Loaded Revolutionary War Cannon Discovered in Central Park

[Ashley Esqueda]

Loaded Revolutionary War Cannon Discovered in Central Park

A British gun sat ready to fire for over 230 years, until the NYPD stepped in.

It may be over 200 years since the Revolutionary War came to an end, but the British almost got a chance to fire one last shot in New York this past weekend. An antique cannon that has spent the last 100 years on display in New York City's Central Park was undergoing restoration when workers discovered that the cannon has been loaded and ready to fire for over two centuries.

The artillery piece was donated to the city after it was salvaged in New York's East River from a sunken British ship. The cannon was capped with a concrete stopper and put on public display in Central Park from in around 1860 until the mid 90s, when it was brought indoors to keep it from being vandalized.


The cannon was loaded over 230 years ago before the ship that was carrying it sunk, and has remained ready to fire ever since. Approximately 800 grams of fire-ready black powder, some cotton wadding, and a cannonball were sealed inside before NYPD officers disarmed the gun. Let's file this one under "That Could Have Been Bad."

Source: Geekosystem [http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/01/11/exclusive-loaded-revolutionary-war-era-cannon-found-in-central-park/]

[Image credit: Gigi4791 [http://www.flickr.com/photos/85428086@N00/148078512/sizes/z/in/photostream/]]

Permalink

 

[Fappy]

It makes you wonder how many other old war relics are lying around out in the world ready to blow. Here in Georgia you can still find random Civil War artifacts lying around in the wilderness.

 

[juyunseen]

Wait wait. It was ready to fire and they DIDN'T fire it? Come on. Point it at the ocean and blast away. Would have been fun.

 

[MikeWehner]

It makes you wonder how many other old war relics are lying around out in the world ready to blow. Here in georgia you can still find random Civil War artifacts lying around in the wilderness.

Probably more than anyone of us would feel comfortable with. It's kind of like the landmine problem; weapons of war don't surrender once one side wins, they just sit and wait to to kill something.

In this case, I doubt the cannon would have been able to successfully fire the ball, given its deteriorated condition. I imagine if the black powder had been ignited, the cannon itself might have just turned into a giant bomb, which could be even more deadly.

 

[Fappy]

It makes you wonder how many other old war relics are lying around out in the world ready to blow. Here in georgia you can still find random Civil War artifacts lying around in the wilderness.

Probably more than anyone of us would feel comfortable with. It's kind of like the landmine problem; weapons of war don't surrender once one side wins, they just sit and wait to to kill something.

In this case, I doubt the cannon would have been able to successfully fire the ball, given its deteriorated condition. I imagine if the black powder had been ignited, the cannon itself might have just turned into a giant bomb, which could be even more deadly.

I was thinking the same thing. Kind of like when an antique gun backfires DX

 

[Bvenged]

That thing won't be firing any time soon, even if it was loaded with gunpowder. Look at the state of it!

Worst case scenario, and I mean an incredibly unlikely if even possible worst case scenario, it blows itself up if someone had tried to set it off deliberately.

It might have been a danger 200 years ago, but now it's far, far too damaged to pose a threat.

 

[Radoh]

There's a story ready to write itself.
A comedy about a British cannon accidentally going off into some schmo's apartment in New York sparking a war with the Brits.

 

[Kargathia]

It might have been a danger 200 years ago, but now it's far, far too damaged to pose a threat.

Decidedly deteriorated bronze tube, filled with gunpowder, held in place by a large metal ball? That's not a cannon, that's a fragmentation grenade. Pretty sure we can call that a threat. Also do keep in mind that by that time the British navy was in the habit of using pre-packed charge dishes, as they were waterproof. that, in combination with it being sealed by a cannonball, pretty much ensured it didn't get wet.

 

[Orks da best]

Well glad someone didn't try to ingite it, and didn't someone think to check the barrel beforehand?

Thats gotta be some old gunpowder.

 

[Zhukov]

Can black powder sit around that long and still be, y'know... boom capable?

 

[Bvenged]

It might have been a danger 200 years ago, but now it's far, far too damaged to pose a threat.

Decidedly deteriorated bronze tube, filled with gunpowder, held in place by a large metal ball? That's not a cannon, that's a fragmentation grenade. Pretty sure we can call that a threat.

Wasn't it water-damaged? That gunpowder can't still be combustible after all that time. gunpowder certainly isn't water proof and if it spent nearly 200 years outside...

 

[King_Julian]

if it stays dry then i dont see why not but the cannon was found at the bottom of a river so maybe not.

 

[RandomMan01]

Can black powder sit around that long and still be, y'know... boom capable?

It can if it's dry, and I'm pretty sure 200 years is long enough for that to happen, even if there's a concrete stopper in it.

OT: I'm kind of curious as to how they only found out recently.

 

[Kargathia]

Can black powder sit around that long and still be, y'know... boom capable?

Technically, yes. It's less reliable though, but by no means harmless.

Wasn't it water-damaged? That gunpowder can't still be combustible after all that time. gunpowder certainly isn't water proof and if it spent nearly 200 years outside...

Edited that in as after-thought, but I'll just say it again: if you check the video, you'll see a copper dish holding the gunpowder, much alike a cookie jar. That's a cartridge, used by the British navy to make the loading process faster, safer, and more reliable. The advantage over the cloth sacks used before was that - you guessed it - they were water-proof.

 

[McMullen]

I think this highlights a really important issue that isn't being talked about enough: artillery control legislation.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

So there was cannon standing around in a public park and not a single nutcase tried to put a fuse in and light it for two centuries?

I am disappoint.

 

[Spartanmk1]

I can assure you. After that time the powder has degraded to the point where if it was going to off, it would have. Once you add moisture to black powder it tends to not burn. 200 years of sitting dormant in a wet environment like Manhattan, the powder is useless.


However, cannons are one of those awesome things that will always work no matter what. As long as the Breech is clear and undamaged it will fire. No moving parts, no way for it to mechanically fail.

 

[roushutsu]

I'm just surprised that it took this long to discover that. How did no one notice that it was loaded when they salvaged it in the first place?

 

[Slash2x]

It makes you wonder how many other old war relics are lying around out in the world ready to blow. Here in georgia you can still find random Civil War artifacts lying around in the wilderness.

Probably more than anyone of us would feel comfortable with. It's kind of like the landmine problem; weapons of war don't surrender once one side wins, they just sit and wait to to kill something.

In this case, I doubt the cannon would have been able to successfully fire the ball, given its deteriorated condition. I imagine if the black powder had been ignited, the cannon itself might have just turned into a giant bomb, which could be even more deadly.

I was thinking the same thing. Kind of like when an antique gun backfires DX

Looking at the article it was CAPPED. So that was just a bomb on display.... Still active..... "look kids that could kill you right now!"