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March 28th Photos Page |
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Today the Brass Team went across the river to visit the Cruiser Olympia and do a little polishing. We volunteered to go over and polish up a bunch of brass railings and other items in and around the ships newly reconstructed Pilot House. Unfortunately the weather wasn't very nice but we did manage to get a lot done after the rain stopped mid morning. Since it was raining when we arrived we took a short tour of the ship in the hopes that the rain would stop and we could get to work. The photos below are from that tour followed by some shots of the gang in action doing what we do best - polishing brass! All in all we had a great day and will likely go back this coming Saturday to finish what we started. The Olympia has done a great job of restoring the Pilot House area and will be opening it to the public on May 1st, a date that will mark the 111th Anniversary of the Battle of Manila Bay, where the Olympia served as Admiral Dewey's flagship. I really enjoyed my tour of the Olympia and I encourage anyone in the area to take the time to visit her and the submarine Becuna, I promise you won't be disappointed! I've included a pair of links below where you can learn more about these two historic ships. Simply click on either link to be taken directly to the Seaport Museum's Main Page or the USS Olympia's Main Page. Like the Battleship New Jersey and many other museum ships the Olympia and Becuna are fighting to stay afloat in the wake of budget cuts and difficult economic times. They rely heavily on revenue from visitors and also on donations from the public to keep the doors open. Please consider making a small donation to help fund their maintenance efforts to keep the oldest iron hulled ship afloat. She is a unique specimen from a by gone era and with your help she will remain open for future generations to visit and appreciate. Thanks in advance for anything you can do to help! |
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| Many
of the gang arrived in style in this stretch Hummer Limo arranged for by one of the Brass Team members. We had a great turnout despite the weather and a good day was had by all! |
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| This
was "Officer's Country" on the Olympia. This structure
is directly below one of the ships turrets, the ammunition hoists for the guns above passes through the center of it. Lots of wood, not much brass in this area. |
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| Another shot of Officers "Staterooms" |
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| Here
it is, the very first "Scuttlebutt" (chilled water dispenser) installed on a Navy warship. |
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| One of the many 6-pound guns found on the ships lower deck. |
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| This plague is on the bulkhead of the passageway down to the Engine Room. |
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| Looking down into the Engine Room, it was a treat to visit this area of the ship. |
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| Vintage
brass gauges and controls were everywhere in the Engine Room, what an impressive area! |
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| Another shot of nicely detailed equipment in the Engine Room. |
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| Main
Engine Control Panel, reminded me of "Nautilus", simple controls that look so eloquent in stainless steel and brass |
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| Coal fired boilers, working down here was no picnic, that's for sure! |
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| Equipment in the ships "Machine Shop" |
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| Enlisted
men's berthing areas, note hammocks for sleeping. Also barely visible in this photo in the upper right corner is another 6-pound gun. It seemed like an unusual place for a gun, but guns on this deck popped up in some strange places. |
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| Ships "Laundry Room". |
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| Large lead-lined kettles in the ships "Kitchen". |
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| This was the stove in the kitchen, I'm guessing it was coal fired, but not sure. |
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| This
is the ships wheel that has been lovingly restored and will soon be placed in the new Pilot House. It looks awesome! |
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| This is one of the ships heavier guns, I believe they are 5-inchers. |
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| Ships Bell |
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| View
inside the newly redone Pilot House. The wheel shown above will go on the column in the center of the photo. |
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| Once
we got outside and up to the Pilot House we realized the rain had stopped and so at that time the tour ended and we went to work on the railings. The brass railings are original items over 110 years old, but with a little effort the shined up nicely! |
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| The
woodwork on the Pilot House and deck are awesome, having this area open to the public will be a real treat for visitors to the ship. |
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| A
shot of the Battleship across the river, it felt a little like we were cheating on her, but it was for a really good cause! |
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| A
shot of the Pilot House area from the pier. Also visible in this
photo is the ships Armored Conning Station, it is the rounded yellow structure situated one deck below and forward of the wooden Pilot House. It is a very cool area, featuring a domed top that can be cranked up vertically. |
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| Some
of the gang polishing the railings. With ten of us onboard we were able to get a lot done and should be able to finish the effort this Saturday. In this shot you can clearly see how a little polish, and a lot of "elbow grease" made those railings shine! |
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| What
a way to spend a Saturday! If you're crazy like me it doesn't get much better than this! |
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| Here
one of the ships staff applies a coating to the freshly polished railings in the hope of preserving the shine for a while. |
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| Final shot of Big J from Penn's Landing. |
