The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Hessian Sandbags

From Wikipedia. //// Two posts ago I mentioned the Hessian sandbag pillbox discovered in Britain. They looked like regular sandbags to me, only the article said they were filled with concrete when placed, instead of the usual sand that I would expect. Why would the British name something after something German? Plus, the article did not capitalize the h in hessian. I's never heard of them called Hessian sandbags either, just sandbags. More research was needed. //// Hessian or burlap refers to woven fabric usually made from the skin of the jute plant or sisal fibers. It is also sometimes referred to as gunny cloth. Traditionally, it is a coarse fabric. //// The name hessian is initially attributed to the German military uniforms worn by soldiers from the German state of Hesse who were called Hessians. (Definitely an American Revolution connection.) //// Most often, sandbags are used in emergencies during flooding. //// --GreGen

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