SHIP NOTES, SEAPORT AND MUSEUM NEWS Ancient Oak Uprooted by Hurricane Katrina Helps Restore Historic Ship
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n 800-year-old live oak tree once stood prominently in from of Dr. Charles and Sandra Lobrano's home in Long Beach , Mississippi. Thar was before
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(top) Sandra Lobrano in front ofher 800year-old live oak at her home in Mississippi; (a bove) another downed tree slated for Charles W Morgan, also in Mississippi.
Hurricane Karrina. Nearly ren percel1[ of the live oaks along the Mississippi coast were damaged, including the Lobranos' prized oak, split in half by Karrina. To save ir from rhe ch ipper, rhe Lobranos decided to donare rhe fallen half to a restorarion efforr of whar's beli eved to be rhe world's last wooden whaling ship, Charles W Morgan, pan of Mysric Seaporr Museum's Beer of historic ships. Mysric's shipwrighrs are using 170 live oak rrees uproored by rhe storm in four Mississippi coasral ciries to restore rhe 164-year-old ship. The lumber acquired rhere will be used to rebui Id parrs of rhe fram e, keel, and srern- and srernposrs. Live oak is an ideal choice for ship
consrruction because of irs strengrh, density, and resistance to rot. TI1e roots and branches are also valued as compass rimber. According to Mys ri c's shipyard director, Quenrin Snediker, "Live oak was so importal1[ to n arional defense [for naval shipbuilding], ir became rhe firsr species to be prorecred by rhe federal governmel1[." An estimared 200 of rhe 2,000 live oaks along rhe coast in rhe cities of Biloxi, Pass Christian, Long Beach, and Gulfport were uprooted in the storm. Sandra Lobrano said her family's tree was a cherished, living relic. "There's a lot of stories about the live oaks on the coast," she said. "They' re just special trees." Snediker said he was surp rised when the Lobranos called to donate their tree. Most of rhe rrees on the couple's 40acre property were destroyed. "It's a very meaningful gift on rheir part," Snediker said. Ir is nor rhe firsr rime Mys ric has used wood salvaged from areas ravaged by a hurricane. The museum also saved fallen live oak rrees from areas damaged by Hurricanes Hugo and Ivan. The wood from Hugo was used to help build rhe schooner Amistad and repair the steamer Sabino. Lumber salavaged from Hurricane Ivan's devas tarion has been saved for rh e res toration of rhe Morgan. Approximarely 50 tons of live oak is already ar M ys ric for th e restoration proj ecr, set for spring of 2007. Mysric Seaport wi ll need 200 tons of finished oak for the ship's $3. 5 million restoration proj ect. Work on the whaling ship is expected to take abour rhree years to complete. Snediker is working wirh conrractors and town officials in Mississippi in the pl anning process to remove rh e remaining live oak rrees. - Mystic Seaport SEA
HlS ~ TORY
114, SPRING 2006