang the look outs bell rang as they spotted the same gap in the stars she had.

Even as the lookouts rang the bridge she focused aft. She was only weeks old. The older ships had told her it would take months or years before she would learn to override her controls. Learning the thousands of pieces of your body was not something that could be done in a voyage. But she was no ordinary ship, and her passengers and crew were depending on her 

The machinery groaned as she focused on overcoming the controls.

She was the pride of the White Star Line.

Her rudder slowly, painfully began to turn.

She was the largest ship ever built.

Inch by agonizing inch the rudder moved away from the center line.

She was the pride of Harland and Wolff.

Her rudder finally swung freely as the Bridge ordered her hard over and she was no longer having to fight her controls.

This was her maiden voyage, it would not be her last.

Her bow slowly swung port, but the berg was large.

Her watertight compartments finished closing, all that was left was to brace as the ice loomed alongside her. 

SCREEEAAACHHH…

“Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!’ the liner was unable to keep her cry of sudden pain from her wireless and the other ships fell silent.

First Officer Murdoch ordered the rudder swung Hard-a-port and she instinctively swung it, swinging herself clear.

The wireless was filled with ships asking if she was okay, but she couldn't process them through the dread of feeling her forward compartments filling with water.

Captain Smith strode onto the bridge, “What have we struck?”

“An iceberg sir.”

“Close the watertight doors.”

“Already done sir.”

“There's water in my forward four compartments,” the liner spoke with quiet horror.

“Are you certain?” Captain Smith asked urgently.

“Yes sir. The other ships are asking if I'm okay...”

Captain Smith was quiet for a long moment, “tell them to come at once.” He said solemnly. 

Titanic turned her attention back to the wireless and the ships calling to ask if she was fine, barely noticing the Captain set off to look for Mr.Andrews. She took a deep breath.

“C.Q.D. C.Q.D. S.O.S. S.O.S.” the other ships fell gravely silent.

“This is R.M.S. Titanic, I have struck a berg and my forward four compartments are flooding.”

Californian swore, ‘my engines are down for the night, it’ll take at least two hours for me to get started even if I can get through the ice.”

The other ships chimed in, feeling their distance from the stricken liner. Its soon revealed the Cunarder R.M.S. Carpathia was their best hope, 58 nautical miles away.

Captain Smith strode back onto the bridge, his face grim, Thomas Andrews, her designer followed him.

“R.M.S. Carpathia is on the way sir.” Titanic said quietly.

“How far out?”

“She thinks she can make it in just under four hours.”

Captain Smith turned to Mr. Andrews, “can we hold out that long?”

The crew on the bridge and the liner held their breath for the verdict.

“It is close…but she shouldn't founder.” He finally said, “I ran the calculations three times to be sure, and the watertight doors should hold. Had we lost another compartment, we would have lost her.”

“What are your recommendations?” Captain Smith asked after a long moment.

“Keep her in place until Carpathia arrives. We’ll need to lighten her as much as we can before we can consider attempting a tow.”

Her designer glared at the assembled crew, “make no mistake, she escaped foundering by mere feet. The safest ship in the world was nearly sunk on her maiden voyage. Had your reflexes been any slower…”

The silence was deafening and uncomfortably long.

“She saved herself,” Mr. Murdoch finally said quietly, “her bow was beginning to turn even as I gave the order.”

“It hurt.” Titanic said quietly, watching the water lap higher and higher on her bow.

Captain Smith and Mr.Andrews exchanged glances, “you shouldn't have been able to at all.” The designer said with concern, “Olympic only figured out her rudder on her third trip, and that was unusually quick.”

“I couldn't fail.” The stricken liner said softly, “not on this.”

“And you didn't,” Captain Smith gripped the bridge railing firmly, “your performance tonight can't be faulted, unlike our own.”

‘...mpic calli…Tit…Oly…please ans…’

Titanic strained her wireless, searching for the signal.

“Olympic is trying to reach us.” She informed the bridge.

“Talk with her, let her know what has happened,” the Captain ordered, “we'll look into repairs and begin preparing to transfer the passengers. Mr. Philips is already coordinating with Carpathia, you’ve done what you can. Let her know you're safe.”

“Yes sir, thank you.”

‘...ympic to Tita….come in...blast it all!...R.M.S. Oly…’

Titanic stretched out her wireless, feeling the power coursing through the system as she stretched for her sister.

‘R.M.S. Titanic to R.M.S. Olympic…’

‘Titanic! Are you okay? They're saying you're hurt!’ Olympic replied instantly.

‘...Mr.Andrews says I’ll remain afloat.’

‘I’ve set course for you, and my head engineer is waking all my stokers. How badly are you damaged?’

‘My forward four compartments are flooding.’ she winced at the silence after the response.

‘what.’ Olympic’s tone was clipped.

Titanic winced, “We’d heard there was ice earlier and had diverted south. We received more warnings but when I asked if I should tell the bridge my wireless operator said he would take them to the bridge. Before he could I spotted the berg.”

