Trivia 2-9-17 Member Two Society

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Athen's Double Barrel Cannon made by Athen's Steam Company designed by John Gilleland
Two cannon balls joint together by a chain, one in each barrel.
One Cow and a chimney on a log cabin when the chain broke and balls went on different paths.
Sets on the lawn of Athen, Georgia City Hall
Souece: http://www.aboutnorthgeorgia.com/ang/Athen's_Double_Barrel_Cannon
 
Although designed by John Gilleland, esteemed member of the home guard unit known as the Mitchell's Thunderbolts and employee of Cook and Brother Armory in Athens, Ga, it was cast at the Athens Steam Company.
It shot 2 solid balls connected by a chain.
It is rumored to only have killed some cows (There is a reason there is only one).
It is on the City Hall lawn in Athens, GA.

It has an interesting story, as told here: Athens Double Barrel Cannon.
 
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Who made this gun?
What ammunittion did it use?
How many casualties were caused by it?
Where is it now?

credit: @GELongstreet

Made by John Gilleland
It used twin three inch cannon balls connected with a chain
The only casualty was a cow killed during test firing
The cannon is now on display at City Hall in Athens, Ga. , It is pointed north
 
This question proves that history can be fun! Here are the answers, if I can stop laughing long enough! :bounce:
http://www.aboutnorthgeorgia.com/ang/Athen's_Double_Barrel_Cannon is a hilarious account of this fearsome looking weapon.
Made by Athens Steam Company, Athens, GA
Used two cannon balls connected by a chain
It never worked because the two cannons wouldn't fire simultaneously as they were supposed to do. However, it was reported that the test firing did produce one casualty, a cow.
"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.
"Some reports claimed two or three spectators were killed by the firing. The reports of the deaths have not been substantiated."
There are some unsubstantiated reports (from a much later date) of the cannon's being used in battle.
It currently stands on the lawn of the Athens, GA city hall, facing north, just in case (per the last sentence of the article).
There is lots more exciting and entertaining history of this weapon (or at least legends connected with it) in the above article. Just don't try reading it while drinking a beverage!
 
This STUPID thing was another Confederate ordnance failure of the war. In theory, it was SUPPOSED to simultaneously fire two solid shot connected by a long chain which would then take out a swath of attacking infantry. (The theory isn't as far-fetched as it may sound - chain shot had long been a staple of naval warfare, wherein lengths of chain were fired at an enemy ship's sails and rigging and could damage them sufficiently to render a sailing vessel immobile and helpless.) The trouble with this was getting both barrels to fire at the exact same time - if they didn't the projectile would go off on an unknown tangent and likely kill or maim your own men! Of course when it was test fired, that's exactly what it did, sailing off somewhere and supposedly killing a nearby cow. As I recall, the thing is displayed in Macon (?), Georgia today.

Edit - Response is correct on the type of ammunition and number of casualties, but fails to name the maker and is incorrect on the current location.

Hoosier
 
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color version of similar cannon:
upload_2017-2-9_12-26-58.png

Edit - Response does not state answers to questions.

Hoosier
 
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Athens Steam Company (The gun was designed by John Gilleland)

The Cannon is a double six-pounder

killing a cow (Some reports claimed two or three spectators were killed by the firing. The reports of the deaths have not been substantiated. The Watchman promptly reported the test an unqualified success.)

on the grounds of City Hall in Athens, Georgia

Edit - Response does not mention chain.

Hoosier
 
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The double-barreled cannon was built in 1862 by John Gilleland in the Athens Steam Company in Athens, Georgia. It fired two six-pound balls that were connected with a chain. Being a technical half-baked failure there were no casualties as it never saw battle, however a cow was killed during a test firing. Being used as signal gun in Athens it is still there, standing on the front lawn of the Athens City Hall.

Edit - There were quite a variety of answers to this question.

The first part of the question asked who made the cannon. That could be interpreted to mean either the inventor, John Gilleland, or that factory where it was manufactured, the Athens Steam Company, which was later renamed the Athens Foundry. I'll accept any of these answers.

The second part asked about the ammunition. I think the essential point is that it fired two balls connected by a chain. I don't care about the size of the balls, but players would have had to mention the chain to get credit for a correct response.

The third part asked about the number of casualties. Sources have been presented indicating that the correct answer is zero (human casualties), one (cow), two or three (spectators), five (one Yankee lieutenant killed and four wounded), or three (one killed and two wounded at the Battle of Jack's Creek). I will accept any of these answers.

The fourth part asked about the current location. The correct answer is Athens, GA. If players wanted to specify the location more precisely, that was fine, but I couldn't give credit for any answer that didn't mention Athens, GA.

Hoosier
 
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