DECK LOG
LETTERS
The wide-ranging scope of the maritime story can bring blessed relief to our over-specialized age, in which fractionated interests clamor for one's immediate attention. The sea, which has tied all the varieties of humankind together on o ur watrous globe, invites s lower and less clamorous rhythms of thinking and concern. And the experience of seafaring can bring us to the grand simpli cities that underlie the complexities of the human cond ition today. Mystic Seapo11 strikes some unifying chords in setting forth the bas ic themes of th e ir newly redefin ed mission , " America and the Sea." These are presented in this Sea History by Ben Labaree, drawn from the book of that title the museum is bringing out later thi s year. And in "The Cape Horn Road ," that wi nding narrative I've bee n pursuing in these pages , we arrive at the encounter of all the races of mankind in the vast bowl of the Pacific Ocean. At the outset I thought this journal of my exploration of how mankind set out on the long ocean trail that led us ri ght around the world would seem remote from our present-day experience-and so, of course, in many ways it is. But I soon found I was borne onward by the li ving connections of the experience. These fa irl y seize yo u by the arm as one works one's way across the world 's oceans, where, as the prophet and painter John Noble once put it, things of the deep come up and look at you.
"If It Weren't for NMHS ... " I wo uld like to express my most sincere thanks for your support for Project Liberty Ship in making your mailing li st available for o ur latest members appeal. In three weeks we have already s ig ned on more than 300 new membe rs and the volume of mail has not yet beg un to dimini sh! I was pretty su re that the type of individual s who are NMHS me mbers wou ld have a natural inclination to support the John W. Brown and thi s has certainl y proven to be the case. While o ur mission is to preserve a great old ship, we are really a " people project" in the sense that we rely entirely on volunteer labo r and on the generosity of fo lks all over the country- and overseas as well-who believe that preserving and operating a Liberty ship on the East Coast is a cause wo rth y of support. And guess what? You started it all. If it weren't for NMHS, the SS John W. Brown wou ld probably be resting at the bottom of the ocean as a fish reef or long s ince c ut up in some far off scrapyard. Instead , the ship lives, telling the story of our g reat wartime fleet, as you have often said , far better than any textbook cou ld hope to convey. BRIAN HOPE Project Liberty Ship Baltimore, Maryland
A Cause in Motion We who work at the National Maritime Historical Society are always surpri sed when people say: "I d idn ' t know yo u did anything but the magazine. " To us it seems so ev ident that Sea History is the journal of a cause in motion-a cause that is given life and purpose by yo u, the member who reads this . What your interest ac hieves in the ocean of time we traverse is shown in o ur lead letter in this issue. Here Captain Brian Hope of the Liberty ship John W. Brown pays tribute to your interest in that gallant ship and her crew, an interest which he lps them to keep steaming. And at the end of the "Letters" section yo u ' II find a cha llenge, posed for us by Dr. Robert Ballard, discoverer of the Titanic, to save for humanity the wonders that await us in the ocean deeps wonders that will challenge and refresh future generations if we do not destroy them first. PETER STANFORD
2
"Huzzah!" from Constitution's Crew Thank you for a most memorable evening at the New York Yacht Club, where USS Constitution was presented with the Karl Kortum American Ship Trust Award at the NM HS Annual Dinner. Earlier that morning I was in my day cabin on board Constitution re-en li sting one of our sailors . The ship was rolling aga inst her mooring in a nor'easterly wi nd , and there were a few spots in the overhead that dripped ice water. The crew, in blue fou l weather jackets, was jammed into the cabin to watch the reen li stment. After the ceremony , I told them that I was getting ready to drive down to New York to acce pt your Society's award, to whic h they all gave a resounding"Hu zzah! " This was a much more effective way of say ing thanks than my accepta nce speech. This vignette reflects what makes "Old Ironsides" so special. Thank you for honoring o ur nation 's ship . CDR C. A. MELHUISH, USN Captai n, USS Constitution Boston, Massachusetts
NY Harbor Renaissance Your essay in SeaHistory83 (pp. 32-33) recall s the kick-off of the New York Harbor Renai ssance aboard "HMS" Rose in October. Of all the preservation efforts that NMHS has sparked over the years, I be lieve this is one of the most ambitious and most important. We know that he ritage tourism is the fastest growing sector of the touri sm m arket. If o ur initi ative can prove a catalyst in focusing attention o n the compelling heritage of New York H arbo r so that the man y individual efforts represented aboard Rose can find a single voice, we will have made a magnificent contribution to the future of New York. Well , so much for preaching to the converted- or rather, preaching to the choir mas te r. It is your sheet of mu s ic . Thank you aga in for offering me the opportunity to sing in the choir. JOSEPH MEANY , PHD Acting New York State Historian Albany, New York
A copy of the NY Harbor Renaissance report in SH83 will be sent to anyone who asksfor one.-ED . A Great Friend We sha re with yo u your great loss in the passing of Schuyler M. Meyer, Jr., seaman that he was, command ing Navy minesweepers and ocean tugs in time of war. That such a giant of a man , in later years devoted himself to the welfare of children and Native American families seems truly remarkable. He was a great friend and we mi ss him immense ly. W e had looked forward to his annu al crui se through Lake Champlain and its hi sto ri c waters thi s summer aboard his sleek yacht Nawat, accompanied by the now famo us tugboat Urger, educational flagship of the Erie Canal and inland waterways. COL. & MRS. JOHN WILLIAMS Essex Junction , Vermont
An appreciation of the life of Schuyler M. Meyer, Jr., is on page 55.-ED. "A Critical Mass" Your article on Jam es Cook ("The Cape Horn Road," SH83) impressed me greatl y-a really fascinating summary of Cook's major exp loits. The aspect of your account that rings most sharply and c learly to me is the focus on that gro up of yo ung, curiou s, energetic and highly inte lligent young men who shared " that sequestered room" with Cook. When searching for a word to describe what your article has shown me of this collecSEA HISTORY 84, SPRING 1998