Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-08-17
Enormous Cannon.


One Orbau. an Hungarian metal founder, having
passed over from the Emperor's into the Sultans
service, received SO many gifts and such liberal
appointment from his new master, that had ne oeen
offered but . fourth part as much by the Greek
ministry, he would never have dreamed OF quitting
the imperial city. Mohammed inquired of him,
whether he would cast cannon capable OF crum-
bling the walls of Constantinople. at is in my
power" replied the Hungarian, "to cast cannon
of any calbre that is desired, and grind the walls
of Constantinople and Babylon into powder; will
answer for my science extending thus far; but !
cannot pronounce to what extent the shot will
range" The Sultan gave him directions to proceed
with the casting, but not to trouble himself about
the range of the shot which should be subsequently
determined.
As specimen Of his skill, Orban cast q cannon
for the great tower on the Bosphorean Channel, and
trial Of its range was made upon the first vessel
which sailed past without hauling in her sails. A
Venetian ship, commanded by one Riel, was made
use Of as target and afforded satisfactory evidence
of the perfeetness Of the casting, as well as the
range of the shot It was struck, severed asunder,
and sunk. The captain and thirty of his crew
escaped the dangers Of the turbulent current in
boat but reaching the shore, fell into the hands
OF the Turkish garrison. They were loaded with
letters, and brought before the Sultan at Didymo-
tichen by bis orders the sailors were beheaded the
captain impaled, and their dead bodies exposed to
rot in the open air. This barbarous scene was
witnessed by Ducss the historian, who was resi-
dent at DidymotichoA at that period.
Mohammed was so perfectly satisfied with the
founders skill and the result of the trial. that he
directed the construction of prodigious battering
piece twice large the first in fact the largest
which is recorded in the annals of the "tormentorum
bellicorum." It vomited stone balls twelve spans
in circumference and twelve hundred pounds in
weight; was moved with great difficulty by fifty
pair of oxen, and was committed to the manipula-
ton of seven hundred men.
When the casting was completed, the piece was
transported to the gate of the palace Dechthannuma
(fo- the spectacle Of the world lofty pile which
had just been finished at Adrianople; and on this
spot it was, for the first time, loaded with Infinite
trouble
would be discharged the next morning. 1t was
feared that without such warning, the terror &C.
casioned by its report might have been attended
with the most disastrous consequences. The morn
ing dawned, the piece was fred of, TN immense
cloud of smoke enveloped the whole city, its thun
ders were heard for several hours in the distance
and the shot buried tsefa fahom deep in the ground
at distance of mile from the spot whence it was
discharged. By the trepidaton which it spread,
far and wide, this enormous masterpiece of pyro-
techny at least bespoke the gigantic schemes of Con-
quest on which the grasping mind of its owner was
intent:
This: cannon, together with two smaller pieces,
which discharged balls of 100 pounds weight, was
subsequently employed at the siege Of Constants.
nople, where it was stationed opposite the gate Of
st. Romans, which was afterwards denominated the
"Cannongate," name it has retained to the pres.
ent day. 1t consumed two hours in loading, and,
on the first day, was discharged seven times, the
eight firing was on the second day, when it gave
the signal Of attack. Though it afterwards bnrsted
and destroyed its founder, it speedily repaired
and continued to be used seven times day, but
without producing the effects which had been antic-
ipatsd from it-Von Hammers History Of the
Turks.