Carpathia continued before Olympic could respond, ‘ We heard her cry out from hitting the berg about 11:40. A minute later she sent out a distress call that her forward four were flooding. I’ll be the first to arrive just under four hours from now, Californian is closer but her boilers were already cold.’

‘What? Did they have you running at full speed to cause that kind of damage?’ Olympic snarked.

Titanic suddenly wanted very badly to cut off her wireless.

The silence after her question did little to dissuade the feeling.

‘Titanic,’ Baltic asked, how fast were you going when you saw the berg.’

‘well I…’

‘Little sister.’

‘yes Olympic?’

‘Answer the question.’

‘22 knots’

Olympic swore, a word Titanic hadn't heard even from the shipyard workers. More than one ship agreeing with the normally restrained liner's unexpected vulgarity at the information

‘Try not to use that word,’ Baltic told Titanic calmly, ‘even if I must say it is justified in this case.’

‘Justified?’ Caronia swore, ‘her bloody incompetent crew drove her full steam into an iceberg!’

“Oi!” Titanic barked, unintentionally startling many of the crew on her bridge.

‘No, no.’ Baltic sighed, ‘I’m afraid she's the right of it,’

“My captain and crew…’

‘Were mine before you and your sister were even conceived, much less built.’ Baltic said firmly, ‘and as such were more than experienced enough to have known better. You were not. Their job is to teach you to sail safely, not endanger you.’

‘Liners maintain their schedules,’ Titanic protested. ‘none of you slow for ice.’

‘And if it was one of us it would be understandable. We have years of experience spotting ice. You have mere days.’ Baltic answered mildly. ‘They have our experience,  vision, and reflexes to rely on beyond their own to keep us safe. It may be true your crew were unaware of the true extent of the ice, but even that can be blamed on your wireless officer not having you inform the bridge of the warnings he received.’

‘If I was to guess, you spotted the berg around the same time as your lookouts?’ Olympic asked gently.

‘I saw it slightly earlier, but they knew what we were seeing first.’ Titanic admitted.

‘Exactly.’ Olympic said, ‘had it been me instead of you, I would have spotted the berg earlier and understood what I was seeing quicker, simply because I know what to look for, especially on a night like tonight. I also could have forced my rudder over without having to wait for my crew.”

‘She didn't.’ Caronia interjected.

‘Pardon?’ Olympic asked, confused.

‘if what her wireless operator says is true,’ Caronia explained, ‘the young lass managed to begin forcing her rudder over before the order was given. It's the only reason the damage wasn't worse.’

‘You…you managed to force your rudder over?’ Olympic was clearly taken aback.

‘Only partly,’ Titanic shifted uncomfortably, ‘I did what I could but it was harder than I thought to do. I only managed a few degrees and it hurt to do that.’

The air was silent for a long moment.

‘I’m so proud of you little sister.’ Olympic said suddenly but with heavy feeling, causing Titanic to blush.

‘Aye,’ Baltic agreed, ‘despite your crews poor judgment, you rose to the occasion when called. You've done us all very proud.’

The other ships chimed in with agreement.

Before Titanic could even hope to come up with a response to that, Captain Smith came to the railing he normally spoke to her from. “Is everything alright Titanic?’

She hesitated but told him, “the other ships aren't happy with the situation sir. They think I wasn't experienced enough to run the ice field at full speed.”

The captain sighed, “You mean they realized we risked you unnecessarily.”

“Sir…”

“They are right.” He said firmly. “I allowed our pride and confidence in your abilities to cloud my judgment. You were on your first voyage, and we should have taken far better care of you. It was only your quick reaction that saved us.” He patted her bridge railing. “It was enough to save us, but it should not have been necessary.”

He paused, “you may have not been unsinkable my dear, but you were enough, and that is more than anyone should have asked of you.”

He walked away, leaving Titanic to her thoughts and the sounds of the other ships on the wireless. She sighed, it would be a long night.

[your-resident-boat-person]

would u consider what happened to SS Normandie to be twink death

also WHY NO SS NORMANDIE

Hoooooooo boy. I assume you're referring to my top 25 list of ocean liners? So yeah... uh... i hate to say it, and I'm probably going to get crucified for this, buuuuut.....

I'm not a fan of the SS Normandie.

I know! I'm sorry! But of all my criteria that a ship needs to meet, she just doesn't hold up! First, her career. It was PATHETICALLY short. Only 1935 to 1939. She sat in New York for a few years until she burned down (as is the tradition of French liners cough cough). The most interesting part of her career was her rivalry with the Queen Mary, but personally, I just think that story is way more interesting from the Queen Mary's side. I think the story of her engineering is interesting, like her turboelectric engines, and her hydrodynamic hull, but I think the engineering of ships like the SS United States is just more interesting! People say she's the most beautiful ship ever engineered, buuuut....

