Posted on 07/05/2016 8:18:46 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Neighbors tell WOOD-TV the cannon, which was made specifically to celebrate Independence Day, was being fired all day before the explosion.
“I kept hearing the cannon go off,” Larry Jachim told the news station. “‘Fire in the hole!’ to alert everybody because it shakes the windows, and I’m about five houses down.”
“They were just blowing the cannon off all through the day,” added neighbor Dan Fitzgerald, “and I don’t know if he packed it too full or something.”
The explosion, which happened in front of several bystanders, sent shrapnel flying more than 150 yards toward neighboring homes, according to the report. Fitzgerald said a chunk of shrapnel gouged his yard and snapped the clothesline.
(Excerpt) Read more at detroit.cbslocal.com ...
They duct taped three 3/4” thick by 2” diameter plywood plugs from a hole saw together and pounded it into the barrel. The cannon was made from a chunk of 8” cold rolled steel with a 2” bore about 20” long. Even with black powder it would punch a perfect 8” hole through the plywood sheet and lodge itself a few inches into the ground every time we fired it. It was an impressive boom.
Range?
Dont know, we always fired it straight up
Hold muh beer and watch this y’all ...
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