Katrina trees will get new life on historic ship (CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

Downed live oaks will live on at Mystic Seaport
By Marsha Walton
CNN

Tuesday, March 14, 2006; Posted: 12:58 p.m. EST (17:58 GMT)

MYSTIC, Connecticut (CNN) -- Live oak trees, many more than 100 years old, are connecting residents of storm-ravaged Mississippi and experts at Mystic Seaport, a Connecticut maritime museum.

Hurricane Katrina uprooted hundreds of live oaks, but the trees will not go to waste. They'll be used in the restoration of the Charles W. Morgan, one of the last wooden whaling ships in the world. The Morgan was built in 1841 and made 37 voyages before retiring in 1921.
***
Snediker had collected live oaks damaged by earlier hurricanes. Wood from Hurricane Hugo in 1989 was used to build a re-creation of the schooner Amistad. Damaged trees from Hurricane Ivan in 2004 were collected for the Morgan project.
***
Several weeks after the storm, on the same day, two individuals, one from Long Beach, Mississippi, and one from Mobile, Alabama, contacted Mystic Seaport to offer trees uprooted on their property. Snediker said he knew then that the tree owners, who felt so helpless about so many aspects of the hurricane rebuilding effort, felt a "new life" for their beloved live oaks brought something positive out of the tragedy.
***
interesting, uplifting article. more: http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/03/14/katrinaliveoaks/index.html

[DS1]

1. I can't imagine anyone would want to sail it

:scared:

[MadHound]

2. Why not?

If it is a properly constructed ship, it should do just fine:shrug:

[DS1]

3. Cursed like crazy

[MadHound]

4. Hokay, I suppose, if you believe in such things

But even then, who or what would curse such trees? Just because they were downed during Katrina doesn't make them cursed, it just means that the trees were in the wrong place at the wrong time, like many, many of the people there.

Sorry, I just don't get it:shrug:

[DS1]

5. Maritimers typically do

All Captains have their superstitions and rituals. I followed one that had to do with apricots of all things. Another guy decided to test it and almost sank.

[NoPasaran]

7. I don't think the idea is to to sail the Morgan

Just do some restoration work on her.

[Caoimhe]

6. Sounds great

recycling is always best. Those old oaks deserve to be more than a bonfire. I am sure they have a beautiful grain and color. I'd rather they use those already downed by Katrina than cut down existing, thriving old trees.

[amber dog democrat]

8. White Oak used to be a strategic naval store.

Its perfect for frames and timbers. Just needs to be seasoned and dried which takes a few years.
I am so pleased this is happening.