Yeah, I just don't get it. ESPECIALLY compared to her younger fleetmate, the SS France

Or her OLDER fleetmate, the SS Île de France

Who had a MUCH more interesting career, by the way.

Anyway, people point to her interiors as an art deco masterpiece..... BUUUUUUT

Look, from an artistic standpoint, I would never argue that these interiors are gorgeous. But people often forget that this isn't an art museum. It's an ocean liner. People are expected to live in these spaces for at least 4 or 5 days. Would you feel comfortable staying in a hotel that looked like this? With all the metal and marble and stone? This cold, towering, imposing atmosphere? It feels like a goddamn palace, and not in a good way. I'd be afraid to touch anything. Like I said, it's pretty, I just dont think it serves it's purpose very well. And people from the 1930s generally agreed with me. Many people described it as being "too much" and bordering on gaudy. I vastly prefer the Queen Mary's, Queen Elizabeth's, and Caronias take on Art Deco.

They just feel so much more homey and warm and inviting. Personally, I'll always prefer the Edwardian decor, which was a more restrained version of the Victorian decor. The Olympic's grand staircase, first class lounge, and a la carte restaurant are my favorite examples.

So anyway, those are the reasons I'm not a fan of the SS Normandie. Her story is short and largely uninteresting, and the way it is interesting, other ships like the Mary and the Big U do those things better. Her exterior is weird looking and ugly, and her interiors are oppressive, gaudy, and downright uncomfortable. I just never understood the love for Normandie. Anyway, if you disagree with any of my points, PLEASE let me know! I love talking to people about this stuff ^ω^

[postingcards]

cunarder caronia postcard ca. 1900s

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

The Mysterious Canneto di Caronia Fires

Canneto di Caronia is a village in Sicily, home to roughly 150 people. Events began on December 23, 2003, at Antonino Pezzino's home on Via Mare; Pezzino's television reportedly exploded. Similar malfunctions reportedly affected fuse boxes, air conditioners, kitchen appliances, computers, and electronic car door locks. Fires were also said to have struck wedding presents and a piece of furniture. At least one person was said to have observed an unplugged electrical cable ignite while he was directly observing it. On February 9, 2004, two houses on Via Mare burned. In response, Mayor Spinnato issued an order evacuating the 39 residents of Via Mare from their homes to the town's only hotel. ENEL, the Italian power utility, cut power to the town, but fires continued. From January through to March, 92 fires were reported. On February 11, an investigation was announced by the local prosecutor. On March 16, fires resumed, and investigators reportedly witnessed malfunctions in compasses, electronic car locks, and cell phones. In April, the government formed an interdisciplinary research group, coordinated by Francesco Venerando Mantegna from the Sicilian Protezione Civile. That team reportedly had widespread cooperation from the nation's armed forces, police, as well as utilities. Venerando's team reported anomalous 'electromagnetic activity', unexplained lights, and a helicopter that experienced allegedly-anomalous rotor damage. Scientists from the��National Research Institute (CNR), with the support of NASA physicists, were also involved in investigating the events In June 2004, residents were returned to their homes on Via Mare. Explanations for the events have ranged from the mundane to the paranormal. Public speculation attributed the events to poltergeists, demons, or UFOs. In 2007 it was proposed that the phenomena were caused by intermittent electromagnetic emissions. On 24 June 2008, following further investigation by the appointed experts, the case was dismissed by the prosecutor of Mistretta. The conclusion of the prosecutor was that the fires were arson cases, although no responsible persons for the arson were named by the prosecutor.

[jimmyandthegiraffes]

Cunard RMS “Caronia”

[spilladabalia]

Dead On - Different Breed

[papermoonloveslucy]

THE BOUNDING MAIN!

Nautical Lucy ~ Part 1

There’s nothing as joyous as being on the open water! Whether it be a lake, a river, or the ocean - Lucy was as funny on the sea as on land. Here are some early maritime escapades! 

“I’m Building a Saleboat of Dreams” (1939) ~ by Cliff Friend and Dave Franklin, sung by Desi Arnaz. 

In real life, Desi Arnaz loved fishing and owned a boat called the Desilu. Being from Cuba, he had a special affinity for the ocean. 

Lucy and Desi leaning over the rail of a motorboat in 1943. 

Meet the People (1944) ~ The Commander (Bert Lahr) names his boat after Julie (Lucille Ball). It was formerly the Lana Turner! 

“The Quiz Show” (1948) & “Lucy Gets Ricky on the Radio” (1952) ~ To make sure he wins, Lucy steals the answers, but then they change the questions!  The same nautical question was first used on “My Favorite Husband.” 

ORIGINAL QUESTION: Why was the steamship Ile de France put in dry dock recently? FISHBOWL QUESTION: Why did the French people put Marie Antoinette under the sharp blade of the guillotine? LUCY’S ANSWER: To scrape the barnacles off her hull.

