The story of the New York Marine Hospital in Staten Island—known simply as “the Quarantine,” seems very timely. It was the firey center of what became known as the Staten Island Quarantine War of 1858. At the time it was the largest quarantine facility in the United States.
The idea to isolate the sick and contagious from the general population to limit the spread of disease may date back thousands of years. The word quarantine is from the 14th-century Venetian word quarantena, meaning “forty days,” the period that all ships were required to be isolated before passengers and crew could go ashore during the Black Death plague epidemic.
From 1795 to 1798, yellow fever killed thousands in New York City. In reaction, the New York City Common Council passed a quarantine law funding the creation of the New York Marine Hospital. The Marine Hospital, which became known as the Quarantine, was established on Staten Island in the former town of Castleton, overlooking Upper New York Bay. Continue reading
The pandemic has taken a toll on even those of us who remained untouched by the virus. In a trivial example, for me, it was a haircut. After five months without a haircut, I was feeling very shaggy when the barbershops finally reopened.
Two hundred and fifteen years ago today, in 1805, the Royal Navy, commanded by 
The 
Australia’s only home-built icebreaker will soon leave their shores. The icebreaker 
Venice, Italy is sinking at about 
We are a bit late posting about the 
In late August,
The 
Whale-watchers aboard the Atlantic Monterey witnessed an amazing show on Sunday when three humpback whales performed an extremely rare triple breach in Monterey Bay, CA. And it was caught on video (see after the page break.)
Happy Columbus Day, or Indigenous People’s Day, if you prefer. And if you are in Canada, Happy Thanksgiving! Here is an updated repost of when a Viking longship arrived at the 
Built almost 60 years ago, the 126′ long ferry 
Bones left on land can survive for a very long time. The fossil bones of dinosaurs on display in museums around the world are testaments to their durability. Underwater, however, the situation can be very different. Weird and oddly wonderful so-called