Police: NYC cannon found loaded with gunpowder, ball
NEW YORK (AP) - An 18th century cannon was found loaded with gun powder and a cannon ball Friday during a routine cleaning at the Central Park Conservancy.
Residual gun powder was spotted after a piece of rust was removed from the cannon, exposing the cannon ball, New York City Police said. Authorities were summoned to remove the gun powder and make the cannon safe for public display. The cannon came from a British Royal Navy Ship, the HMS Hussar, circa 1763 to 1780.
"We silenced British cannon fire in 1776 and we don't want to hear it again in Central Park," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.
Packing material, gun powder and a cannon ball are occasionally found inside cemented cannons when they are X-rayed during routine cleaning. A spokeswoman for the Central Park conservancy had no comment.
Residual gun powder was spotted after a piece of rust was removed from the cannon, exposing the cannon ball, New York City Police said. Authorities were summoned to remove the gun powder and make the cannon safe for public display. The cannon came from a British Royal Navy Ship, the HMS Hussar, circa 1763 to 1780.
"We silenced British cannon fire in 1776 and we don't want to hear it again in Central Park," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.
Packing material, gun powder and a cannon ball are occasionally found inside cemented cannons when they are X-rayed during routine cleaning. A spokeswoman for the Central Park conservancy had no comment.
We should study that gun powder for indications of changes in our atmosphere :)
WE NEED TO OUTLAW THESE VIOLENCE-INDUCING OLD RUSTY CANNONS!!!
"We silenced British cannon fire in 1776 and we don't want to hear it again in Central Park," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said. Â
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Yeah, don't want to disturb the peace and quiet of New York city or anything.
Hmm... 200+ year old gunpowder... wonder if it would even "fire up" anymore... hasn't exactly been stored in a dry, air-tight container... (Not that I'd want anybody to try to find out... just curious...) Â
Cool old antique cannon, though..! Â Â :-)
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 @margay1 that's the kind that you say "naah, it won't fire....." boom
NYPD spokesman Paul Browne needs to learn a little bit more about his country's history before he goes off half-cocked.
....during a routine cleaning........
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Must not have been cleaned that often to miss the gun powder and cannon ball for a couple of centuries.
Pretty cool finding stuff like this some 200 years later.