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Show QUNS OF ANCIENT TIMES. Cannon Used by British In France In 1847. In 1427, whon the English In Normandy Nor-mandy mado their last assault on Mont St. Michel undor Lord Scales, v thoy attacked It with "sovoral power- O tul engines nnd certntn machines of wnr." Says an old. writer: "Thoy tralnod a battory so furiously against tho walls that they mado a breach." Among thoso formidable woapona wero two enormous wrought-lron guuB, which they were compelled to leave j behind on bolng obliged to raise the Blcgo. They aro still on exhibition with somo of their projectiles In a railed Inclosuro Just Insldo tho main ontranco to tho town. Tho guns are of tho kind formerly cnllod "bombards" "bom-bards" and are of different sizos. The larger ono ha a caliber of nlnoteou Inches, 30U Inches being tho greatest external diameter and 12 foot the total longth, of which about 3 feet 4 Inches belongs to tho smallor powder pow-der chamber In tho roar. It weighs very nearly six tons. Tho othor gun weighs about a coupVo of tons loss, Is j ot IS Inches caliber and 11 feet 9 Inches long. Theso weapons are not cast, but "built up" guns, bolng form-od form-od of longitudinal bars about throe ' Inches wide, arranged llko tho stavea of a cask and bound round closely " 4 with wrought-oron hoops. The "Mlche-lots," "Mlche-lots," as they are called, aro most j likely ot Flemish workmanship. Their projoctlles aro made ot hown granite j and these for the larger gun have j boen estimated to weigh 300 pounds I apiece. Tho powder chamber Is cap- 2 able of holding about forty pounds of explosive. I |
