Extra Credit Questions

[RJNorton]

Hint #1: The animal is native to Africa.

[David Lockmiller]

Hint #1: The animal is native to Africa.

A lion?

[RJNorton]

Nope, not a lion.

[Anita]

Hippopotamus?

[RJNorton]

Kudos, Anita. Yes, it was a hippo who was destined for the Cincinnati Zoo. It may have been the largest hippo ever brought to the USA up to that time.

[Gene C]

This reminds me of a song, and just in time for the holidays.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP-TPCs9Fj8

[David Lockmiller]

No googling please. Thank you.

During the early part of the 20th century Germany operated a large steamer named the President Lincoln. On one of its voyages to America it was transporting an animal in a cage. The cage was located on the deck forward of the bridge. One day, as the President Lincoln was traveling across the Atlantic, one of the ship's cooks took a break and was sitting on the ship's rail. Suddenly the animal in the cage let out with a mighty sneeze. The cook, relaxing on the rail, was startled by the huge sneeze, and he fell overboard into the Atlantic. Others on the ship saw what happened and lowered a lifeboat. The astounded cook was saved.

What kind of animal sneezed loudly in his cage aboard the President Lincoln?

A passenger liner before the war, the Hamburg Line President Lincoln was seized in New York harbor in 1917 and converted into a troop transport ship by the U.S. Shipping Board. On the return trip of its 5th delivery of men to France, the ship was hit by three torpedoes from German U-Boat 90.

The following are the first and last pages of the Narrative of the "President Lincoln" written by the Commanding Officer, Commander P. W. Foote, U. S. N.

https://ia904707.us.archive.org/BookRead...2&rotate=0

https://ia904707.us.archive.org/BookRead...2&rotate=0

[Anita]

Kudos, Anita. Yes, it was a hippo who was destined for the Cincinnati Zoo. It may have been the largest hippo ever brought to the USA up to that time.

It was a wild guess! Knowing Lincoln's sense of humor and love of animals, he would have enjoyed this story.

[RJNorton]

No googling please.

In 1868 the Mississippi Central Railroad was ordered to take one of its engines out of service. What caused this order to happen?

[RJNorton]

Hint #1: It has to do with the engine's name.

[Rob Wick]

Did it have something to do with the engine "The General?"

Best
Rob

[RJNorton]

Nope.

Hint #2: It has something to do with a person who has been frequently discussed on this forum.

[AussieMick]

Jefferson Davis?

[RJNorton]

Not Davis, but it was someone who firmly believed in the Confederate cause.

[Gene C]

Robert E Lee ?