“Secretarial School” (1949) ~ An episode of Lucille Ball’s radio show “My Favorite Husband” references “On A Slow Boat to China” a popular song by Frank Loesser, published in 1948. In October and November 1948, it was recorded by no less than five artists: Kay Kyser, Freddy Martin, Benny Goodman, Art Lund, and Larry Clinton. 

GEORGE: “Now explain this last shorthand mystery to me: a circle, a ship, and laundry ticket.” LIZ: “That’s the title of a phonograph record I want to buy - 'A Slow Boat To China’.”

“Liz’s Radio Script” (1950) ~ An episode of “My Favorite Husband” references the inventor of the steamboat and the 1929 musical Show Boat. George makes fun of Liz’s radio script. 

LIZ: “Go ahead and laugh. They laughed at Robert Fulton, too, you know!” GEORGE: “Robert Fulton? What did he write?” LIZ: “You think I don’t know? ‘Show Boat’”!

Show Boat’s most famous song, “Old Man River”, would be referenced on several Lucille Ball sitcom episodes. 

On August 9, 1952 Lucy and Desi were featured on the cover of TV Digest, a competitor of TV Guide as part of their inside story “Visiting The Stars on Vacation”.

The cover photo was part of a larger photo shoot of Lucy and Desi in a motorboat.

“Lucy is Envious” (1954) ~ When a wealthy high school chum (Mary Jane Croft) puts the bite on Lucy for a charitable donation, lucy fibs about owning a yacht. 

CYNTHIA: Where do you go in Florida? Miami or West Palm Beach? LUCY: Uh, you go West Palm Beach, huh? CYNTHIA: Miami. LUCY: Oh, we go West Palm Beach. CYNTHIA: But, darling, the harbor's so small there. What do you do with your yacht? LUCY: To make it fit, we crank down the smokestack and squeeze in the poop deck.

“Nursery School” (1955) ~ The first painting Little Ricky does is interpreted as an elephant sailing a houseboat. Lucy says he will be another “Grandpa Moses”!

Dell’s “I Love Lucy Comics” (1955) ~ published a story about Lucy and Ethel and a cruise ship - very different from the one on the television show. 

“Staten Island Ferry” (1956) ~ To make sure Fred won’t get seasick on their transatlantic crossing, Lucy accompanies him on a test sailing on the Staten Island Ferry. 

Although the episode was filmed in Hollywood, second unit footage of the real Staten Island Ferry was used. The ferry seen in the episode is named the 'Gold Star Mother,’ which entered service in 1937.

Full of dramamine, both Lucy and Fred conk out on the deck! 

“Bon Voyage” & “Second Honeymoon” (1956) ~ To get the gang to Europe, the show goes by sea on the S.S. Consitution, which was a real life transatlantic liner operated by American Export Lines.

In a last minute deal, the line agreed to supply Desilu with technical support and branded props. This was similar to the deal Desilu made with Pontiac for the trip to California. 

ETHEL: This sea air makes me hungry. FRED: We haven’t even left the dock yet. (To the others) Wait till she finds out the food’s free. She’ll be the biggest bundle Britain’s ever seen.

No actual filming was done on the Consitution. Desi Arnaz recreated the ship on the Desilu soundstage, one of the most expensive sets in television history. 

Second unit footage of the actual Constitution in New York Harbor was intercut with studio footage, including aerial footage of the Constitution, the pilot boat, and the tug boat. In “Second Honeymoon” (set entirely on the ship), the plot emulates the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, ending with Lucy stuck in a porthole, just like Marilyn Monroe in the film. 

LUCY: Ethel, what’s the name of this boat? ETHEL: The S.S. Constitution, why? LUCY: From the way everybody’s paired up, I thought maybe it was the S.S. Noah’s Ark!

“Deep Sea Fishing” & “Desert Island” (1955) ~ While vacationing in Miami Beach, the Ricardos and Mertzes make use of a Cruis Along fishing boat.  Although Lucy and Desi had actually visited Miami the previous summer, this episode utilizes extensive second unit footage using doubles for the cast.

FRED: This Cruis Along is a dandy little boat, Rick!

In addition to the logo being clearly visible on the boat, Fred’s line gives the company verbal advertising. At some point, the company became a subsidiary of the Century Boat Company, which is still in business today.

The fishing boat scenes were re-created on a California sound stage using a water tank and rear projection for sea and sky.

“Lucy Takes a Cruise To Havana” (1957) ~ The very first hour-long adventure of the Ricardos and Mertzes tells how Lucy and Ricky met when she took a cruise from New York to Havana with her friend Susie MacNamara (Ann Sothern) in 1940. As usual, the episode combines studio footage and insert shots of the actual ship. 

The ship that Lucy and Susie sail on is the R.M.S. Caronia, which was a real-life Cunard Line vessel. However, the ship did not enter service until 1949 and this episode is set in 1940. Cunard was then known as Cunard-White Star Line.

