[Rhodes22-list] historical information

[Ken Wise]

Alex, Thanks for the education


Ken Wise
Awaken
Trail Creek Marina
Michigan City, IN

 --- On Sun 01/26, Alex Bell < alexbell@coastalnet.com > wrote:
From: Alex Bell [mailto: alexbell@coastalnet.com]
To: rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2003 16:18:43 -0500
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] historical information


 Exciting Historical information you need to know about shipping Manure:

 In the 16th and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by
ship. It was also before commercial fertilizer's invention, so
 large shipments of manure were common. It was shipped dry, because in
dry form it weighed a lot less than when wet, but
 once water (at sea) hit it, it not only became heavier, but the process
of fermentation began again, of which a by-product is
 methane gas.


 As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what could
(and did) happen. Methane began to build up below
 decks and the first time someone came below at night with a lantern,
BOOOOM!

 Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was determined
just what was happening. After that, the bundles of
 manure were always stamped with the term "Ship High In Transit" on them
which meant for the sailors to stow it high enough
 off the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold would not
touch this volatile cargo and start the production of
 methane.

 Thus evolved the term "S.H.I.T," which has come down through the
centuries and is in use to this very day.

 You probably did not know the true history of this word.

 Neither did I. I always thought it was a golf term.
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