AlamoPA Mailing List: Fw: Never knew this was a Navy word

[Sallie Carlson (wacsc11945]

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Robert Ahrenkiel <gp-bob11 [at] att.net>
To:
Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2017 10:29 PM
Subject: Fw: Never knew this was a Navy word

 

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

 

> Origin of a Navy term:

 

>>> Manure. An interesting fact about Manure: In the 16th and 17th

>>> centuries, everything for export had to be transported by ship.

>>>  

>>> 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.

>>>  

>>> As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles - you can imagine

>>> what could (and did) happen.

>>>  

>>> Methane began to build up below decks and the first time someone

>>> came below at night with a lantern, BOOOOM!

>>>  

>>> 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 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. I had

>>> always thought it was a golf term.

>>>  

>>>  

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