It just struck me....

[RocklockI]

skip , if i lived anywhere near a known shelling .....i'd have to buy a ...good...metal detector ....

and start looking .........for ......stuff .......NOT A GREAT metal detector ,but a step up from .....treasure hunting type . 400 buckishages

tracy has the coolest privatly owned frag i've seen . it was a piece of an 9"-11" shell that blew up in a creek bank in the mud .

So there was many fragments that made up the bomb that were blown out in a more or less cavity shape with  frags on the outside in the mud .....basicly a dud ...... Awsome cool .

god forbid it hits your rowboat ....cause that water is cold ........

[nematode]

Yeah, that's a good idea Rocklock1. In my area there are many, many metal detecting hobbyists. My guess would be the area where I found the fragment, has been scanned many times. But, I don't know that for sure since it is in a wilderness area of the state park. I will at least return there and look around a little again, after all these years - will be fun.

[Cannoneer]

The 13-inch seacoast mortar weighed over 17,000 lbs. The book link posted here describes the 13-inch mortar bed, and how it was arranged on a schooners deck, pp. 384-387.
I usually pick 'read online', or 'PDF' for viewing the book.

Text book of naval ordnance and gunnery 

[nematode]

Man, that is a chunk of iron, isn't it! Thanks for the info and book link Boom J.

[RocklockI]

OVER 17 K POUNDS    ....... good luck chuck , if you get yer self in a blow ........

we have one here at the nature museum ......but yikes  17,000 lbs on a deck of a wooden ship ......?

the things are umongus big , on a wooden ship over 100 years ago ............men were men .........!

[little seacoast]

In the  picture_ Hauling down the flag_ with the crane hoist, it looks like one sailor is working the hoist and two are carrying a wounded comrade between them. A pulley with that many sheaves ought to make a one man lift possible.  Anybody else see this?

[seacoastartillery]

    Little seacoast,     You are surely correct here, upon closer inspection, it is clear that only one sailor is hauling that shell up from the hold.  Four lines go thru the blocks, yielding a mechanical advantage of 4, therefore 133.5/4=33.37 lbs.  Even with friction from all sources, a lift of around 50 lbs. is certainly well within the capabilities of almost any sailor who was extremely used to hauling on a variety of lines every day and lifting things much heavier than 50 pounds.

Thanks very much for pointing that out,

Mike and Tracy




                         Table of Dahlgren shell and related guns.                                                                           


(Bore)  Length    Overall wt.   Shot Wt.  Shell Wt.   Powder Chg.  Range @ Elev.
32-pdr. of

27 cwt. (6.2 inch)
   93.72 in.    3,3200 lb.    32 lb.    26.5 lb.    4 lb.    1637 @

6° elev.
32-pdr of

4,500 lb. M.1864 (6.2 inch)
   107.5 in.    4,500 lb.    32 lb.    26.5 lb.    6 lb.    1756 @

5° elev.
VIII-inch    115.5 in.    6,500 lb.    65 lb.    52.7 lb.    7lb.    2600 @

11° elev.
IX-inch    131 in.    9,000 lb.    90 lb.    73.5 lb.    13 lb.    3450 @

15° elev.
X-inch    146 in.*    12,000 lb.    124 lb.    101.5 lb.    12.5 lb.    3000 @

11° elev.
X-inch

(heavy)
   145 in.*    16,500 lb.    124 lb.    101.5 lb.    18 lb.    ----
XI-inch    161 in.    15,700 lb.    166 lb.    133.5 lb.    20 lb.    3650 @

15° elev.
XIII-inch    162 in.*    36,00 lb.    276 lb.    216.5 lb.    40 lb.    ----
XV-inch

Short "Passaic"
   162 in.*    42,000 lb.    440 lb.    352 lb.    35 lb.    2100 @

7° elev.
XV-inch

Long "Tecumseh"
   178 in.*    43,000 lb.    440 lb.    352 lb.    35 lb.    2100 @

7° elev.
XX-inch    204 in.    100,000 lb.    1,080 lb.*    ----    100 lbs.    ----