Three Things I’ve Researched For Rise Of The Sky Pirate – Part 2
Welcome to Things I’ve Researched: Water edition! lol
Being a steampunk author, I’ve done a lot of research, especially with the Victorian era. I know steampunk is fiction, but I like to put as much realism into certain aspects of the novel as I can.
Grab a sneak peek into my research world, and see what I’ve learned about water.
You can see part 1 here.
- 1. The Atlantic Ocean.
Did you know that the Atlantic Ocean was 28°F (-2°C) the night that the Titanic sank on April 14th, 1912? My guess is that the water temperature was pretty similar in November of 1849. Some of the rescued Titanic passengers were subject to the frigid waters for 40 minutes before they were rescued by the lifeboats. Typically, according to the Red Cross, exposure to a water temperature like that can lead to death in as little as 15 minutes. - 2. Niagara Falls.
Did you know that at least 100,000 cubic feet (2,800 m3) per second of water goes over Niagara Falls in the summer, and 50,000 cubic feet (1,400 m3) per second in the winter? There have been a few times where the thick ice of Lake Erie forms in the mouth of the Niagara River, which causes a blockage of water (ice bridge) from flowing down toward the Horseshoe Falls, the largest of three waterfalls in Niagara. When the temperatures drop below zero, the falling water and mist create ice formations along the banks of the falls and river, making it seem like the falls are completely frozen. But this is just on the surface. - 3. The River Thames.
Did you know the Thames was used to dispose of waste matter produced in the city of London as early as the 1300s, turning the river into an open sewer? The quality of water deteriorated further in the Victorian era, causing four serious cholera outbreaks, which killed tens of thousands of people between 1832 and 1865. In 1858, the pollution in the river reached such an extreme state (dubbed the Great Stink) that the House of Commons at Westminster had to be abandoned a few times.
Let me know what your most surprising takeaway was!
Raine