Monday

                          Musings and History

Quote of the day:

“Raising kids is part time joy and part time guerrilla warfare.”

Ed Asner

Trivia question of the day:

There was a grandfather and grandson that were Presidents of the United States...who were they? Answer at the end of the blog.

Commentary:

There is much ado about the Russians trying to influence the last American election. I do not and will never believe that because it gives the Russians no advantage. However, if they intended to polarize the United States citizenry they succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. I think this was the purpose of the meddling because it certainly give them an advantage because we are continuously squabbling about our individual concepts and there fore attention to what else if going on in the world to our disadvantage is ignored. This certainly is to the Russian's advantage especially in Syria where they and Iran are in support of Assad. Remember Iran? They are the ones that that devout Muslim Barack Obama made a nuclear deal with, not to mention a contribution of billions of American dollars in cash. There is a traitor for you. End of commentary.

                       This Date in History   April 16

1947 The port of Texas City, Texas was a town of about 18,000 people. It was a seaport on Galveston Bay teeming with oil refineries and chemical plants so a chemical fire was not unusual. On this date a fire broke out on the French freighter Grandcamp that was tied up to the pier. Many of the seasoned locals stood fascinated by the orange glow coming from the fire as the 27 members of the Texas City Fire Department tried to put out the fire. The fire was so hot that the water sprayed onto the fire was instantly vaporized. Little did the observers realize that in the hold of that ship was tons of ammonium nitrate and TNT. As you may or may not know, ammonium nitrate is the prime ingredient in many powerful explosives including the infamous bomb in Oklahoma, City. At 9:12a the tons of ammonium nitrate and TNT in the hold ignited and one of the most powerful explosions on American soil occurred. Essentially the entire town of Texas City of frame houses was flattened to the tune of 600 killed and 3,000 wounded. Pieces of the ship were tossed high into the air and landed on houses and people. The ships 1.5 ton anchor was found a mile and a half away 10 feet into the ground. The mushroom shaped cloud rose thousands of feet into the air and the explosion was heard 150 miles away. Also docked on the other side of the lagoon was the freighter High Flyer also loaded with nitrates. The resulting fires from the Grandcamp burned for days an eventually on he 17^th the High Flyer also exploded sending even more devastation across the landscape and igniting even more explosions in nearby chemical plants. But as you might expect nearly all of the people in Texas City had been evacuated including the crew of the High Flyer. Finally in the evening of the 18^th emergency crew from all across Texas got the fires under control. Veterans of WWII said that the devastation was a bad as any they had seen in Europe.

1881 On this date the famous lawman/gunfighter Bartholomew “Bat” Masterson was enjoined in the last gunfight of his life. As you might expect if was on the streets of Dodge City, Kansas. Bat came to Dodge City at an early age and worked as a buffalo hunter, army scout and participated in the Indian Wars with the plains tribes. He got involved in his first gunfight in 1876 when he got into a scrape with a soldier over the affections of a dance hall girl named Molly Brennan. The argument heated up to the point that both men drew their hog legs and opened fire. After the smoke cleared both the soldier and Molly were dead and Bat was severely wounded. After Bat had recovered enough he was brought to trial and a plea of self-defense was accepted and Bat was freed. Bat decided to become a lawman and became sheriff of Dodge City and was a part time saloon/gambling hall operator and gained a reputation as a tough but reliable lawman. Bat lost his bid for reelection in 1879 and began drifting around the west ending up in Tombstone, Arizona. While there he received a telegram from his brother Jim back in Dodge City. The telegram said that Jim had got into an argument with his business partners, A.J. Peacock and Al Updegraff and shots had been fired. Jim was not a gunfighter like his brother and said he was afraid for his life. Bat was on the next train to Dodge. On this date Bat confronted Peacock and Updegraff and yelled “I know you two are heeled (armed), now fight.” Almost simultaneously the three drew their guns and opened fire. Bat hid behind a railroad embankment and Peacock and Updegraff darted behind the city jail and a vigorous exchange of gunfire ensued when a few other people joined in. One bullet meant for Bat ricocheted off a rock and injured a bystander and Updegraff took a bullet in the lung. Then the sheriff and his deputies showed up armed to the teeth with shotguns and the fight was immediately over. Both the injured bystander and Updegraff recovered. In typical Dodge City fashion, Bat went on trial that day and was convicted of disturbing the peace and was fined $8.00. Bat paid the fine and was on a train out of town that night. He eventually ended up in New York City as a sports writer for a newspaper. What a change in lifestyle, huh?

1863 On this date, at the orders of General Ulysses Grant, Admiral David Porter brouht 12 warships and a couple of barges up river from New Orleans past the considerable cannon located at Vicksburg, Mississippi. Porter made his attempt at night and routed the exhausts from the engines into the paddlewheels to muffle the sound. Vicksburg is on a cliff and seeing a ship on the river is very difficult at night. Finally the Confederates figure out what is happening and send some soldiers across the river to set fire to the forest on the other side to provide a contrast but it was too little too late. Porter only lost one ship and was able to provide support for Grant’s infantry crossing over the Mississippi River from the west side.

Born today:

1867 US inventor Orville Wright. Commenting on working at Kill Devil Hill on the airplane he said “We could hardly wait to get up in the morning.” I would have been just as excited myself.

1918 English comic Spike Millican. He said “Money can’t buy you friends but it can buy you a better class of enemy.” I wouldn’t know.

1951 US writer Jon Bentley. He said “Brilliance can usually be traced to an individual but unbounded stupidity usually comes from an organization.” A brilliant observation, Jon.

Died today:

1689 English writer Alfra Behn. He said “There is no sinner like a young saint.” I don’t know if I have ever known one.

Quotable quotes:

“To his dog, every man is Napoleon.” Aldous Huxley

When between marriages and bitter I used to say this: “It would be better if I had a black Lab than a wife. A Lab only needs to be fed once a day, it will sleep outside if you want it to, it will retrieve birds out of cold water and is eternally loyal. But if it does decide to run away from home it doesn’t cost you half of everything you have ever owned.

Answer to the trivia question:

The grandfather was William Henry Harrison (9) and the grandson was Benjamin Harrison (23).

                 Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow