Safety

[Randell]

Click on this link for information on how not to load and fire !

http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/articles/2004/03/15/news1.txt :shock:

[Randell]

Link appears to be down now. Look up  " Siskiyou Daily News" Explosion March 15,2004

[Double D]

Explosion rocks Montague

 Updated: Monday, March 15, 2004 4:17 PM PST

MONTAGUE - A small cannon exploded Friday night injuring three Montague residents with one remaining in the hospital in critical condition.

The explosion happened at 9:57 p.m. when the three men attempted to light a cannon outside the residence at 121 East Buell St. in Montague.

According to the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Department, James Crawford, Jr., 22, reported that his father, James Crawford, Sr., 44, had found a small cannon while working one day and brought it home. Crawford told the deputies that they had set if off several times before this incident.

Crawford said that he and his father and neighbor Raymond Wade Ravencroft, 39, were preparing to set the cannon off in Ravencroft's backyard. They had loaded the cannon and laid it against cinder blocks.

Crawford said he was not sure how much black powder was put in the cannon this time. In the past they had loaded it with a "small olive jar" full of black powder and then packed paper down the barrel on top of the powder.

When the accident occurred, Crawford said his father was crouched down next to the cannon getting ready to light it and Ravencroft was standing next to him in the doorway to the garage. The next thing he remembers was a flash of light which knocked him down.

Sheriff's Deputies later found numerous pieces of metal outside of the Ravencroft residence and a neighbor's fence along the east side of the property had been damaged by the explosion. Other damage included a 6-inch hole penetrating the inside of the house and a bedroom window blown out.

The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Department was dispatched to the scene after receiving several 9-1-1 calls reporting a large explosion with several injured people.

The Montague Fire Department and Northern Siskiyou Ambulance were also called to the scene and treated the three injured men while sheriff deputies did crowd control for the 50 or more people who gathered at the scene.

All three were first transported to Fairchild Medical Center in Yreka and then the two Crawfords were taken to Mercy Medical Center in Redding.

James Crawford, Sr. is listed in critical condition at Mercy Medical Center in Redding suffering serious injury to his torso and head.

James Crawford, Jr. was also transported to Mercy in Redding and was released after sustaining facial lacerations and flash burns to his eyes.

Raymond Wade Ravencroft sustained injuries to his legs and feet. He was treated at Fairchild Medical Center.

The case remains under investigation.

- SDN story by John Diehm

[Calamity Jane]

Darwin Award possibilities?

What's "a small olive jar" down there? Up here that'd probably be 1/3 to 1/2 pound of powder - anybody know what size this thing was?

It says he "found" this cannon? Up here there are some lawn & garden stores sell ornimental cannons that are cast in the orient - gawd only knows what kind of metal.

Whal, at least nobody waz killed out-right. Next thing ya know, they'll be passing a law 'cause "cannons are dangerous". Whal, it ain't cannons what are dangerous, it's STUPIDITY!