Captain Kidd's Cannon
Encyclopedia
Captain Kidd's cannon is an iron
cannon
that was discovered in 2007 off of the coast of Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic
. The cannon is believed to be part of the wreckage of the Cara Merchant, a ship that was commandeered and later abandoned by Captain Kidd in 1699. It is the first pirate cannon that has been recovered from the Caribbean
. One of 26 cannons found off the coast of Catalina Island, it was first taken to Indiana University
's School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation for investigation and research before being displayed in the exhibit National Geographic: Treasures of the Earth at the The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
in Indianapolis
, Indiana
.
is 27 centimetres (10.6 in) long. The width of the trunnion
is approximately 44 centimetres (17.3 in). The diameter of the cascabel
is approximately 39 centimetres (15.4 in). The length of the cannon itself is approximately 209 centimetres (82.3 in). Upon retrieval from the ocean, the cannon was encrusted with coral and the salt water had caused rusting and deterioration.
-encrusted on the cannon allowed scientists to better understand the dynamics of the 1699 wreck of the Cara Merchant. It is believed that the ship, once abandoned by Kidd, was looted and then set adrift and ablaze down the Rio Dulce.
An underwater science lab conducted electrolytic
conservation treatments to remove salt from the years of immersion in the ocean. Indiana University will construct a mold of the cannon and make museum-quality, exact reproductions which will be sent back to the Dominican Republic for development of a land-based exhibit on shore by the shipwreck. The cannon will continue to undergo the electrolytic conservation treatment when it arrives at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis for the National Geographic Treasures of the Earth exhibit.Following the discovery, Indiana University has designated the site a "Living Museum in the Sea."
The cannons, anchors, and wreckage from the Cara Merchant were first discovered by a local man who reported what he had found to the Dominican Republic's government. The government made a request to Charles Beeker who has been conducting research in the Dominican Republic for nearly twenty years and his research team at Indiana University to investigate and examine the remains. Beeker, the director of the Office of Underwater Science at Indiana University has been authorized to bring the cannon to his lab for five years for conservation and observation.
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
that was discovered in 2007 off of the coast of Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. The cannon is believed to be part of the wreckage of the Cara Merchant, a ship that was commandeered and later abandoned by Captain Kidd in 1699. It is the first pirate cannon that has been recovered from the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. One of 26 cannons found off the coast of Catalina Island, it was first taken to Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
's School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation for investigation and research before being displayed in the exhibit National Geographic: Treasures of the Earth at the The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the world's largest children's museum. It is located in the United Northwest Area neighborhood on Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums. It is with five floors of exhibit halls...
in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
Description
The cannon is made entirely of iron and weighs approximately 680 kilograms (1,499.1 lb). The cannon muzzleMuzzle
A muzzle may be:* the snout of an animal* Muzzle , a device that covers an animal's snout* Muzzle , the mouth of a firearm* Muzzle , a song on The Smashing Pumpkins album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness...
is 27 centimetres (10.6 in) long. The width of the trunnion
Trunnion
A trunnion is a cylindrical protrusion used as a mounting and/or pivoting point. In a cannon, the trunnions are two projections cast just forward of the centre of mass of the cannon and fixed to a two-wheeled movable gun carriage...
is approximately 44 centimetres (17.3 in). The diameter of the cascabel
Cascabel (artillery)
A cascabel is a subassembly of a muzzle loading cannon - a place to attach arresting ropes to deal with the recoil of firing the cannon.Generally comprising the knob and the neck , with particular models also featuring a filet . By some definitions, the cascabel additionally includes the base of...
is approximately 39 centimetres (15.4 in). The length of the cannon itself is approximately 209 centimetres (82.3 in). Upon retrieval from the ocean, the cannon was encrusted with coral and the salt water had caused rusting and deterioration.
Recovery and conservation
The cannon was found about 70 feet (21.3 m) off the coastal waters of Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic. The cannon was only 10 feet (3 m) below the surface of the water. After it was extracted from the ocean, the cannon was transported to Indiana University to be studied. Initial investigations of the coralCoral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
-encrusted on the cannon allowed scientists to better understand the dynamics of the 1699 wreck of the Cara Merchant. It is believed that the ship, once abandoned by Kidd, was looted and then set adrift and ablaze down the Rio Dulce.
An underwater science lab conducted electrolytic
Electrochemistry
Electrochemistry is a branch of chemistry that studies chemical reactions which take place in a solution at the interface of an electron conductor and an ionic conductor , and which involve electron transfer between the electrode and the electrolyte or species in solution.If a chemical reaction is...
conservation treatments to remove salt from the years of immersion in the ocean. Indiana University will construct a mold of the cannon and make museum-quality, exact reproductions which will be sent back to the Dominican Republic for development of a land-based exhibit on shore by the shipwreck. The cannon will continue to undergo the electrolytic conservation treatment when it arrives at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis for the National Geographic Treasures of the Earth exhibit.Following the discovery, Indiana University has designated the site a "Living Museum in the Sea."
The cannons, anchors, and wreckage from the Cara Merchant were first discovered by a local man who reported what he had found to the Dominican Republic's government. The government made a request to Charles Beeker who has been conducting research in the Dominican Republic for nearly twenty years and his research team at Indiana University to investigate and examine the remains. Beeker, the director of the Office of Underwater Science at Indiana University has been authorized to bring the cannon to his lab for five years for conservation and observation.