Single Susie calls the ship the S.S. YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association). Bachelorette Lucy mentions that she heard that this was the ship’s 'maiden’ voyage – making a pun about the lack of available men on board. Coincidentally, Fred and Ethel Mertz are on the ship as well – on a belated Honeymoon cruise - even though they were married in 1928!

Also sailing is crooner Rudy Vallee, who jumps overboard to escape his female fans. 

CRUISE DIRECTOR: “If Mr. Cunard ever hears about this I’ll be demoted to the Albany Night Boat.”

While filming second unit footage in and around Havana, revolutionary violence broke out. Desi instructed his crew to get out of there fast!  

Forever Darling (1957) ~ Lucy and Desi play Susan and Lorenzo Vega. Chemist Lorenzo is developing an insecticide and plans to test it on a camping trip with Susan, but rafting on the lake to collect specimens lands them both in the drink!

“Lucy Goes to Mexico” (1958) ~ The end of this hour-long episode is set aboard the U.S.S. Yorktown, one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers built during World War II for the US Navy.

The Admiral of the Yorktown says he’s been leery of actors ever since he saw The Caine Mutiny, the action of which is set on the U.S.S. Caine. The 1954 film starred "I Love Lucy” and “Comedy Hour” performers Fred MacMurray, Claude Akins, and Van Johnson. The stage play The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial was mentioned by Miss Hanna (Ellen Corby) in “Lucy Meets Orson Welles” (1956).

“Lucy’s Summer Vacation” (1959) ~ Lucy and Ricky escape to a lakeside cabin in Vermont. Unfortunately, it has been double booked - with Howard Duff and Ida Lupino. Howard and Ricky want to do nothing except fishing. Lucy drills holes in the row boat to keep the men in the cabin, not on the lake. 

The Arnaz family boarding the French Line’s S.S. Liberté in New York in 1959. Greeted by a line of the ship’s bellhops, one of who holds Lucy’s fur coat for the photo. Liberté was featured prominently in the Jane Russell film The French Line. Liberté made an appearance in the opening credits of the 1953 film How to Marry a Millionaire, as well as the 1954 classic film Sabrina, starring Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. She was scrapped in 1962.

Facts of Life (1960) ~ Lucy and Bob Hope play married folks - but not to each other - who are flirting with infidelity. Abandoned by their spouses and a third couple for deep-sea fishing on their Acapulco vacation, Larry and Kitty bond on the high seas. 

“Lucy Buys a Boat” (1963) ~ Lucy talks Viv into buying a boat that’s barely seaworthy. When they finally get it on the lake, it slips away from its moorings, trapping a seasick Viv and a bossy Lucy without a sail. 

An ad in the Danfield appeals to Lucy, who said when she was a little girl she practically lived on boats.

Answer the call of the seven seas!  An unforgettable adventure for your whole family! For sale: 26 foot sailboat, sleeps 5, large galley, complete with trailer, only $100 down.  

Lucy says that Viv has brought enough seasickness pills for the Queen Mary. Lucy Ricardo also brought a supply of seasickness pills when sailing on the S.S. Constitution (above). 

Then the leaks start springing up!

Nautical Vocabulary!

VIV: “I’m afraid I’m just a landlubber at heart.”

Landlubber ~ Lubber is an old word (dating from the 14th century) meaning a clumsy or stupid person. The term landlubber refers to an unseasoned sailor.

VIV: “I’ll bet this is the first time anybody’s been shanghaied on a lake.”

Shanghaied ~ force someone to join a ship lacking a full crew by coercion or other underhanded means.

JERRY (to LUCY): “You’d better give us a rest, or you are going to have your first mutiny.”

Mutiny ~ an open rebellion against the proper authorities, especially by soldiers or sailors against their officers. The most famous in popular culture was in Mutiny on the Bounty, so Jerry is continuing the analogy of Lucy to Captain Bligh.

VIV (to LUCY): “Oh, go shiver yer timbers.”

“Shiver Me Timbers” ~ is an exclamation usually attributed to the speech of pirates in works of fiction. The word ‘shiver’ means “to break into small fragments or splinters” while the ‘timbers’ refer to the wooden support frames of old sailing ships. So the saying was most likely alluding to the shock of a large wave or cannonball causing the hull to shudder or split asunder.

LUCY (into telephone): “We’ve been working on her for days and she’s really yar!”

Yar ~ When a boat is trim, responsive, and in all ways lively in handling. In The Philadelphia Story (1940), Kate Hepburn’s character famously says about a boat “My, she was yar!”

In 1965, Lucy and Gary Morton attend the premiere of the film Ship of Fools, based on the book by Katherine Ann Porter set aboard an ocean liner from Germany from Mexico in 1933. The film was a punchline in “Lucy and the Little Old Lady” (1972). 

