One big cannon

[major bill]

In 1864 the Charles Knapp Fort Pitt Foundry in Pittsburg cast some very large cannons, the XX-inch Rodman Gun. These huge cannons weighed 116,000 (also said to be 115,000) pounds and the carriage weighted another 36,000 pounds. These cannons could fire a thousand pound projectile up to 5 miles. In the world of Civil War guns, these were monsters. To the great relief of some horses, these would not normally be considered field artillery to move with an army.

 

[AndyHall]

Found this online, of an example at Fort Hancock, at Sandy Hook. I guess you really don't have to put a chain and bicycle lock on that one:

 

[Private Watkins]

Holy Cow Batman...!

 

[Patrick H]

Yup. That's a BIIIIIIIG cannon right there. No question about it. I wouldn't want to be standing anywhere near it when they touched her off! I wouldn't care to be on the receiving end of those big round shot, either!

 

[major bill]

Andy I will volunteer to load the 125 pounds of powder so all you have to do is lift that 1000 pound ball and we would be ready to fire. Sadly the explosion would probably break every window in that building.

 

[AndyHall]

Andy I will volunteer to load the 125 pounds of powder so all you have to do is lift that 1000 pound ball and we would be ready to fire. Sadly the explosion would probably break every window in that building.

No doubt.

From 1921 through WWII there was a U.S. Army Coastal Artillery battery here, Battery Hoskins, that had a pair of 12-inch rifles. There was a middle school just a few blocks away, and local lore has it that every time those guns were fired, it broke windows at that school.

 

[major bill]

It is my understanding that no lathe existed that could work the gun and a massive lathe had to be made to finish the guns.