Members of the Carnegie Institute’s Department of Terrestrial Magnetism surveying party, 1909.

Carefully locating and finely measuring the Earth’s magnetic field, the wooden ship named for a man of steel, the Carnegie, made six voyages between 1909-1929. Immune to the earth’s magnetism, the Carnegie was made of white oak frames, planks and timbers. Locust treenails, and some bronze and copper bolts fastened the timbers. Hemp cables of eleven-inch circumference held the ship's four bronze anchors. Ship chandlers supplied Russian hemp hawser as a substitute for steel wire cable normally installed on a vessel this size.

The owners did not overlook the possibility of a potential magnetism problem originating in the galley equipment, which even today can be the bane of small boat sailors cruising with a magnetic compass. They stayed with iron grates for the two galley stoves, but they specified bronze for the remainder of the stove parts. Cooking utensils were copper and aluminum. So the knives, forks, and spoons did not disturb the instruments, officers and crew ate with elegant tableware made of Mexican silver.

 


Fritdtjof Nansen’s Fram (meaning forward). 1892

A ship and crew bored into the ice to float farther north than any vessel before. To bear the strength of the ice, the hold was braced with huge timbers and lined with felt, reindeer hair, cork shavings and tar for insulation.

To fight the darkness of the polar winters a windmill was installed to run electric arc lamps. Below deck was a saloon and a library that Nansen curated with 600 volumes. The crew published their own daily newspaper.


Abreviated list of books in the on board library:

Soul life and intelligence in animals
From the chinese wall to japan in the woods
King Christian the 8th's Diary
Science and Religion
English pronunciation and grammer
The Birds

The story that transformed the world
Great Thoughts I-VIII
At the South Pole

The Loss of John Humble
The Paradise of the North
Adam and the wide, wide sea

Five weeks in a balloon
Modern Miracles
The wonderful life of christ
The casting away of mrs. Lieks and Mrs. Alistime
Norway in 1848 and 49
The Rise of the Dutch Republic
The english at the North Pole.
The short story of a long life
The diary of a pilgramige
Island nights entertainments
The review of the reviews 1892-91
London news 187-84
A boy's voyage around the world
The expression of the emotions in man and animal
Civilizations Historic
Political works
Climate and Cosmology
Descent of Man I of II

The great ice age
How can the north pole region be crossed
Climate and time
Handy book of meterology
Text book of geology
Handbook of zoology 1 of 2
First Principles
The Movement and Habits of Climbing Plants
Physiological Psychology
Geographical distribution of animals 1-2



 


Rowhouses in Baltimore, Maryland

Rowhouses are two story, narrow buildings built for the working class in Baltimore during the early 1900’s.

A Galley is an ancient ship which can be propelled entirely by human oarsmen, used for warfare and trade.

Oars are known from at least the time of the Egyptian Old Kingdom. Many galleys had masts and sails for use when the winds were favourable.