Another cannon accident

[Jeffrey Cohen]

Here's the thread:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/296584_cannon20.html?source=mypi

Regards,
Jeffrey Cohen

[Carolann Schmitt]

Re: Another cannon accident

The x-rays showed a stress fracture in the barrel and they still fired it?! What part of stupid don't they understand?

[Michael Comer]

Re: Another cannon accident

Worse yet, as I posted on the other forum, is how the community has isolated and ostracized the kid just because he happened to be the victim of the accident and they're more concerned about having something that will go boom at a football game.

[BobbyHughes]

Re: Another cannon accident

I cant believe the reaction of the community as well. Shamefull is less than it deserves. I further cannot believe that the weapon (or rather noise-maker) was fired when known to be defective.... I can smell a willfull negligence lawsuit cooking. This should also go to show that "homemade" cannons aren't a good idea. Safety first isnt a buzzword.

[marine05]

Re: Another cannon accident

Just goes to show you that following proper procedures is the best bet. I would question what this retired Marine Col used as reference material when referring to proper protocols.

Also get a cannon from a reputable manufacturer, not some cumshawed device produced by the school shop. Did anyone of those "crafter" have any cannon casting experience. I'm just surprised it didn't happen sooner.

Too bad for the young man, he was the victim, now he'll never be allowed to enlist in the Corps.

s/f

DJM

[ArtilleryNick]

Re: Another cannon accident

Home made cannons and gun powder = eventual bomb. There is a reason for the thickness of the barrels on the cannons used for our purposes, too thin and it'll go like it did for that poor kid.

[tenthovi]

Re: Another cannon accident

I haven't been over here for a while, and just saw this thread......All I can say is wow! Some people in that town have certain issues. They should be lucky that debris or parts of the barrel didn't end up in the stands injuring others.

I am glad to know that highschool metal shop has the ability to produce ordnance. That is really scary when you think about it. I know several schools around Cincinnati use to do the cannon firing for their football games. After the accident at North College Hill back in 1997 I know most schools around here stopped it, because they saw and heard what could go wrong. Then one school came to me and my parents because we were involved with the Nat'l. Civil War Artillery Assoc., as instructors. We trained several adult members of the staff how to work their gun for games safely. As far as I know they never let any students involved with the firing.

I hope people in that town wake up and realize what happened, and how much worse it could of been.

[Todd Watts]

Re: Another cannon accident

Sounds like the school is liable for stupidity. They let their machine shop students make the cannon "after a previous cannon gave out in the 1980s"?! The tradition is great, but buy a quality repro from Steen or Cannons Ltd or some other maker for goodness sakes! I can hear it now, school administrators, discussing how to get a new gun and save money; "Hey! I got a great idea, we'll let the machine shop build a large pipe bomb and hope it only blows up in one direction!"

Todd