| The restoration of the cannon began on 1/21/10
and should be complete in the spring of 2013. The cannon is stored
in water and using electrolytic reduction to remove the ocean corrosion.
The work is being done by Mike Niles on James Island located near
Charleston, South Carolina. |
|
|
|
Mike Niles shown on 1/19/2012 brushing the 1,750 pound Parrott Rifle cannon - inside bore 79" - it shot 20 pound rounds. |
On Friday, October 29, 1861, The Governor, a steamer paddle ship, was caught in a storm of the South Carolina coast near Georgetown. The ship was going from Fortress Monroe to Port Royal and "stood well until 4 pm". Then the port hop brace was broken in two place and the smoke stack was lost. The steam pipe burst. At 5 pm, she put up rockets to attract attention in the violent wind. Saturday, October 30, 1861 the cylinder head blew out. The Smith & Rover and Sabine came to offer assistance. The men jumped on the Sabine. Provision were thrown overboard to lighten the load. About one half of the 19,000 cartridges were saved. The company books went down. Seven people were killed while approximately 400 men were rescued. Other ships in the area were the Rhode Island, U.S.S. Isaac Smith , and Young Rover. |
|