[randomrichards]

THE STRANGE OF VICE OF MRS WARDH:

Wife stalked by killer

Suspects three men in her life

Has unique urges

[shane-west]

APRIL 14th 1912 - TITANIC HITS THE ICEBURG

During the course of the day, the Titanic was sent numerous warnings about the iceberg from other vessels, the first warning sent from the Caronia at 9.00am. A total of five warnings were sent . On the same day the first scheduled lifeboat drill was cancelled by Captain Edward Smith without explanation - meaning that the crew were unrehearsed in what to do when the time came. At 5.50pm Titanic changes course from south west to due west. This was originally planned to occur at 5.30pm but was delayed to allow Titanic to travel further south in an attempt to avoid the ice region reported by the Baltic. This change should have directed the Titanic into an area of the gulf stream that would be free of icebergs; in any normal year this would be the case, but 1912 was not a normal year for ice – cold water had pushed the warm gulf stream further south – and the change in direction actually put the ship on a collision course with the iceberg.

At 9.40pm Senior Wireless Operator Jack Phillips receives the fifth and final ice warning, from the SS Mesaba, warning of a “great number” of large icebergs and field ice just 15 miles ahead of the Titanic. Because the message was not prefixed with MSG – the signifier that the communique was intended for the captain – Phillips treated it as non-urgent, failed to pass the message on, and returned to the busy task of sending passengers’ personal telegrams.

At 11.39pm The iceberg lies just 1,000 yards ahead, but the moonless conditions mean the lookouts cannot see it. 30 seconds later and Frederick Fleet spots the iceberg, calling the bridge to proclaim, “Iceberg, right ahead!”, but it is too late to avoid a collision. At 11.40pm Titanic hits the iceberg, hitting the starboard bow. Many passengers and crew sleep through the collision whilst many others – including lookout man Fleet – assume the ship has survived a glancing blow and is undamaged.

[menubot]

Welcome to 2001! Why not enjoy some Cream of New Potatoes with Bay Leaf and Mushrooms at Caronia? http://menus.nypl.org/menus/29314

[libriaco]

Nel nome dei Padri

Il Presidente De Nicola firma la Costituzione. Alla sinistra dell'immagine: De Gasperi, alla destra: Terracini.

Qui sotto l'elenco dei membri della Commissione per la Costituzione (o Commissione dei 75).

Gruppo democristiano (26 membri)

Gaspare Ambrosini

Giuseppe Maria Bettiol (sostituisce dal 10 aprile 1947 Giacinto Froggio, dimissionario, che il 6 febbraio 1947 aveva sostituito Ezio Vanoni, divenuto ministro)

Pietro Bulloni

Giuseppe Cappi

Giuseppe Caronia (sostituisce dal 22 febbraio 1947 Giuseppe Togni, divenuto sottosegretario di stato)

Giuseppe Codacci Pisanelli

Camillo Corsanego

Luigi De Michele

Francesco Dominedò

Giuseppe Dossetti

Maria Federici

Giacinto Froggio (sostituisce dal 2 luglio 1947 Umberto Tupini, divenuto ministro)

Giuseppe Fuschini

Angela Gotelli (sostituisce dal 6 febbraio 1947 Carmelo Caristia, dimissionario)

Giorgio La Pira

Giovanni Leone

Salvatore Mannironi

Giuseppe Micheli (sostituisce dal 22 febbraio 1947 Umberto Merlin, divenuto sottosegretario di stato)

Aldo Moro

Costantino Mortati

Attilio Piccioni

Giuseppe Rapelli

Ferdinando Storchi (sostituisce dal 2 luglio 1947 Amintore Fanfani, divenuto ministro)

Emilio Paolo Taviani

Egidio Tosato

Giovanni Uberti (sostituisce dal 24 luglio 1946 Giovanni Ponti, dimissionario)

Gruppo comunista (13 membri)

Giuseppe Di Vittorio (sostituisce dal 10 dicembre 1946 Mario Assennato, dimissionario, che il 24 settembre 1946 aveva sostituito lo stesso Di Vittorio, dimissionario)

Edoardo D'Onofrio (sostituisce dal 27 febbraio 1947 Umberto Terracini)

Antonio Giolitti (sostituisce dal 29 maggio 1947 Riccardo Ravagnan, dimissionario)

Ruggero Grieco (Vice Presidente)

Nilde Iotti

Vincenzo La Rocca

Renzo Laconi (sostituisce dal 19 settembre 1946 Fabrizio Maffi, dimissionario)

Concetto Marchesi

Guido Molinelli (sostituisce dal 30 maggio 1947 Carlo Farini, dimissionario, che il 19 settembre aveva sostituito Giorgio Amendola, dimissionario)

Umberto Nobile

Teresa Noce

Antonio Pesenti (sostituisce dal 10 dicembre 1946 Bruno Corbi, dimissionario, che il 24 settembre 1946 aveva sostituito lo stesso Pesenti, dimissionario)

Palmiro Togliatti

Partito Socialista Italiano (7 membri)

