The Deck Prism

I had the opportunity to visit Mystic Seaport earlier this week in Mystic, Connecticut. It is one of the premier "Maritime Museums" in the world.  It had been on my bucket list for quite a few years.
Mystic Seaport has the last wooden whaling ship in existence on display.

"The whaleship Charles W. Morgan was launched in New Bedford Massachusetts in 1841. 

After an 80 - year career and 37 voyages that spanned the globe, 

she is now on exhibit at Mystic Seaport 

where she tells the story of whaling's role in U.S. history.

A National Historic Landmark, the Morgan is the oldest American commercial 

vessel still afloat and the last remaining wooden whaleship in the world."

(Mystic Seaport Brochure)

The Morgan was retired from whaling in 1921 and arrived at Mystic Seaport in November of 1941. 

The Morgan is in the Henry B. DuPont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport. It is undergoing a restoration. In July it was put back into the water after having her hull restored.

Me with the Charles W. Morgan on Monday, September 2nd, 2013

I had the chance to examine the Morgan and enjoyed inspecting the ship's main deck and the deck below the main deck. 

**********

I believe that members of the church who read about Mahonri Moriancumer (the brother of Jared) are inspired by his faithfulness and good works. He is our example of going to the Lord with questions and desires and then going the extra mile to fulfill the adage, "God helps those who help themselves".   (Ether Chapters 1 through 6)

A dark, confined space in a windowless dish-shaped barge would be terrifying. Especially when the irregular and abrupt movement of rough and tempestuous seas were experienced. The Brother of Jared went to the Lord in prayer and asked what was to be done for light inside the hulls. The Lord said, "What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?" (Ether 2:23) and "what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?" (Ether 2:25) The Brother of Jared came up with an idea. He would molten clear white stones that the Savior would touch so that they would glow.

*******

The deck prism was used in wooden ships because candles and lamps produced an open flame that was very dangerous for the flammable vessels.. When the Morgan was brought to Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, an in-tact deck prism was found in the deck. It has now been reproduced and is widely available. I purchased one when I was there. Mystic Seaport found advertisements for deck prisms from ship chandleries with the earliest that they have on record as 1855. The deck prism allowed light to enter the flat surface embedded into the deck so that it would not be a tripping hazard, and then the light was reflected into the room below from the angled prisms.

.

A deck prism set in the deck of the Charles W. Morgan

More detail of a deck prism set in the deck of the Morgan.

Looking up to the bottom side of the prism from the deck below the main deck. I used a flash to illuminate the entire ares.

Interesting photo from the deck below the main deck. In this photo you can see  the ambient light from a window, the light from an electric light (top left), and the glowing bottom of a deck prism. (top right)

This photo is taken from one of the rooms in the second deck that had no other light source than the prism. I didn't use a flash and had to hold the camera very still, of course.

Here is a look at the prism end.