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Today In History (August 8 1794) Joseph Whidbey
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2023 10:56 am
by WhiteHealer
TODAY IN HISTORY
- A_Portrait_of_Joseph_Whidbey.jpg (83.21 KiB) Viewed 489 times
1794: Joseph Whidbey leads an expedition to search for the Northwest Passage near Juneau, Alaska.
Re: Today In History (August 8 1794) Joseph Whidbey
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2023 10:21 pm
by FolkishFreya
Whidbey was recognized for his ability to accomplish tasks that others could not. As master attendant of the shipyard at Woolwich, Whidbey befriended the famous civil engineer John Rennie. Together, they undertook a massive project of building a breakwater at Plymouth, England, to protect King George’s ships from the French.
This was a national undertaking comparable to the building of the pyramids in Egypt or the Grand Coulee Dam here in Washington. After several years of proposals and surveys, work began August 8, 1812, on a project that would require four million tons of stone and 53 years to complete.
https://www.whidbeylifemagazine.org/jos ... he-voyage/
Breakwater at Plymouth still stands today!