If you mount a Cannon on your boat...
10-10-2003, 08:50 AM
#1
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If you mount a Cannon on your boat...
You will need Cannon Balls!!!!!!
Please read the following.
In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried
iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary
to keep a good supply near the cannon. But how to prevent them from rolling
about the deck?
The best storage method devised was a square based pyramid with one ball on
top, resting on four resting on nine which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply
of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the
cannon. There was only one problem -- how to prevent the bottom layer from
sliding/rolling from under the others.
The solution was a metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round
indentations. But if this plate was made of iron, the iron balls would
quickly rust to it.
The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass Monkeys." Few
landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron
when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass
indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannon balls would come
right off the monkey.
Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass
monkey!" (And all this time, you thought that was an improper expression,
didn't you?)
Please read the following.
In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried
iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary
to keep a good supply near the cannon. But how to prevent them from rolling
about the deck?
The best storage method devised was a square based pyramid with one ball on
top, resting on four resting on nine which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply
of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the
cannon. There was only one problem -- how to prevent the bottom layer from
sliding/rolling from under the others.
The solution was a metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round
indentations. But if this plate was made of iron, the iron balls would
quickly rust to it.
The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass Monkeys." Few
landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron
when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass
indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannon balls would come
right off the monkey.
Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass
monkey!" (And all this time, you thought that was an improper expression,
didn't you?)
10-10-2003, 09:43 AM
#3
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I would love to have a cannon for the wonderful people with the waterguns. I just love it when they get my boat wet after I just spent 2 hours cleaning it.
10-10-2003, 11:28 AM
#4
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That is also where the expression "lose cannon" came from as when it broke free it was a huge hazard. Sometimes they refered to the lose cannonballs in the same way.
10-10-2003, 11:41 AM
#6
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Hate to spoil all the fun, but this is another internet BS story -
http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/brass.htm
http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/brass.htm
10-10-2003, 01:02 PM
#10
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Originally posted by WARPARTY36
I would love to have a cannon for the wonderful people with the waterguns. I just love it when they get my boat wet after I just spent 2 hours cleaning it.
I would love to have a cannon for the wonderful people with the waterguns. I just love it when they get my boat wet after I just spent 2 hours cleaning it.
