Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-11-04
THE GREATEST GUN ~ THE WORLD
ITS FRET THCEDrE--!Ts TcI:L I. ETTJ5S5-fH.
nnnLr rrLcE.UAEw. az Tie AlL. -.

, ITS FlRnT THCSDrE---.B ~iri. : r'''J9oo- ~
! GR9AT PELcE XAKgg ~ TIE AoE, -.
From the Rev "ofk Aerali, tci. ~
! Fort Hamilton .SdG .ha i;;:.!ii ct tc;f
! interesting M. in.::Lutir6 Ginb ya.'i"i:i=y 49,
/! TIE triai 0! tee greet twtTi?-;cc:i ho3!5a;
! gun. Az ito crout vas Hiln!; hrjV":i, ::'sre
wcra r,esent NJ tbs rial 7c.y iaE,G. nu':G*'t
OF c:!iz.as, "a wall 10 military u-c naval ""
! fie.rs.
Around tho eun Mas a CAV! 81 EaVeFHi
hundred, eagerly engaged i" 5"inute:y IS
| aiming and wondering d. i'd :,ii2sa proper
tions. Though this gun ms aj!@@df b*S;s
described, i. will not ~ o'tI .; Pi;'i, ha"e T.
sag that it weighs ns.riy h:s s';i:3ret AZ,
s,vsrtaen ihGYsar,l rr'iiia, III. c:rf:hIa &c
in nrczortiou. It.. ,iaa;a:hf CT y5i!Ersas e
nearly six fas. &. the breach, Eai lis k:rs Is
! twsuiy inches. The soil! shot i! ;.Tn7ga *
one thousand aid aisaty p7Nnd5 ID weight.
| and tho regular charge oG poEaa- iii GRO ham
| dred pounds, which may he .heTse:"d 10 dTe
hundred and twenty-five pounds, Il greater
range or extraordinary IneIner:nin ID required
TO DO impaired to tic terrible El!H'iics. IL -
! calculated that thsTe are few armGred shiFs
aloat whCse sides th:z monster "an'a @1'
crash.
The gun WAS frat loaded will. The regular
! charge Uf powder, {ona hundred ro:,Hddti o
I
! the spectet3ra. The report was no. tcuas?
| than that of ten -r0uu3er Parrot, !a:isd
/ with solid shG., n0r Yaa il IGar 81 airiil.--
| Probably i. lid lot create 80 gTca: co!ala'-
zion Of the atmosphere, GGd could E0t 20 heard
cd far Ga examining .ha monster t0;:a The
effout, il WIGS noticed that it had 5TtT Ga,Ghsi
| to roll itself back dedsinluilg Gh0:si tho t'at.
| The air Has fuIphI.oIs :nc /: c3GaIicraS.3 1is-
| tanoe around it.
This time "big fellowh Was !Ji'i:"i with
| fifty pounds Of powder -! '.ii'i sho:
| weighing one thousand AMI eighty F1u:2s.-
The shot was driven viz hundred III eig.::
hundred; yards .ksE is dropped ia tho iiay,
rioochetted two Or ,hrsa tiuiIs, krcoEins lP
flashes Of ep:ay as largo 20 ship in id.i sasl
and twic. as high. and finally Disappeared III
the waear. On examining the guu nttar thlH
discharge it Wss found to hsve Eic7ed OIL liz
carriage jus. encngh IL shoA .hst ii gisT
huw 10 work and work easy,
TIC fnaI rial yes.er:lar w:I iF fdf i'.t:
most interesting aud important &! o.! shat pre-
coded it. Great impatienoe for tbs result Tss
manifested by the spectators. hea7y aao~
cassion OF the gramld ~ W;!l rs isIs atIn1s-
pliers Wa COW io1kod fr, sna :sf-c YES just
enough Of anxiety for tho sai6tp q TIE gi'.ns,
who was now become pet sm0Eg Acsd VINO
vera not familiar with its powaTa 80 lert ths
additional charm Of excitement to the interest
hitherto felt. The gun had NV in s full sbsrae
of ono hundred pounds OF poaisr end 1850
pound ball. At length il was loaIed, and it
vas announced that he fuss VISA 20 be fred i
Every one rushed cut Of the wsy. and many
took shelter behind the redcubts Of tho fort
The fuse hisssd and famed, but, while ell
waited brssthlessly for the fash, it cnl9 turn
ed out to DO ga fash in the pan" The fuse
failed An officer went mp, who must haze had
great confidence in tho gun, and snapped the
cap, and Of won't the big gun. Tbs report
was very little louder than the ons which i'm
mediats,y preceded II. There was 10 pelesp.
tibls conoassion of tie ground, and. indeed,
very little of anything to lead you TO think
thst the greatest gun known to exist had then
been fred.