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Athen's Double Barrel Cannon


Subdeacon Joe

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Athen's Double Barrel Cannon

 

Ah, the faith people have in their own inventions:

 

The Cannon is a double six-pounder, cast in one piece, with a three degree divergence from the parallel between the barrels. Each barrel has its own touch hole so it can be fired independent of the other and a common touch hole in the center is designed to fire both barrels simultaneously.

 

Then reality strikes:

 

The Cannon was taken out on the Newton Bridge Road in April 1862, for test firing. The test was, to say the least, spectacular if unsuccessful.

 

According to reports one ball left the muzzle before the other and the two balls pursued an erratic circular course plowing up an acre of ground, destroying a corn field and mowing down some saplings before the chain broke.

 

The balls then adopted separate courses, one killing a cow and the other demolishing the chimney on a log cabin. The observers scattered in fear of their lives.

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Did you see the double barrel cannon made on American Guns show?

 

As a side note...I live 20 miles from Athens.

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I enjoyed reading a bit further in the article:

 

"According to Legend the Cannon was placed in front of the Town Hall as a signal gun and loaded with blank shot. Dr. Moore was appointed master of the Cannon and was to fire the blanks on the approach of any Yankees. The women and children were to gather in the Town Hall and the men were to form a circle around the Hall and sell their lives dearly.

 

One Sunday morning the women and children were in church and the men napping at home when some boys fired the gun. Pandemonium resulted, the churches broke up, the women ran screaming into the streets and the men went running through the town in their underwear. When the dust settled the Town Hall was packed full of men and the women were pounding on the door trying to get in."

 

Can't ya just picture that on film....."The Yankees are comin', the Yankees are comin'"......

 

LL

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Athen's Double Barrel Cannon

 

Ah, the faith people have in their own inventions:

 

 

Then reality strikes:

 

 

There have been many strange inventions of fireams . . . some worked out Ok . . . many did not. Very interesting, . . thanks for posting. :)

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Athen's Double Barrel Cannon

 

Ah, the faith people have in their own inventions:

 

 

Then reality strikes:

 

 

There have been many strange inventions of fireams . . . some worked out Ok . . . many did not. Very interesting, . . thanks for posting. :)

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I enjoyed reading a bit further in the article:

 

"According to Legend the Cannon was placed in front of the Town Hall as a signal gun and loaded with blank shot. Dr. Moore was appointed master of the Cannon and was to fire the blanks on the approach of any Yankees. The women and children were to gather in the Town Hall and the men were to form a circle around the Hall and sell their lives dearly.

 

One Sunday morning the women and children were in church and the men napping at home when some boys fired the gun. Pandemonium resulted, the churches broke up, the women ran screaming into the streets and the men went running through the town in their underwear. When the dust settled the Town Hall was packed full of men and the women were pounding on the door trying to get in."

 

Can't ya just picture that on film....."The Yankees are comin', the Yankees are comin'"......

 

LL

 

With Barney Fife trying to bring his version of order to it all.

 

 

And Andy just shaking his head.

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There have been many strange inventions of fireams . . . some worked out Ok . . . many did not. Very interesting, . . thanks for posting. :)

 

My pleasure. I would be almost willing to bet that firearms have seen more really strange things that seemed like a Good Idea tried than any other class of goods. Sounds good, looks good on paper, but when put to the test fails epically. For example: http://www.weirduniverse.net/blog/comments/albert_bacon_pratts_helmet_gun/

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My pleasure. I would be almost willing to bet that firearms have seen more really strange things that seemed like a Good Idea tried than any other class of goods. Sounds good, looks good on paper, but when put to the test fails epically.

 

Yeah, like this "smokeless powder" nonsense/ :P

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The Navy fired chain and bar shot for years without needing a double barreled gun. :rolleyes:

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Now, how do you know that they never killed any sea-cows?

 

They killed plenty back in the day. And it wasn't by accident. Good eatin'. :lol:

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