The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1862-10-10
The History Of Cannon.


The following extracts from Mr..
Hesdley's article in Hsrper's for
October sre just now Of groat inter.
est: f4t
"There is great discrepancy
among writer's as to the time in
which artillery WAS used. Tho
word cannon is evidently derived
from tho French word came, a
reed;' aud they were fret made OF
wood wrapped in numerous foljs OF
linen, and secuted by iron hoops
Some say the Chinese used them
eighty years after Christ, and that q
deserter from Hsliopolis introd uced
them into Greece 10 676. Conde,
in his history Of the Moors OF Spain,
says they used them in the attack
and defense OF fortified places as
early as I1S; and 80 on down till We
have Cordovs. in Spain. besieged
by artillery in 1880. Ferdinand Nv.
is said to have taken Gibraltar from
the Moors by artillery 10 1903. -
There seems to be good reason for
believing that Spain and Italy used
artillery about this period. Many
doubt these statements, and assert
that there was not ten years. differ.
ence in the :ime in which artillery
was used by the principal powers of
Europe. Taking this view, they
place its introduction in tho com.
mencement Of the fourteenth centu.
ry.
"Lonis Napoleon seems to find no
authority Tor their being used in
France till 1909, in which year five
hundred little cannon of a paine de
0ngeur were made 10 the town OF
Perouse. Others say that there is
found 10 tho archives Of Tourn.y
statement that, in 1916, the town
council having heard that q worker
in tin, named Peter Bruges, knew
how to make an engine named 'con.
noiles' which could throw lesden
balls, ordered him to construct one.
lie did so, and presented for their
inspection a hollow tube weighing
two ponnds. THIS, at their request,
he fired off, and though to their sur.
priso, they could not SEQ the flight
Of the bail, they found that it had
killed man beyond the second wall
Of the town. This 80 frightened
Peter that he fled to a church for
safety. In view, however, Of all
the circumstances he was granted a
free pardon. This seems good an.
thority; and other circumstance
render i. probable that the general
Introduction oi artillery into Eu.
rope could not have been much an.
tecedent to this. II is hardly cred-
IDLE that in military age, when
the art Of war was the chief study Of
all European princes, two centuries
could have elapsed after its intro
dnction into Spsiu and Italy before
It was used BY the bordering pow
ers. Tho knowledge Of such an in.
vention must have travelled fast in
those war.!ike DAYS when might
made right. This also seems prob.
able from one OF tho letters OF Pe-
trarch, who was born IN 1904. He
says: Il am astonished that thou
dost not possess those brszsn globes,
which, impelled by fire, start OFF
with q horrible noise. Was it. not
sufficient that the anger OF an i'm.
mortal God should thunder from
the sky. but must fragile being
thunder in the eartha This scourge,
till lately, was 80 scarce as 10 be
looked upon as a protigy; bu' now
that men's minds arc apt for the
most wicked deeds, it has become
common
In contract to this may be mems
toned.
THE Latest ARTILLERY INVENTION.
"The Warrior, it is said, has an
invention on board, which it is
claimed will give her an advantage
independent of her shot proof sides,
that will make her overwhelmingly
superior 10 any vessel that ever
hoated, BY it she 10 enabled to
Il row molten iron into an enemy's
ship. A cupola furnace is con-
structed on board for melting iren,
which is poured into a thin sheli
which breaks in pieces on entering
a slip, leaving the molten mass i'm.
bedded iE the timbers. Several sp-
psrently iDsuperablN objections sug.
gest themselves to the practicibilty
OF this strange scheme and we pre-.
Dict i,s abandonment. Still it might
be success; if 90, it 10 q horrible
one, for no wooden vessel could
withstand many broadsides Of snch
shot. II would hardly have begun
to fight before it wonld be in flames.
TIE FEpRRALs IN WILLIAM BURa.
g ,t,rJ,pia ,cI,,pnnd En1 ;,,sr hoa