The lyrics to the Shanty A Hundred Years ago include the line:

"They hung a man for making steam".

Does anyone have any idea what that means? When was steam making a capital offense?

A HUNDRED YEARS AGO


Oh, a hundred years on the Eastern Shore
Oh, yea, oh!
A hundred years on the Eastern Shore
A hundred years ago!

Ol' Bully John from Baltimore
I knew him well, on the Eastern shore

Ol' Bully John was the boy for me
A bully on shore and a bucko at sea

Ol' Bully John I knew him well
But now he'd dead and gone to hell.

He's as dead as a nail on the lamp room floor
He's as dead as a nail that son of a whore

They used to think that pigs could fly
Have you ever heard such a silly lie?

They thought the world was square and flat
Don't tell old Chris Columbo that!

They say that mermaids was no yarn
In Baltimore they've a lot to l'arn

They hung a man for making steam
Throwed his body into the stream

Oh a hundred years is a very long time
Oh a hundred years is a very long time