Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1828-09-16

into the Sultans's service rece;vad !
many gifts and such liberal abDointmen =
rom MS new master, that, had he been Il
tered but a fourth part as nuch bv ~
Greek ministry. he would never bav,
dreamed OF quitting the imnerial c;tv
Mohammed inquired of him wbatbor I,
couio cast cannon capable of crumblins
the walls OF Constantinople cit IS Is
my power" replied the Hungarian Ct,
cast cannon of any calibre that Is des;r
ed, and grind the walls of Constant;nonl.
and Babylon into powder; 1 will answer e.,
my science extending thus far. but / can.
not pronounce to what extent the shot Will
range" The Sultan gave him direction.
to proceed with the casting. but not r.
trouble himself about the range of ths
shot, which should be subsequently de.
termlned. AS a specimen Of his skill
Urban cast cannon for the great tower
on the Bosphorean Channel. and trial 81
Its range was made upon the FIRST vessel
winch sailed past without hauling in bar
sails; A Venetian ship, commanded by
one Klcl, was made use of as taruet
and afforded satisfactory evidence of the
perfectness of the casting, as well as the
range of the shot. 1t was struck severed
asunder, and sunk. The captain and
thirty OF his crew escaped the dangers of
the tubulent current in a boat but ON
reaching the shore, fell into the hands Of
the Turkish garrison. Thu y were loaded
with letters, and brought before the Sill
tan at Didymotichon; by lis orders the
sailors were beheaded, the captain imnal.
GU ana thelr dead bodies exposed to rot
In the open air. This baEbarous scene
was witnessed by Ducas the historian who
was resident at Didymotichon at that ne
Rod.
Mohammed was so perfectly satisfied
with the founders skill, ami the result of
the trial, that he directed the construction
OF prodigious battering phce. twice as
large as the first ; in fact the Iaroest which
is recorded in the annals of the c tormen-
forum bellicorum." 1t vdnited stone
balls, twelve spans in circumference, and
twelve hundred pounds in weight, was
moved with great difficulty by fifty pair of
bullocks, and was committed 10 the mani.
pulation of seven hundred men.
When the casting was completed, the
piece was transported to the gate of the
palace Dechthannuma Tor The spectacle of
the world lofty pile, which had lust
been finished at Adrianopls; and on this
spot it was, for the first time, loaded with
infinite trouble. Notice was then given to
the inhabitants that it would be dlscharg-
ed the next morning !; it was feared that,
'.-isi.ous sucn warning, the terror occa-
stoned by its report might have been at
tended with the most disastrous conse-
quences. The morning dawned, the
piece was fred off, an immense cloud of
smoke enveloped the whole city, its thun-
ders were heard for several hours in the
ditance, and the shot buried itself fathom
deep i'll the ground, at the distance of a
mile from the spot whence it was discharg-
ed. By the trepidation which it spread
far and wide this enormous masterpiece
of pyrotechny at least bespoke the gigant-
lex schemes of conquest on which the
grasping mind of its owner was intent.
This cannon, together, with two small
Ter pieces, which discharged balls of 100
pounds weight, was subsequently employ
ed at the siege of Constantinople, where it
was stationed opposite the gate of st. Ro-
mans, which was afterwards denominated
the /" Cannon-gate," name it has retain
ed to the present day. 1t consumed two
hours in loading, and, on the first day,
was discharged seven times; the eighth
firing was on the second day, when it gave
the signal for an attack. Though it af-
forwards burst, and destroyed its founder,
it was speedily repaired and continued to
be used seven times day, but without
producing the effects which had been an
.ticipated from it. Won Hammers HistO-
ry Of the Turks.