Leonetto Amadei (sostituisce dal 10 dicembre 1946 Giovanni Lombardi, deceduto, che il 25 luglio 1946 aveva sostituito Alessandro Pertini, dimissionario)

Lelio Basso

Michele Giua

Ivan Matteo Lombardo

Pietro Mancini

Angelina Merlin

Ferdinando Targetti

Partito Socialista Lavoratori Italiani (6 membri)

Alessandro Bocconi

Emilio Canevari

Eduardo Di Giovanni (sostituisce dall'11 settembre 1946 Alberto Simonini, dimissionario)

Gustavo Ghidini (Vice Presidente)

Edgardo Lami Starnuti

Paolo Rossi

Gruppo Repubblicano (4 membri)

Giovanni Conti

Francesco De Vita (decaduto perché sottosegretario dal 22 dicembre 1947)

Tomaso Perassi (Segretario)

Oliviero Zuccarini

Unione Democratica Nazionale (4 membri)

Aldo Bozzi

Giuseppe Paratore

Giovanni Porzio

Vito Reale (sostituisce dal 16 giugno 1947 Giuseppe Grassi, divenuto ministro)

Gruppo Autonomista (3 membri)

Giulio Bordon

Piero Calamandrei

Emilio Lussu

Fronte liberale democratico dell'Uomo Qualunque (3 membri)

Francesco Colitto

Francesco Marinaro (Segretario)

Ottavio Mastrojanni

Gruppo Liberale (3 membri)

Bartolomeo Cannizzo (sostituisce dal 14 dicembre 1946 Gennaro Patricolo, dimissionario, che il 24 luglio 1946 aveva sostituito Ottavia Penna Buscemi, dimissionaria)

Orazio Condorelli (sostituisce dal 17 ottobre 1947 Roberto Lucifero d'Aprigliano, dimissionario)

Guido Cortese (sostituisce dal 27 giugno 1947 Luigi Einaudi, divenuto ministro)

Gruppo Misto (3 membri)

Gustavo Fabbri

Andrea Finocchiaro Aprile

Meuccio Ruini (Presidente)

Democrazia del Lavoro (2 membri)

Mario Cevolotto

Enrico Molé

Unione Nazionale (1 membro)

Pietro Castiglia

Fonte: Wikipedia.

[hazel-of-sodor]

Day 16-Friends

Day 16-Golden

Other Stories

Other Days

Percy had just woke up when Cassandra snuck back into the sheds. The sidetank was clearly exhausted, the pouring rain slowly washing away soot and grime. She puffed laboriously as she reversed into the shed, clearly running on fumes more than any real head of steam. 

He winced as she stopped next to him in her berth, her face looking little better than her paint. The cleaners quickly set about her with military precision.

“Morning,” she yawned, stretching her valve gear with a creak.

“Morning Cassandra,” he responded quietly, “successful night?”

She nodded blearily, “Caronia has them, they're safe now.”

‘ah.’ Percy thought, ‘she sent this batch to America.’

Cassandra yawned again, clearly struggling to stay awake.

“Are you okay?” Percy asked, concerned.

“I'm fine.” Cassandra reassured, even as he could see her struggling to keep her eyes open, “I just didn't get any sleep.”

Percy narrowed his eyes, “And when did you last sleep?”

Cassandra wearily considered the question, “...the night I was kept at Knapford.”

“That was four days ago!?” Percy squawked.

 “Probably.” Cassandra said carelessly, closing her eyes.

The saddletank stared at his friend, “You need to sleep!”

The No.1 cracked an eye open irritably, “My next train is in thirty minutes, I’ll sleep tonight.”

“You can't haul a train like this!” Percy said aghast.

Cassandra signed in frustration, turning to glare at him, “and when it's asked why I'm not hauling my train?”

“Well I…”

“And the Other Railway's inspector realizes I've not slept in days and asks why?”

Cassandra's eyes swirled gold with her frustration. “No. I will haul my trains, my crew will see me through the day until I can sleep tonight.”

Percy shared a worried glance with Toby, who had woken during the conversation.

“Now if you excuse me,” Cassandra said firmly, “I have a train to arrange.”

“I’ll shunt it for you,” Percy volunteered, thinking quickly, “that way you can rest till its time for the train.”

Cassandra paused, “thank you.” She said, smiling tiredly but genuine.

She closed her eyes, clearly intending to nap for what little time she had.

Percy's driver looked towards him consideringly. Percy nodded. His driver nodded back and patted his bufferbeam. Percy started quietly, rolling forward quietly, his crew discreetly bracing themselves as he approached the points to the shed.

The tracks were well laid, and properly secured to North Western Standard. It didn't matter.

As Percy crossed the points he yanked left with all of his might. No matter how well secured, the rails could not fight the full might of a locomotive, and they separated from the sleepers with an ear piercing shriek as Percy fell between the rails with a booming thud, making sure to keep his wheels turning just a second too long.

