Research data, as it were

But first,
If you haven't watched the video yet, you may not get my sense of humor.   Then again, I am serious, but don't take it seriously, unless you want to, that would be great.

I could use a little support for my next project, its going to cost me a ton, so I am humbly requesting a $1.00 donation to my paypal account at lawops@comcast.net for the references.  You can send more if you want, or even less, but its more trouble than its worth to even log into your account for less.   I will send them without the donation, but my next design puts this one to shame.

A donation of $199,999.00 to that account, and I will deliver the ship to you and teach you how to run and maintain it.  Seriously, its going into a major gallery soon, and will have to cost even more, so time is of the essence. 

Notes on Barnum’s Dream  aka  The Terrible

The war machine now known as Barnum’s Dream has an eventful history, even though it only saw one battle.   It was originally called The Terrible.   It was commissioned jointly in 1854 as a ship by Queen Victoria and the emperor of France, Napoleon III to be used against the Russians in defense of the Ottoman empire in the Crimean war.  It was to be the largest paddle wheel steam warship to ever be built.  Over 300 feet long with over 30 massive cannons, with the main cannon capable of firing a two foot diameter shell.  Over 4000 workers conscripted from many of the colonies labored seven days a week for two years, but as it neared completion, the Crimean conflict ended.  The ship was mothballed in dry dock and remained so until the Franco-Prussian war. 

During the Franco Prussian wars, Napolean III purchased Queen Victoria’s interest to convert the ship to a war train to defend the border of the territory of Alsace which was being heavily bombarded by a massive cannon  tanktrain of the Prussians.  As time was of the essence, it was simpler to just build a massive train carriage under the existing ship rather than totally dismantling it and going through a total rebuild.    The paddle wheel was changed to a twin rail drive wheel.  At the same time, It happened that Napoleon was on good acquaintance with Mathew Maury, an oceanographer who was associated with the science team that was then building Captain Nemo’s Nautilus.  He told Napoleon that one group in the team had invented a large “light weapon” that could turn distant objects to ash in minutes, but the weapon was too large for the Nautilus and not appropriate for underwater use.  The weapon had been completed and Napoleon purchased it and had it transported and installed on the rear section of the ship.  While it was on the first mile of its rail being laid, the tanktrain attacked, and was destroyed by  The Terrible in a short battle.  But again, defeat in the war was already in sight and rather than let it fall into Prussian hands, it was again secreted away and mothballed.  Almost all records were destroyed of its making and it was so successfully hidden that it became lost from history.

But like most things of that nature, there were some who told tales of its existence.   In 1878, P.T. Barnum was in Europe looking for more of the strange and bizarre to add to his highly successful shows.  He heard the rumors and set several detectives on a search.  They did finally locate its hiding place, and through many backdoor negotiations, Barnum achieved the fulfillment of a dream, to own one of the most outrageous and forbidding contraptions that existed at that time, thus the name, Barnum’s Dream.  With great expense, he had it taken apart, sealing the ship for use,brought it to Bridgeport Ct under its own power, towing a barge behind with the train carriage.   There in a large warehouse he had it reassembled to the state you see it now.  It is being fully retrofitted and prepared and tested for its maiden showing, which you are now invited to see.

Site references available on request.  See above.