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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 01/30/2012 : 06:30:24
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Most Americans know that in the War of 1812, the young American nation fought its second and final conflict against Great Britain.
In 1814, a force of the Royal Navy sat off in the Delaware River and bombarded Fort McHenry, which guarded the city of Baltimore. The guns and Congreve rockets of the British fleet had the range on Fort McHenry, and yet the guns of McHenry could not reach the Royal Navy.
That much you picked up by osmosis in your American History class. It turns out you are lucky, as I can now provide the portion you snoozed through. Actually, it's by far the most the interesting part.
Though the guns of Fort McHenry could not reach the British, a super-weapon created with great foresight many decades earlier could.
In 1749, Benjamin Franklin invented a series of interconnected devices that he rather deviously called a "lightning protection system".
Benjamin Franklin, prescient patriot.
Even in 1749, Franklin suspected that the British colonies in North America would eventually seek independence from the "mother country." So while setting up lightning rods on many buildings in America, he secretly buried huge Leyden jars beneath the same buildings. By the time of the War of 1812, Franklin was long dead, but his secret will was opened by President Thomas Jefferson in 1801.
Jefferson ordered the nation's military to carry out Franklin's plans. Franklin's "lightning protection" system, though it truly protected buildings from lightning, was primarily a "lightning projection" system. President Jefferson directed that the fully charged Leyden jars be installed in major forts along the American coast, and had them connected to the "electrical bolt directors" as specified by Franklin in his will.
The Defense of Ft. McHenry using a Franklin Lightning Projector.
Thus the British were stupefied and terrorized when Fort McHenry responded to bombardment with huge bolts of lightning that ravaged the flotilla commanded by Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane. Unfortunately, the electrical defense also terrorized the Americans who were watching, by blinding them. (Most recovered their sight within a few days, though other witnesses, such as Francis Scott Key, remained sightless for life.)
Francis Scott Key.
A poem by the aforementioned Key, "The Defence of Fort McHenry," eventually became the lyrics for the National Anthem of the United States, "Their God-rotted Banner":
Their God-rotted Banner
O! what can you see in this dawn’s early light
After lightning was hurled to cause the Royal fleet's fleeing?
Did broad bolts and loud claps rend their line with great gaps?
For the battle we watched was too brilliant for seeing.
All our ret'nas are blind! Was the fleet left behind?
Some sighted person tell us if the krakens have dined!
O! say does their god-rotted banner yet wave
Off the coast of the free and the home of the brave? |
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
Edited by - HalfMooner on 01/30/2012 21:03:09
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bngbuck
SFN Addict
USA
2437 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2012 : 16:14:37 [Permalink]
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| Mooner, have you had a stroke? |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2012 : 19:46:48 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by bngbuck
Mooner, have you had a stroke?
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Yes, but back in 2003. Did you just now hiss my mystery lesson, Bill? |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 01/30/2012 21:19:45 |
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moakley
SFN Regular
USA
1888 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2012 : 07:36:39 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
Originally posted by bngbuck
Mooner, have you had a stroke?
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Yes, but back in 2003. Did you just now hiss my mystery lesson, Bill?
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Did you just spake a moonerism? |
Life is good
Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned. -Anonymous |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2012 : 07:55:09 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by moakley
Originally posted by HalfMooner
Originally posted by bngbuck
Mooner, have you had a stroke?
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Yes, but back in 2003. Did you just now hiss my mystery lesson, Bill?
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Did you just spake a moonerism?
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Ha! Am I Mao being knocked? |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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podcat
Skeptic Friend
435 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2012 : 19:08:04 [Permalink]
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| I shall cenanigans! This is shotal tullbit! :p |
“In a modern...society, everybody has the absolute right to believe whatever they damn well please, but they don't have the same right to be taken seriously”.
-Barry Williams, co-founder, Australian Skeptics |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2012 : 20:47:59 [Permalink]
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| You should first be the seam in your own eye. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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podcat
Skeptic Friend
435 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2012 : 22:20:55 [Permalink]
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| Then, of course, there was the famous Mermon on the Sount. |
“In a modern...society, everybody has the absolute right to believe whatever they damn well please, but they don't have the same right to be taken seriously”.
-Barry Williams, co-founder, Australian Skeptics |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2012 : 23:08:36 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by podcat
Then, of course, there was the famous Mermon on the Sount.
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Yes, Yingham Broung led the Mermons there, I understand. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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moakley
SFN Regular
USA
1888 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2012 : 06:00:28 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
Originally posted by podcat
Then, of course, there was the famous Mermon on the Sount.
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Yes, Yingham Broung led the Mermons there, I understand.
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This is starting to read like some real hicked up mystery. |
Life is good
Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned. -Anonymous |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2012 : 06:24:59 [Permalink]
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| Well, we can't all gee beniuses, like Spoctor Dooner. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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History You Slept Through: Fort McHenry's Defense
