Enjoying a Krag in Florida

[butlersrangers]

Under the old Banyan tree in Key West, circa 1898.

[butlersrangers]

We went to the Mel Fisher museum today and saw some of the treasure recovered from the 1622 wreck of the Spanish Galleon, 'The Atocha'.
I found it even more interesting to see the remains of crossbows and breech-loading cannon from a 1564 wreck of a lesser ship, 'The Santa Clara', found in ten feet of water in the Bahamas. It was all amazing stuff.
Yesterday, we chilled with the Truman's.
Tomorrow, I am going to explore Fort Zachary Taylor and visit the graves of some of the crew of the 'Maine' at the Key West Cemetery.
Key West is a different universe. Hard to believe it is part of the U.S.

[King carp]

There is something to be said about florida weather this time of the year. That really looks nice.

[butlersrangers]

I saw some ship parts and personal relics that were salvaged from the U.S.S. Maine, yesterday, at The Key West Museum of Art & History at the Customs House.

[butlersrangers]

Boy, the things you learn about people!

Author Ernest Hemingway led a wild life, but was a disciplined writer.
In Key West, he would party late into the night but rise early and isolate in his studio from 6 a.m. to noon and crank out the pages.
He would quit at noon and go fishing. He probably needed the fish to feed all the damn six-toed cats he kept at his home.

Crazy Cat Laddie .... and cats can't even read! (They probably make good paper weights).

[butlersrangers]

The Key West 'Customs House' was built in the 1880's on a standard government northern design. The building has a fireplace in each room, ice/snow guards on the roof, and a basement that is probably below sea level!

The courtroom in the Customs House was the site of the inquiry on the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine.
Based on survivor testimony and hard-hat diver reports, they erroneously determined that the Maine was sunk by a submersed mine or torpedo.
This justified the declaration of war on Spain.

The Customs House is now a Museum with very nice displays on the history of Key West, its role in the Civil War Naval Blockade of the Confederacy, the U.S.S. Maine disaster, and the Flager 'Overseas' Railway.