Posted on 08/05/2003 11:52:21 AM PDT by chance33_98
Ceremonial Cannon Explodes Injuring Scout

A Boy Scout who lives south of Salem lies in critical condition at a Portland hospital. He was struck by shrapnel from an exploding cannon at Camp Meriwether.
So far, there's no hint why the ceremonial cannon didn't work as it had many times before.
As investigators look into the accident, the family of Chris Kroeker prays for their son who remains in intensive care at Legacy Emanuel hospital.
The small cannon that typically sat atop an ocean-side bluff at Camp Meriwether was completely blown to bits.
The cannon peices critically injured 16-year-old counselor Chris Kroeker, who is a scout from troop 476 in Aumsville, near Salem.
"It's a small, 2 foot bore black powder cannon," said Don Cornell from the Boy Scouts of America. "It's fired on retiring the colors on selected evenings to salute the American flag.
But instead of simply making a noisy blast as it had done so many times before, the cannon didn't work at Friday night's flag ceremony.
So after most of the 350 scouts had gone, Kroeker tried again to fire it. This time, it disintegrated, severely injuring his head with shrapnel.
"The young man operating it was very responsible," said Cornell. "And witnesses say it looked like he did everything by procedure."
Kroeker was also actively trained in the use of black-powder, musket type rifles used by older scouts for target practice. They've been used safely at Camp Meriwether for years.
Kroeker who finished his sophomore year at Cascade High School is active in wrestling, football and track.
He is described by his dad as an extaordinary person, and an ultimate outdoorsman who loves life.
In light of the terrible accident, the cannon-firing ceremony has been terminated permanently.
At the same time the long-popular black powder rifle program has been suspended for review.
I'm thinking that it probably was a 2-foot-long smooth-bore cannon.
2 foot bore!
What they most likely meant was a 2-bore which meant that it would hold a ball that took 2 to equal one pound of lead. While I'm sure this one didn't have a projectile, they could have used the wrong powder (gun not black), overly large or double load, or there could have been an obstruction.
Prayers for this scout and his family and friends and troop.
Someone's prank gone terribly awry, perhaps?
I would think that could only happen if they were doing reloading at the camp. While that's a possibility, I'd tend to doubt it.
overly large or double load,
Could that much pressure be generated even with a double load if the bore was clear?
or there could have been an obstruction.
I'd consider an obstruction the most likely cause.
I would think that could only happen if they were doing reloading at the camp. While that's a possibility, I'd tend to doubt it.
I'm positive they were using loose powder, ceremonial cannons of that type don't have a cartridge of any kind
Could that much pressure be generated even with a double load if the bore was clear?
It is possible but not the most probable cause...
Most probable is an obstruction, although hard to say since these scouts were familiar and trained in blackpowder weaponry... It takes a VERY high pressure spike to burst a cannon breech, the thing that gets me is that it didn't go off the first time. I wonder if there was something in the breech that shouldn't have been there (gunpowder etc.) and they loaded on top of it not noticing the breech depth was incorrect... Then it becomes murder if he dies.

"Awful Explosion of the 'Peace-Maker' on board the U.S. Steam Frigate Princeton, on Wednesday, 28th Feby. 1844"
Colored lithograph, published by N. Currier, New York, 1844.
It depicts the explosion of a heavy gun on board USS Princeton, in the Potomac River, which killed or mortally wounded seven and injured about twenty people. Some of those present are identified below the image, including (from left): Mr. Wilkins; Mr. Perrine; Lieutenant Hunt; Representative Virgil Maxcy, of Maryland; Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur; Captain Beverly Kennon, Chief of the Bureau of Construction, Equipment and Repair; Thomas Gilmer, Secretary of the Navy; Captain Robert F. Stockton; Sailors; Senator Phelps and Senator Thomas Hart Benton. Maxcy, Upshur, Kennon and Gilmer were among those killed. Stockton and Benton were among the injured.
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