Update on the USS Shark Carronades

[bbajdek]

Hey everyone. I've noticed some past discussion on the carronades found in Oregon in 2008 and I thought I'd give an update. I am the primary conservator for the carronades at Texas A&M University and while I cannot divulge too many details about the guns, since these are a part of my thesis work, I can confirm that they are both 18-pounders. One is a British made gun, from W&G, complete with a serial number and English broad arrow. The second one is clearly of a different make, appearing more like the original gun found in 1898. No broad arrow or maker's mark has turned up but the original wood carriages that survived on both guns are exactly the same.

So with the last ordinance records for the Shark (1842 and 1846) showing that the ship carried only 9-pounders and 24-pounders, could these 18-pounders have come from a different ship? Is it possible the Shark still carried 18-pounders, despite the records? Also, the original accounts after the Shark's wreck in 1846 (the salvage attempt by crewmembers from the Shark of the three carronades that washed ashore, still attached to a part of the deck) match up with the three guns found at Cape Arch. Especially with some of the associated artifacts found with the second carronade.

[Double D]

Brennan,

My research was not scholarly but was simply to find plans of an 18 PDR Carronade to build a model.  Beyond acquiring 4 sheets of plans for an 18 PDR Carronade from John Morris http://www.springfieldarsenal.net/  I don’t have any information about the ships bearing the guns.  One drawing is dated 1808.  The Sheets depict a U.S. Pattern and British Pattern carronades

There is a generic reference to mounting Carronades on a Sloop on the Plans.

I suggest you contact John; he is a tenacious researcher and may be able to assist you.

[Cat Whisperer]

bbajdek --

WELCOME to the board!

In addition to knowing what you like to shoot, we'd love to read your thesis when it's published!

[Cannoneer]

Hello and thanks for the update, bbajdek.
I’m not aware of any other documentary evidence having come to light since the time of the original postings on this topic that would change any opinions on the subject, so your statement that the conservation work you’ve done on the carronades has uncovered no markings that can directly link them to the USS Shark would still leave the two carronades histories uncertain. Repeating what others have already said elsewhere: Circumstantial evidence makes it seem probable that they came from the Shark, but as of yet there is still no way to be sure.

[Cannoneer]

After my reply #3 was posted, 'bbajdek' responded with a post giving some details about the "Shark" and the carronades he was at that time working on, he then deleted the reply he had posted and took leave of the forum. Naturally I found this all slightly mysterious, so I contacted my man Douglas to see if he could clue me in on anything, and he not only could, but did. I don't think Double D will mind me sharing this, so:

"Douglas,

This new member who is a conservator with the CMAC (Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation) department of Texas A&M University responded to my reply with a post which he then deleted, and I'm assuming that you then removed the post itself; I'm kind of confused, what was all of that about?

John"
_____________________________________________________________________________

"I saw what he wrote...I think he released some information about the work that he should not have, especially that there was another wreck in the area around the same time frame that carried similar guns and there were some markings found on the hardware in concretions. It sounds like he is working on his thesis so he probably is a graduate student......................"


Well Brennan evidently completed his thesis, and everything worked out fine, because I ran across this the other day. The two different pattern 18-pdr carronades did come from the USS Shark.

http://nautarch.tamu.edu/crl/Report15/index.htm

[Zulu]

This came from that very interesting link that Cannoneer posted above
Am I missing something?  I would have placed the weight at 1004 lbs.
Zulu

"The weight of the gun is 10 hundred weight, 0 quarters and 4 pounds; roughly 1,124 pounds total. "

[Double D]

Long hundred weight is 112 pounds.

Do look at that link John posted it is pretty cool!!

[dominick]

I guess it would have been several months before Washington found out they lost a ship.