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Posted by: MikeP Jun 30 2005, 01:06 PM

I get tons of this stuff, ususlly all the same but this one I had to share.



SHIPPING MANURE
In the 16th and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship. It was also before commercial fertilizer's invention, so large shipments of manure were common. It was shipped dry, because in dry
form it weighed a lot less than when wet, but once water(at sea) hit it, it not only became heavier, but the process of fermentation began again, of which a byproduct is methane gas. As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles, you can see what could (and did) happen. Methane began to build up below decks and the first time someone came below at night with a lantern, BOOOOM!
Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was determined just what was happening. After that, the bundles of manure were always stamped with the term "Ship High In Transit" on them which meant for
the sailors to stow it high enough off the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold would not touch this volatile cargo and start the production of methane.

Thus evolved the term "S.H.I.T" ("Ship High In Transit") which has come down through the centuries and is in use to this very day.

Posted by: Duffster Jun 30 2005, 01:09 PM

could that smell be ....methane? nah... methane is odorless. Must be Assane.

Posted by: skline Jun 30 2005, 01:09 PM

Posted by: Duffster Jun 30 2005, 01:11 PM

Hi, Scott! Still need the seats?

Posted by: Qarl Jun 30 2005, 01:41 PM

Sorry to burst your bubble, Mike... but it's not true.

http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/shit.asp

I started thinking... Scheisse is German for shit, which the English shit is a derivative of... so your story didn't make sense...

Snopes solved it.

Regards,

Karl

Posted by: Mr.C Jun 30 2005, 01:56 PM

Hmmm got me thinking, pretty soon S.H.I.T is gonna soon be replaced with Stromberg or Sam. Either way it's all the same. Seems like a natural evolution to me.

Posted by: URY914 Jun 30 2005, 02:02 PM

Whata load of shit.

Posted by: MikeP Jun 30 2005, 02:02 PM

Even untrue I have to apluade the originality. I give it an "A" for effort. I tend to prefer creativity over reality. Maybe that is why I can keep believing that my 914 will someday be a reliable daily driver and I'll never want to do another engine mod etc.

Posted by: type47 Jun 30 2005, 03:51 PM

anybody care to find the source of the Frank Barrone quote: "Holy Crap"?

Posted by: Thorshammer Jun 30 2005, 04:16 PM

Whos to say those ships carrying the SHIT did not come from Germany??? And the word was a derivitive from there? Just a thought.

Erik Madsen