capt dom
Hero Member
This is an excerpt from my manuscript I have been working upon
for some time now. This is somewhat paraphrased:
My 1st Experiences with specialists in undersea exploration
that have come to be called U/W archaeologists started on the telephone.
It was with Mendel Peterson. He had a position as the Curator of Navel Arms at the Smithsonian.
I was attempting to identify and date the first cannon we had recovered from the Jupiter Shipwreck Site.
The cannon was covered with encrustation and he basically told me I had to beat it with a hammer and
remove the encrustation if I expected to view any identifying or dating characteristics. He also stated I
should probably get in touch with the folks in Key West.
Once I cleaned the cannon off, I called the Treasure Salvers folks in Key West and got Jim Saint Clair
on the telephone. Duncan Mathewson was to busy to take my call. Jim wasn't yet a card carrying U/W
archaeologist and was acting as a metal and artifact preservationist in the TS lab. I told Jim
Mr. Peterson told me to clean off the encrustations on the cannon and Jim asked me where the trunnions
of the cannon were placed and what their shape was.
I asked him, "What the F_ _ _ is a trunnion?"
Jim took the time and explained they were pivot points for the cannon to shift on its carriage.
I told Jim They were on the bottom of the cannon - just about a foot off the mid point and of its length.
He hesitated then asked were they cylinder shaped?
I said, "No, they are thimble shaped". Jim gasped and then said,
"It looks like you have a 17th century cannon there!" "Now you better get yourself
a lawyer" - 'before the state finds out!"
If there is any level of interest in this post, I will continue:
but, it gets kinda "dark".....
for some time now. This is somewhat paraphrased:
My 1st Experiences with specialists in undersea exploration
that have come to be called U/W archaeologists started on the telephone.
It was with Mendel Peterson. He had a position as the Curator of Navel Arms at the Smithsonian.
I was attempting to identify and date the first cannon we had recovered from the Jupiter Shipwreck Site.
The cannon was covered with encrustation and he basically told me I had to beat it with a hammer and
remove the encrustation if I expected to view any identifying or dating characteristics. He also stated I
should probably get in touch with the folks in Key West.
Once I cleaned the cannon off, I called the Treasure Salvers folks in Key West and got Jim Saint Clair
on the telephone. Duncan Mathewson was to busy to take my call. Jim wasn't yet a card carrying U/W
archaeologist and was acting as a metal and artifact preservationist in the TS lab. I told Jim
Mr. Peterson told me to clean off the encrustations on the cannon and Jim asked me where the trunnions
of the cannon were placed and what their shape was.
I asked him, "What the F_ _ _ is a trunnion?"
Jim took the time and explained they were pivot points for the cannon to shift on its carriage.
I told Jim They were on the bottom of the cannon - just about a foot off the mid point and of its length.
He hesitated then asked were they cylinder shaped?
I said, "No, they are thimble shaped". Jim gasped and then said,
"It looks like you have a 17th century cannon there!" "Now you better get yourself
a lawyer" - 'before the state finds out!"
If there is any level of interest in this post, I will continue:
but, it gets kinda "dark".....
