DE Docent

Pretty nice day. Not hot, unfortunately not very busy. I gave two small tours of the USS Slater, and I stated the day with one walking tour of Albany.

On one of the tours someone donated a Handy Billy. We got into a discussion about Handy Billy as a emergency naval fire pump or a block and tackle. It appears that it's both. A couple of interesting links:

We also discussed American Public opinion leading to WWII. I noted the startling contrast of two important speeches both delivered on September 11, 1941 (3 months before America's entry into WWII). One speech was by Charles Lindbergh, delivered to an American First Group in Des Moines, Iowa. The other was Franklin Roosevelt's Fireside Chat to the Nation, regarding the USS Greer Incident (A Destroyer in the North Atlantic).

Often on tours I discuss the productivity of the American Shipbuilding Industry in World War II. One extreme case is the Liberty Ship, the SS Robert E Perry, which was built in 4 and a half days. This was done for publicity. The high volume standard for Liberty Ships was a month (detailed on this web site). The Kaiser Richmond Shipyard wasn't the only yard producing Liberty Ships. Other yards took a little longer. As noted in this excellent article: "...The Liberty ships were built to a standardized, mass produced design the 250,000 parts were pre-fabricated throughout the country in 250-ton sections and welded together in about 70 days. 441 feet long and 56 feet wide, a 3cylinder, reciprocating steam engine, fed by two oil-burning boilers produced 2,500 hp and a speed of 11 knots. the 5 holds could carry over 9,000 tons of cargo, plus airplanes, tanks, and locomotives lashed to its deck. Liberty could carry 2,840 jeeps, 440 tanks, or 230 million rounds of rifle ammunition. ..."

The shipbuilding record for a Destroyer Escort is the USS Fieberling (DE-640), built by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco (Union Iron Works). It took nine days from laying the keel to launch, and 23.5 days for complete delivery (reference Hull #5407 for details). The National Register of Historic Places application for the Union Iron Works shipyard noted that: "....C. C. Bloch, Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.), Chairman of the Navy Board for Production Awards specifically cited the destroyer-escort USS Fieberling, delivered by UIW on April 11, 1944, only 23.5 days after keel laying, as “one of the country’s outstanding production records and a world record for this type of ship.....”

This is a little off topic, but I wanted to pass a few references along. On one tour a visitor noted that he volunteered at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. The museum holds the records of the Lake Champlain Transport Company and I noted during the tour that I did a little research on a past president of the company, Le Grand B. Cannon (bio is available here). He was also a Colonel during the Civil War and published two very interesting books: Personal reminiscences of the rebellion, 1861-1866; and Recollections of the ironclads: Monitor and Merrimack. He is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, NY.

Almost every Sunday, before I start my tour guide watch, I take a 3 mile plus walk through downtown Albany. I started a daily walking program because of Weight Watchers. My daily goal is to walk a 5K every day (3.2 miles). For the last few years, in May the Weight Watcher program encourages members to train for a 5K walking event (May 22, Walk-It Day). This year, I invited fellow members to join me. Twenty-five fellow members walked along. A few stayed after for a Slater tour.

My Slater-Albany 5K walk is not your average walk. From a historical perspective, the city of Albany is one of the most interesting places in America. It is one of the oldest cities in America. In Albany, European history started around 1540. The Dutch Colony (New Netherland) established a permanent (and continuous) settlement in 1614. The Albany City Charter dates from 1686 (Dongan Charter), and it is the the longest continuously chartered city in the United States.

The USS Slater is docked very near to the location that Henry Hudson visited in 1609. The walk proceeds along Quay Street, to Broadway and the site of old Fort Orange (built in 1614). It continues past steamboat square and the old offices of the Hudson River Day Liner. This is the site where America’s first steamboat docked (Robert Fulton’s North River Steamboat, aka Clermont).

Today, lower Broadway is dominated by administrative headquarters of the State University of New York (Old D&H Building). In 1754 the site was dominated by the Stadt Huys (Albany’s 1st City Hall). Benjamin Franklin chaired the 1st Colonial Congress here (Albany Congress) in 1754. On July 19th, 1776 the Declaration of Independence (Dunlap Broadside) was first read to the Citizens of Albany by members of the Committee of Safety .

A few blocks north on Broadway, the route turns up Clinton Ave at the Albany Visitor Center. Albany’s 2nd oldest house (Quackenbush House) is here. In 1777, following his defeat at the Battle of Saratoga, British General Burgoyne rested here as a prisoner of war.

The route turns south on North Pearl Street at the historic Palace Theater. A few years back, many Slater volunteers attended the American premier of the movie filmed on-board (Orion in Midsummer). Continuing south the walk passes the house where Herman Melville lived, the Dutch Reformed Church that Theodore Roosevelt attended and the infamous and historic Kenmore Hotel.

At Steuben Street the walk turns west, and climbs the hill to the New York State Capital. On the 4th of July in 1865 General Grant proceeded this way as the guest of Commodore Vanderbilt. A NY Times story concerning the visit noted the jarring cobblestones.They are still visible today. Walking up Steuben Street you pass historic St. Mary’s, built on a site visited by the Catholic Martyr, Ste. Isaac Jogues in 1643.

At the crest of the hill is the NY State Capital, Lafayette and Academy Park, NY State Court of Appeals and Albany City Hall. George Washington visited in 1782-83 (Mohawk Valley Tour). President Lincoln visited in February, 1861. Not only did Lincoln visit here, he attended a play - guess who starred (details in Albany Times Union September 21, 2009 and May 7, 2009). During the visit, Lincoln stayed at the Delvan House (located at the Union Station) and the Actor stayed at the Stanwix Hotel (located at Maiden Lane and Broadway). The walking tour passes all these sites.

Looping around the Empire State Plaza you can view the NY State Museum and the New York State Executive Mansion. Three Presidents lived in the Executive Mansion (when they were NY State Governors): Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt.

The route returns down State Street and Maiden Lane. Martin Van Buren and Philip Livingston, a signer of the Declaration of Independence lived on State Street.

Near the bottom of the hill a comment made by Alexander Hamilton at a private dinner party on State Street ultimately led to his death at the infamous duel between Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Both Burr and Hamilton lived in Albany for a few years following the revolution.

Crossing Broadway, the route returns to the USS Slater via the Hudson River Way, a pedestrian bridge that crosses Route 787 and links the Corning Preserve and Albany. A hundred fifty years ago the Maiden Lane Rail Road Bridge crossed the Hudson River and the Albany Basin near this site. The Albany Basin was the eastern terminus of the Erie Canal.

Sound Interesting? Feel up to a 5K Walk? I'm is happy to accommodate Slater visitors with a free value-added walking tour of Albany. These need to be scheduled on a case by case basis, contact the Slater Office (518-431-1943) to make arrangements.

DE Docent

Monday, June 6, 2011

06/05/2011 - Handy Billy, twenty three and a half days

Monday, May 30, 2011

05/22/2011 - National Historic Landmark

Sunday, May 22, 2011

05/22/2011 - Albany Walking Tour

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