The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-11-04
THE GREATEST GUN IN THE
WORLD.

WORLD.
Its First Thunder-.1ts Trial a Sue.
eess..-rhe Great PeaceMaker Of
the Age, &C.
From the NJ Y. Herald, eth. a
Fort Hamilton was the theatre of very
interesting and instructive scene yester-
day. The trial of the great 20-inch Rod
man gun came Oft there successfully. At
the trial there were present large num-
Der Of citizens as well as military and ma
val officers. An excursion steamer, with
good band on board, came down the bay
and remained off the fort at the head of
the wharf during the time the test - was
being made. The band played patriotic
music, and the steamer displayed the ma
tlonal cOlors, and all the circumstances,
including the serene loveliness Of the day,
made up a lively as well as interesting oc-
casion.
Around the gun was crowd of several
hundred, eagerly examining and wonder
ing at its huge proportions. Though the
gun has already been described in the Her.
aid, It will not be out of place here to say
that it weighs nearly one hundred and
seventeen thousand pounds. The carriage
is in proportion. Its diameter or thickness
is nearly six feet at the breech, and it's bore
is twenty inches. The solid shot it throws
is one thousand and eighty pounds in
weight, and the regular charge Of powder
is Gle hundred pounds, which may be in
creased to ore hundred and twenty-five
pounds, f treat range or extraordinary
momentum IS required to be impaired to
its terrible missiles. 1t is calculated that
there are few armored ships afoat whose
sides this monster would not crush.
THE FIRST SHOT.
The gun was first loaded with the regular
charge of powder; one hundred pounds
blank cartridge, and fired amid the ap-
plause OF the spectators. The report was
not louder than than that Of ten-pound.
er Parrot loaded with solid shot nor was
it near so shrill. Probably it did not
create 50 great a conclusion of the atmos-
phere and could not be heard so far. On
examining the monster tosee the effect, it
WAS noticed that it had only deigned to
roll itself back disdainfnlly about two feet
The air was sulphurous for considerable
distance around it.
TIKI sROOSD SHOT.
This time the "big fellow" was loaded
with fifty pounds of powder and a solid
shot weighing one thousand and eighty
pounds. The shot was driven six hundred
or eight hundred yards, when it dropped
in the bay, richochetted to or three times,
knocking up flashes of spray as large as a
ship in full sail and twice as high, and
finally disappeared in the water. On ex-
aiming the gun after this discharge it
was found to have moved on its carriage
just enough to show that it knew how to
work and work easy. ..
THE THIRD AND LAST TRIAL.
The final trial yesterday was by far the
most interesting and important of all that
preceded it Great impotence for the re-
suit was manifested by the spectators. A
heavy concussion Of the ground as well as
the atmosphere was now looked for, and
there was just enough of anxiety for the
safety OF the giant, who was now become
pet among those who were not familiar
with Its powers, As to lend the additional
charm OF excitement to the interest hith-
erto felt. The gun bad now in full
charge Of one hundred pounds of powder
and 1850 pound ball. At length it
was loaded, and it was announced that
the fuse was about to be fred. Every one
rushed out OF the way, and many took
shelter behind the redoubts of the fort,
The fuse Kissed, but while all wait
ed breathlesely for the flash it only turned
out to be "a flash in the pam" The fuse
tailed. AN officer went up, who must have
had great confidence in the gun, and
snapped the cap and off went the big gun.
The report was little louder than the one
which immediately prece ded it. There
was no perceptible conclusion of the
GROUND, and indeed very little of anything
to lead you to think that the greatest gun
known to exist had then been fired. The
shot whlrled through the air at an angle of
twenty-five degrees at which the gun was
elevated, and after describing beautiful
arc, which was visible to the naked eve.
dropped into the water about four
miles away. The noise made by
the collision of the ball and the mir
in the fight of the former was like the wall
OF giant. 1t is something like the pe-
culiar noise made by hurricane passing
through a ships rigging. 1t was the
scream OF the eagle. The volume of spray
thrown up by the ball after its contact
with the water was so great that we could
not see whether it ricochetted or not,
though many said it did. On examining
the effect on the gun it was discovered
that this time the giant was foaming a
little at the mouth, the smoke of the burnt
powder still oozing from the muzzle. He
had consented to roll himself back five
feet, but in other respects was just as
before
CONCLUSION. ''' .t
Inc gun was now tested. The range is
10 De tested some future day; but at the
proper elevation, and with one hundred
and twenty-five pounds of powder, it is
expected TO be between five and six miles
RHODE ISLAND has Democratic ele1 i.
raj ticket composed OF the first men .ue