Subject: Nautical Terms: "Ship High in Transit"
Manure.........An interesting nautical fact. Manure: In the 16th and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship and it was also before commercialfertilizer'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 notonly became heavier, but the process of fermentation began again. This produced methane gas. As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles,you can guess what could (and did) happen.Methane began to build up below decks and thefirst time someone came below at night with a lantern....... BBBBOOOMMM!
Several ships were destroyed in this manner beforeit was determined just what was happening.After that, the bundles of manure were alwaysstamped with the term 'Ship High In Transit' onthem, which meant for the sailors to stow it high enough offthe lower decks so that any water that came into thehold would not touch this volatile cargo and start the production of methane.Thus evolved the term ' S.H.I.T ' (Ship High In Transport) which has come down through the centuries and is in use to this very day.You probably did not know the true historical legacy of thisword now did you?I had always thought it was a golf term!!!!!.
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Topic: Ship High in Transit" (Read 5164 times)