Show Honm4led > WoMtil Cannon There grow In the Interior at Cuba a peculiar tree with a winding grain The wood I Is remarkably tough and to split It by ordinary mean Is I almost Impossibility When wanted for military mili-tary purpose the tree Is I felled 1 a section sec-tion some Iho fret III ICll81h and one foot In diameter Is I selected and cut the bark la I removed and all knot and uneven place on the surface dressed down Tho embryo cannon U I then placed on rude trusses and a bore burned In It with whltehot crowbar or round Iron pipe from the sugar mills This burning out of the Interior I one to still further toughen the I wood While the bore U being burned I green ox hides are cut Into long strips by commencing the centre and workIng work-Ing toward tha outer edge ai you would peel an apple When all li I In readiness one end of this rawhide band which U I about three Inchen In width Is spiked Io the wooden cannon near the lro di A Ism l or bar Is I attached to the butt Two or three stout negroo grasp the arm of tho bar and tlotvly turn the hollowed I log on its suports The band of green hide li I kept under a strain and la this wy i he core 01 the rlon Is I sound with one oi the toughest material oiitMde ot wire In the world The first layer of hldo Is lightly wound to the ranul of the growing gun and back toward he breach lIla to the mUll Ie and bark until a number of anrrmlvo layer have thus been wound on and the promising Pifte Of artillery has grown several Incites la I diameter It is I then placet in a draught of dry hot air and allowed 10 harden When the hardening and curing cur-ing proeeM Ia I complete the peraerver Ing patriot I have a really icrvleettie I weapon which I will I stand a greater train than manufacliirera of modern artillery would readily believe Th rmlstanee of IhU wealherdrled rawhide raw-hide Is next to metal and these rudely constructed cannon have proved for moro Mlltfaetory than those tease from east Ironic one of which it the first fire burnt In a hundred pleers One of Iheee homemade romblnitioa wool and rawhide cannon U amid io have withstood 104 charge ot powder before becoming omelets Tho projcc lie for It were made ot scrap Iron round Hone find firehardened clay UllJ New York Journal |