wrote
What a dilemma, whom should we believe????

You should believe me. I'm talking about facts. I give links to facts.
Other people are talking about some old sailor's tales. Nobody here
alive has even used oil to calm the seas. They all just repeat gossip. They
think gossip is Gospel. Duh!
Sorry but ya'll need to lose the quaint sailor's tales and stick with the
facts. It's OK to repeat such foolishness in the name of old times sake but
don't buy into that nonsense like it's real for Heaven's sake. It's the same
as actually believing Slocum used an old alarm clock with no second hand
he boiled in oil as a chronometer. Can you say gullible?

Cheers,
Ellen