Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-03-15
ADOUBLE.BARRELED CANNON.
1t Was the Dependence Of = Georgia
Town During the War.

From the unsympathetic associa.
tions Of an old junkshop at Athens,
Ga, there has just been resurrected
one Of the most interesting relics Of
the civil war. 1t is double barreled
cannon-the only one in the world,
and the disappearance Of which after
the close OF the war has always been
regretted by those who thought the
novel 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.
ems will be able to view the relic. The
double-barreled cannon was invented
by John Gilleland, and was cast at
the Athens foundry. 1t was the pet
weapon, the pride and hope Of an Or
ganization composed entirely OF patri.
archs, whose object in getting to-
gether was to defend the homes of
Athens from Northern invaders, and
who had such confidence in their
prowess that they gave themselves
the pretentous title of the Mitchell
Thunderbolts.
The Mitchell Thunderbolts con-
ceived plan for wiping out the Fed
eral troops by whole companies and
regiments. The double-barreled CAN
non was to do it. The idea of the in
ventor was to load the double-mouth-I
ed cannon with two cannon balls, at
tached together by a log chain.
Should the enemy attack Athens the
cannon was to be loaded, the two
charges touched off simultaneously,
and the twin shot with It's great
length of chain, sent tearing into the
ranks of the hostile forces
The effect, it was expected, would
be fearful, As the two cannon balls
spread apart in their progress enemy
ward the chain would be drawn taut,
and by the time it reached the hostile
ranks the whirling thunderbolt would
be fifty feet long, catching in dead
!y embrace every being that lay along
Its front, and leaving in its track a
mangled, dead and dying mass Of
humanity. At the end of the chain
the solid shot would knock down
whole files, and the great length OF
the terrible missile would demoralize
all who tried to stand up before 1t.
Soldiers have been said to dodge
cannon ball, or try to. in the instinct
Of self-preservation; but who could
get away from whirling devil, that
encompassed the entire front of a
company and flew hither and thither,
breaking limbs, smashing heads, cut
ting men in two, and following up
the fleeing ones, as though imbued
with fiendish powers of intelligence.
1t was calculated by the inventor
that the cannon balls at the enA Of
the chain would be given rotary
movement when fired from the gun,
so 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
barreled cannon would put to flight
the finest body Of veterans that ever
faced artillery fire. Half a dozen ff-
ty.foot chains. with cannon balls at
tached, would clear space severa,
miles in extent, and leave the Mitchell
Thunderbolts 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-moNhed monster, and the
world never knew what an internal
machine had been set up to add to
the horrors of war. After a time the
double-barreled gun disappeared and
for long time it was lost to sight.
As explained, it has just been found !
in a iunkshori ard, should any one
desire to test its powers OF destruc- !
Non, permit from the Mayor OF |
Athens would probably be obtainable