Show GUNS OF ANCIENT TIMES cannon used by br t sh in france in 1847 in 1427 when the english in nor inanely made their last assault on mont st michel under lord scales they attacked it with several power ful engines and certain of war says an old writer they trained a battery so furiously against the walls that they made a breach among these formidable weapons were two enormous wrought iron guns which they were compelled to leave behind on being obliged to raise the siege they are still on exhibition with some of their projectiles in a railed inclosure just inside the main entrance to the town the guns are of the kind formerly called bom bards and are of different sizes the larger one has a caliber of nineteen inches 30 inches being the greatest external diameter and 12 feet the total length of which about 3 feet 4 inches belongs to the smaller pow der chamber in the rear it weighs very nearly six tons the other gun weighs about a couple of tons less is of 15 inches caliber and 11 feet 9 inches long these weapons are not cast but built up guns being form ed of longitudinal bars about three inches wide arranged like the staves of a cask and bound round closely with wrought oron hoops the miche lets as they are called are most likely of flemish worl manship their projectiles are made of hewn granite and these for the larger gun have been estimated to weigh pound apiece the powder chamber is capable of holding about forty pounds of explosive |