Shenandoah (1868): links, questions, comments, coordination, ...

[Michael]

[ggordon]

February 20 at Shanghai, China

1:00 came to in Woosung River below Shanghai
3:30 hove up anchor and stood up the River
3:50 came to off the American Consulate

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 10-060.JPG

I got curious as to whether I could find where the American Consulate was at that time. I found it, but too late to add a transcriber's note to the xml file.

I found this site that says that in 1854, the first American Consul was appointed in Shanghai with an office at 36 Huangpu Road, north of Suzhou Creek.
https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/history-shanghai/

I found that address on Google Maps at 31.244520, 121.492748
https://www.google.com/maps/place/31%C2 ... 7478?hl=en

Geonames shows Japanese Consulate (historical) at that location. Maybe they were co-located, or used the building at different time periods.
https://www.geonames.org/12440166/japan ... rical.html

[Randi]

Neat!

[Michael]

You can see it here, between the Russian and Japanese Consulates and across the river from the British Consulate. I thought we had logged that position, but apparently not. It would be at 31.246N 121.487W.

[ggordon]

You can see it here, between the Russian and Japanese Consulates and across the river from the British Consulate. I thought we had logged that position, but apparently not. It would be at 31.246N 121.487W.

Yes, it is there. Listed as "Shanghai US Consulate". I just missed it. I was looking for American Consulate. Well it was an interesting excursion looking for it and learned a little history along the way.

[ggordon]

February is complete.

It looks like March may get interesting. A new Commanding Officer, John C. Febiger, came on board during February. I wasn't sure about the spelling so I did a Google search on Febiger and Shenandoah. A lot of articles about the Shenandoah in Korea in March came up. They talk about the SS Sherman having been earlier destroyed by the Koreans and Febiger going to Korea to demand an apology. It will be interesting to see what appears in the ship's log.

[Michael]

[ggordon]

On March 14, the log entry for the Meridian to 4PM watch lists stores received on board. On the second line it sure looks like it says, "In Boatswains Dept, 500 lbs Junk."
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 10-083.JPG

[Randi]

Yup.

Junk:
Remnants or pieces of old cable, or condemned rope, cut into small portions for the purpose of making points, mats, swabs, gaskets, sinnet, oakum, and the like.
Also, salt beef, as tough to the teeth as bits of rope, whence the epithet.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/26000/2 ... h.htm#JUNK

"points" probably refers to
REEF-POINTS. Small flat pieces of plaited cordage or soft rope, tapering from the middle towards each end, whose length is nearly double the circumference of the yard, and used for the purpose of tying up the sail in the act of reefing; they are made fast by their eyes on each side of the eyelet-holes.

You will probably also find The young sea officer's sheet anchor; or, A key to the leading ... very helpful


Both of these and lots of others are in Resources for nautical and military terminology

[ggordon]

I didn't realize it was an actual nautical term. For several days the log keeper had been keeping meticulous records of room by room inventories, surplussing or disposition of rotten food and things that were worn out, and contents of every container of stores brought on board; dozens of log entries. I thought by the time he got to the Boatswain's Dept. he had gotten so tired of it all that he just lumped it all together as junk.

[Michael]

[ggordon]

Looks like I was just in the wrong century. I looked at a few etymologies of the word "junk" and found that in the 19th century it only referred to pieces of rope. It wasn't until the early 20th century that it took on the broader meaning of worthless things.

[Hanibal94]

Yes, it is interesting how words can change over time!
I just read an article explaining that "nimrod" used to mean "hunter", but due to Elmer Fudd being sarcastically called a nimrod by Bugs and Daffy, it's now basically a synonym for "idiot", and hardly anyone remembers the original meaning!

[ggordon]

March 25, Chifu(Xiangyang), China

Official visits and salutes.

10:30 the American Consul came on board, saluted him with 7 guns, American Ensign at the fore. The Commanding Officer of H.B.M.S. "Insolent,"
came on board to pay an official visit. H.B.M. Consul to "Chifu" came on board. Saluted him with 7 guns. English Ensign at the fore.
11:30 he left the ship.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 10-094.JPG

[ggordon]

March is complete, and the Shenandoah is still in China; which means the history books (at least some of them) are wrong.

When I first did a search for Febiger and Shenandoah, I came across several sites saying that they went to Korea in March to demand an apology. When it became clear that they would not be arriving in Korea in March, I searched again. I found a few sites saying that they arrived in Korea on April 11. One of them mentioned that the Shenandoah was fired upon when they arrived in Korea.

They are currently on the west coast of China directly across the Yellow Sea from Korea, at Tung Chow (Penglai Tou on today's map).

[Michael]

[Randi]

[ggordon]

April 10 Chodo Island, North Korea

The ship is very slowly working its way around the island taking frequent soundings.

I remember Michael pointing out a log page with a record number of course changes in an hour. Here is an entry for a half hour today.

Courses stood between 7:30 & 8 AM, about 5 minutes each course.
SExS
SExE3/4E
SExS3/4S
SExS
ExS
E
NExE
NE
NNE

No distances were recorded; just roughly 5 minutes in each direction.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorag ... 10-110.JPG

[Randi]

[Michael]

What Randi said!!!