Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-14
GUN FIRED BY SUN
THEOLOGICAL GIFT
Reproduction of Quaint Dial
Presented institute by
Watch Company.

A reproduction of the quaint sun dial
gun, popular in Europe during the sew
enteenth century, which Is discharged
ut high noon by the suns rays falling
through burning glass upon a powder
fuse has been added to the already ex-
tensive collection of antique timepieces
OF the Theological Institute of America.
The continuance was presented to the
Institute Monday, on the occasion of its
annual meeting, by the Hamilton Watch
Co. through a personal representative,
II. l.. Beehler.
The sun dial gun in the possession of
the company, from which the reproduc-
ton was constructed, was built by Ros-
seau Of Paris in the seventeenth century
and sold at that time for about 5000.
Cannon on Marble Base.
Upon a marble base is mounted a
small brass cannon, whose touch-hole
has been elongated into a groove that
exactly parallels the north and south
line on the dial. Immediately above the
cannon is mounted burning glass lens.
which, mounted upon struts, can be set
for the various months of the year.
When set for December the glass Is four
inches lower than when set for June.
This Is necessary because the sun Is
much lower in the sky during the Win
Ter than during the Summer.
The little gun is loaded every day with
approximately teaspoonful of powder
and the long touch-hole is sprinkled
lightly with powder. A dry wadding is
rarnmed home in the muzzle of the gun
and when the dial is mounted upon the
parallel for which it is cut, the gun
would discharge at IL o'clock, noon,
nred by the concentrated rays OF the
sun as it crossed the line.
Sultan Owns Sun Dial Guu.
The Sultan of Morocco owns a sun
dial gun of this type. Sun dial guns
may be found in several European towns
and they were sometimes used on ship
board. Very often the burning glass was
simply mounted above the gun and the
gun set on a swivel. This was neces-
sary on shipboard due to the fact that
the gun would have to be set due north
and south by the ships compass. Thus
the gun fired approximately at noon,
and was often known as the MONDAY
gun.
The invention of the first successful
ship chronometer practically eliminated
the use of the sun dial gun on any but
third rate vessels.
Notwithstanding the fact that their
usefulness has passed, the sun dial guns
are most interesting mementos Of the
inventive genius of a past generation.
Of Mount Vernon, N Y, president; VIII
liam Ramsay and Paul Moore, both Of
Washington, as first vice president and
executive secretary, respectively. Other
omcers named were L. N. Cobb, Cleve-
land, Ohio, second vice president; John
J. Bowman, Lancaster. Pa, treasurer.
Members of the executive committee
elected were Edwin F. Lilley, Milford,
Mass; Charles F. Miller, Lancaster, Pa;
w. Calver Moore, Philadelphia, Pa, and
T. Edgar Wilson, New York City. Mem
bers Of the advisory council reelected
for terms Of three years were Ferd. T.
Haschka, New York; Walter Lugrin,
New York; w. Calver Moore, Phila-
delphia, and Paul Moore and William
Ramsay, Washington. New members of
the council elected were William Sam
elius, Elgin, ILL.,; Ludwig A. Stab, Bal
timore, Nd, and T. Edgar Wilson, New
York.