MANURE
Added on: 2nd Jun 2016
MANURE... AN INTERESTING FACT....
MANURE :
IN THE 16TH AND 17TH CENTURIES,
EVERYTHING HAD TO BE TRANSPORTED BY SHIP
AND IT WAS ALSO BEFORE THE INVENTION OF
COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS, SO LARGE
SHIPMENTS OF MANURE WERE QUITE COMMON.
IT WAS SHIPPED DRY, BECAUSE IN DRY FORM
IT WEIGHED A LOT LESS THAN WHEN WET,
BUT ONCE WATER (AT SEA) HIT IT, NOT ONLY
DID IT BECOME HEAVIER, BUT THE PROCESS
OF FERMENTATION BEGAN AGAIN, OF WHICH
A BY PRODUCT IS METHANE GAS OF COURSE.
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, BOOM!
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 INSTRUCTION
'STOW 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 ',
(STOW HIGH IN TRANSIT)
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 HAD ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS A GOLF TERM.
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