Author Topic: Sunday cannon hunt (Read 1270 times)

kappullen · « **on:** August 14, 2005, 03:36:11 PM »

We went on a cannon hunt in Fredrick County Maryland.

We ran into these as well as a couple of others today.
I won't say exactly where they are because I don't know if the owners would like them spread all over the internet.

If anyone has specific questions, e-mail me.

This is a breach loader like featured by cannon mania with a swinging breach block.

This was in a bout club as a signal cannon

This is a 1 1/2 pound Britt cannon of Rev war time.

We had a very lucky day today.

Cheers.

Kap

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #1 on:** August 14, 2005, 04:17:27 PM »

You covered a lot of history in those few pix!

What a variety - many that are worth researching!

entsminger · « **Reply #2 on:** August 30, 2005, 03:13:25 AM »

I live in Arlington Va and am not to far from frederic MD and would love to see these cannons. I understand your reluctance to put the location on the net but could you send me a phone number of the place to me personally. I promice to keep it confidential.

Scott Springston
sdakss@aol.com

Dictator · « **Reply #3 on:** August 30, 2005, 10:54:10 AM »

Sometimes it's interesting what you just run into. I travel a lot for my job and came across this 20 lb Parrott just by luck standing out in the court house square in the small town of Eldora, Iowa. I try to alway have my camera with me. It payed off that day. Another day, when I didn't have my camera, I came across 2-30lb Parrotts mounted in concrete at the entrance to a cemetery in Osage. Iowa. As it turns out, my gun battery, the 2nd Iowa Light Artillery fired these 2 30 lbr's at last years 4th of July celebration. 5 Lbs per gun simultaneously at night. I guess it was something to see. I'll be back through Osage some day soon, and this time I'll have my camera ready:

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Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #4 on:** August 30, 2005, 12:18:46 PM »

Quote from: Dictator

.... 20 lb Parrott just by luck standing out in the court house square in the small town of Eldora, Iowa. .... 2-30lb Parrotts mounted in concrete at the entrance to a cemetery in Osage. Iowa. ....

I have college friends from both towns.

I grew up in Grinnell - where they have a French 75 in the park down town. I think most every town in Iowa has something. What a trip to plan - to do an historical town-hopping picture taking/posting trip. Hmmm. Contest? Hmmmm.

Dictator · « **Reply #5 on:** August 30, 2005, 12:30:28 PM »

You know, that might be fun. Now that you mention it, I think I have seen that gun in Grinnell. Thinking back, there's one in McGreggor, Marion and if I think back about all the ones i've forgotten about, there is a lot of them scattered around Iowa

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #6 on:** August 30, 2005, 01:43:36 PM »

And do I not remember TWO HUGE mortars on the West side of the capitol building in Des Moines?

Some naval guns too (alrge ones) used to be on the East side.

The capitol building in Vermont (Montpelier0 has a couple of really large cannon in front as well.

It would really be fun to be able to fire salutes from each one - ok, I know I'm dreaming!

kappullen · « **Reply #7 on:** August 30, 2005, 01:48:59 PM »

You guys are right!
The cannon are everywhere.
This one is in Finksburg Maryland when it's not off at the range.

We are very heavy with iron, and bronze in my area.

kap

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #8 on:** August 30, 2005, 02:02:05 PM »

OK then, on with the chase.

Because pictures take SO long to load, how about one weekend cannon/mortar chase per topic ?

Someone is going to ask WHERE, so intersection of streets and town will make a map search successful.

AND someone else is going to ask for every character that is readable on the cannon, so include it too. Obviously a description and some history (if known) would be fun too.

Dictator · « **Reply #9 on:** September 19, 2005, 01:54:31 PM »

I know we shouldn't put up so many pictures, but I had to show a couple. You were right Tim, It's been a long time since I had been to the Iowa state capital, but there it still is, an authentic Dictator on the west deck of the capital. I was going close to the capital last week when I remembered this thread and thought I'd stop & have lunch next to this old girl. Below is the story of this particular mortar. On the lower right belly is the foundry #553.
One thing I never noticed before is these mortars have, what appears to be,2 fuse vents. You can see them on the one shot from the rear
Granted to Iowa by an act of Congress, this 13-inch seacoast mortar was shipped from a naval yard in Washington, D.C., in 1895. The 22,000-pound mortar was cast in 1861 at Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania. It was mounted on the North Atlantic Squadron gunboat "Matthew Vassar" and used in the bombardment of Forts St. Phillip and Jackson (1862) and of Vicksburg (1863) during the Civil War. The mortar was given to the state as a reminder of that war.

There's also that lovely 100 LDR next to it---later

GGaskill · « **Reply #10 on:** September 20, 2005, 08:58:19 PM »

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/102267/91405Iowacapitalguns006.jpg" target="_blank">

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This picture is enlightening. It appears that the apparent "band" on some of these mortars is actually a narrow machined surface while the remainder is left in the as-cast state. It may be related to holding while drilling the bore. It would be interesting to know how that was done.

By the way, one vent was drilled all the way through. The other was drilled to within one inch of the chamber. If something happened to the through one in the field, it could be plugged and the other one drilled through without returning the mortar to an arsenal.

Dictator · « **Reply #11 on:** September 21, 2005, 11:32:53 AM »

Thanks G.,
That makes sense. One thing I noticed about this guys is that for having sat outside in the elements for better than 100 years, It's in amazingly excellent condition. Even the bore shows little weathering. Next time I'm buy it, I'm going to mic the bore and get an exact ID dimension just for the fun of it.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #12 on:** September 21, 2005, 12:29:44 PM »

Great pix - much as I'd remembered. Do I remember that at one time there were two? I'll have to sort through some OLD pictures.

I have only a 6" and a 12" calipers - now a reason to get one bigger!

Thanks for posting the pix!

(Redoing the computer here - they really look bad at 640x480 - I NEED to get the right display driver!)

Dictator · « **Reply #13 on:** September 21, 2005, 02:22:10 PM »

I think you're right Tim. The last time I had been to the capital before this was 1977 & I thought there was 2 of them also. If you want to make another topic on this, I will post pics of the 100 lbr Parrott also. I don't want t make this too big and slow to load

Joe

kappullen · « **Reply #14 on:** September 21, 2005, 04:53:39 PM »

Those are nice photos Mr Dictator,

We have two of those in Baltimore on North Ave and Mt Royal Ave.

This is one of the pair.

There ia another on Sullivans Island in South Carolina.

There may be one in downtown Charlston on the water fromt as well

These are a couple more shots from Sullivans Island.

Kap

Dictator · « **Reply #15 on:** September 22, 2005, 01:28:37 PM »

That's a nice group Kappullen