A Dangerous Lesson in Gunnery.

Manawatu Herald, 18 October 1898, Page 2

A Dangerous Lesson in Gunnery.

A party, including Captain M'Kenzie, of the Permanent Force, Lieutenant Freeman, of H.M.B. Tauranga, and several leading citizens, had a startling experience while witnessing a trial of Mr Arnaboldi's invention for discharging dynamite shells from an ordinary cannon at Auckland.

The inventor used a very old signal gun with a bore of about 2in, recovered from a wreck thirty years back, and since exposed to the weather. Although he had previously fired several charges he expressed some doubts about the weapon just before the experiment. It was loaded with l&lb of powder and a dynamite shell. As the loading of the gun embodies Mr Arnaboldi's secret, the visitors were asked to withdraw, and took up a position 80yds off. The inventor lighted the fuse, and retired behind a stone wall 10ft away. There was a loud report, and the spectators fixed their eyes upon a scoria bluff, which the shell was to have blown up. No second report came and their was no upheaval. Mr Arnaboldi explained that fche piece had burst.

The party picked up pieces of the gun in several directions. One piece, large enough to have killed a dozen men, was close to the wall behind whioh the inventor took refuge. How he escaped is a miracle as he was expoaed above the wall whioh is about breast high. He explained it was not the dynamite that exploded the gun but the ordinary . powder. He had fired several shells -*- out of the same piece owing to^pability to get any other gun. '