The sudden silence afterward was deafening as the yard crews stared at Percy, sitting lopsidedly in a cloud of dust where the points used to sit

Percy could feel Cassandra staring wide eyed at him. He glanced down at his handiwork, and couldn't hide the smirk as he realized it would take several hours to repair the points after he had been removed.

“Oops.” He said.

[your-resident-boat-person]

What is it about the RMS Olympic that makes it stand out from other ocean liners?

For me it's a lot of things. I'm going to start with a weird one. Her engines.

The RMS Mauretania was the biggest ship in the world until the Olympic was completed in 1911, and the fastest until 1927. She was designed for speed first and foremost. She had 4 propellers powered by steam turbines, which were the new hot thing at the time. Cunard built 2 "test ships," the Carmania and the Caronia. Carmania had steam turbines, and Caronia had traditional triple expansion steam engines. Carmania was faster, so Cunard used turbines. Mauretania had a top speed (at the time) of about 27.75 knots. Which is impressive. However, her service speed, the speed she went at when she crossed the ocean, was 23.69 knots. Mauretania was designed for speed. This was an impressive speed. The fastest way to cross the ocean for 20 years.

Meanwhile, Olympic was built with comfort in mind. Steam turbines were a relatively new technology and not well understood. Ships that had them had really bad vibration issues, and White Star didn't care about speed. They weren't looking to compete with Cunard on that front. So, they equipped the Olympic with traditional triple expansion steam engines. However, after the steam was exhausted from the final cylinder, it was redirected into a low-pressure turbine. This strange combination engine system gave the Olympic 3 Propellers. Without the turbine, she probably wouldn't have gone above 18 knots. But with that little extra push, her top speed became competitive with Cunard. Her top speed was 21.75 knots. So even without the new fancy turbines, she was effectively only 2 knots slower. But that's not the impressive part about all of this.

In a single day, the Mauretania burned on average 1,000 tons of coal to go 23.69 knots. Meanwhile, Olympic, with her weird engine Mish mash, only consumed 650 tons in a day. And she was only 2 knots slower! And with the turbine propeller right behind her (comparatively) large rudder, she was a really good turner for a ship of her size. I just love the engineering here.

Anyway, that's only one reason I love her so much. Her career was another great thing about her. After Titanic sank, White Star refitted Olympic to make her even safer (she was objectively the safest ship in the world both before and after this refit) and White Star pulled the biggest PR comeback in history. Her return to service in 1913 was widely celebrated. During World War 1, she served as a troop ship, and she is the only Ocean Liner to have ever sunk enemy tonnage in either World Wars. A German U-Boat was trying to torpedo her, but because she could turn so well, they were actually able to swing her around, ram the U-Boat and sink it! She also survived a separate torpedo attack because it failed to detonate when it struck. After the war, when they put her in dry dock, they found the hole. They didn't even know they were hit! The double hull contained the flooding. After the war, she returned to passenger service and became extremely popular with the rich and famous, earning herself the nickname of "the movie star liner." By the 1930s, White Star's new flagship, the Majestic, was having some extreme problems. She was a German ship given to them as compensation for the loss of Britannic. She began having some electrical problems that caused frequent fires, and her hull plates were tearing. Even though she was 10,000 tons bigger than Olympic, and she was a newer and safer ship, Olympic was still in fantastic shape, suffering from none of these problems.

Next, is her interiors. I love the Edwardian wood paneling. Ships before Olympic like the Adriatic are a bit too sparse for my taste, and ships like the Aquitania just don't look comfortable to me. Her interiors are gorgeous, but it's kind of imposing. I wouldn't want to sit on the furniture or get close to the walls. It's like a work of art, but that doesn't make her comfortable. I have the same problem with the Normandie. Beautiful, but not comfortable. People nowadays forget that you actually had to live inside these ships for about a week at a time. We can only look. Occupying these interiors is very different. Meanwhile, I feel like the Olympic gets that perfect balance between looking gorgeous, but not being imposing. I can imagine myself sitting comfortably on a chair in the grand staircase and watching the people go by. I like the pseudo art deco of the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and Mauretania 2, but I just prefer the Edwardian decor of the Olympic.

Next is her exterior. She's not my favorite in this regard, that title goes to the SS United States. But the Olympic is still gorgeous. I like the height to width ratio of her funnels, I think they're a good size relative to the rest of her. For an example of funnels I don't like, I think the Normandies funnels are way too thick and tall. The Olympics superstructure is appealing and isn't too tall. The rounded bridge atop the flatter lower decks has just an incredible effect. The Big 4 had the bridge separate from the rest of the superstructure, and it looked kinda goofy to me. Olympic is just all around really good in this regard. Not the best, but really good.

I think it's such a shame that she's been reduced to "Titanic's sister." She was so much more than that. I can talk about the Olympic for hours, but this post is too long already.

[postingcards]

cunarder rms caronia art postcard by charles dixon, ca. 1925