Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1900-05-19
DoUBLk-HARRELED CANNON.
IL was the Dependence OF a Georgia
Town During the War.

Town During the War.
From the unsylnpathetic associa-
lions of an Old junkshoP at Athens
ia, there has just been resurTected
one of the most interesting relics Of
he civil war. 1t is double barreled
cannon-thc only one in the world,
and the disappearance Of which after
he close of the war has always been
regretted by those who thought the
aovel weapon worthy OF something
more substantial than oblivion The
cannon is now to be mounted at one
Of the most prominent points in this
city, so that any one coming to Ath-
ens viii be able TO view the relic. The
double barreled cannon was invented
+ 0y John Gilleland. and was cast at
i The Athens foundry. 1t was the pet
Weapon. the pride and hope of an or
yanization composed entirely of patrl-
lrchs. whose object in getting to-
yether was to defend the homes of
Athens from Northern invaders. and
/ Who had such confidence in their
j orowess that they gave themselves
i he pretentious title Of the Mitchell
Thunderbolts.
i The Mitchell Ehunderbolts con-
,eived a plan for wiping out the Fed
4ral troops by whole companies and
regiments. The double-barreied can
lon was to do it. The idea of the in
-entor was to load the douDle-mouth-
I'd cannon with two cannon balls, at
.ached together by log chain.
should the enemy attack Athens the
cannon was to be loaded, the two
charges touched off simultaneously
md the twin shot with its great
i ength of chain. sent tearing into the
ranks of the hostile forces.
The effect, it WAS expected, would
be fearful As the two cannon balls
l.
ward the chain would be draw n taut,
md by the time it reached the hostile
/ -anllS the whirling thunderbOlt would
be fifty feet long, catching in a lead
i v embrace every being that lay along
its front, and leaving in its track
nangled, dead and dying mass OF
humanity. At the end of the chain
the solid shot would knock down
whole files, and the great length oil
the terrible missile would dcmoralize
all who tried to stand up before it.
Soldiers have been said to dodge
cannon ball. or try to. in the instinct
of >elf-preservation; but who could
get away from a whirling devil, that
4 ancOmpassed the entire front Of
company and flew hither and thither,
breaking limbs, smashing heads, cut
ting men in two, and following up
the fleeing ones, as though imbuec
with fiendish powers of intelligence.
1t was calculated by the inventor
that the cannon balls at the end OF
the chain would be given rotary
movement when fired from the gun
50 that the fifty-foot death dealer
would travel in eccentric directions
twisting and turning and doubling on
its tracks, so as to strike death and
terror into the hearts of the soldiers
Of an entire army. Gilleland believed
thata few discharges from his double
harreled cannon would put TO fight
the finest body of veterans that ever
faced artillery fire. Half a dozen fl.
Ity-foot chains, with cannon balls at
tached, would clear a space several
niles in e&tent, and leave the Mitchell
ThunderboIts in undisputed possess.
ion of that part of the earth
With their cannon ready the old
soldiers of Athens felt perfectly able
to take care of their front and keep
Athens clear of the enemy. But
there never was an occasion for the
use of the unique gun. and so the
men of the North were spared the
awful experience Of having to face
this double-mouthed monster and the
world never knew what an Internal
machine had been set up to add to
The horrors of war. After a time he
dOuble-barreled gun disappeared and
for long time it was lost 70 sight.
As explained, it has just been found
in a JunkShop. ard. should any one
desire to test its powers of destruc-
ZION, a permit from the Mayor Of
Athens would probably be obtainabIe.