Captain Kidd's cannon is an

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

that was discovered in 2007 off of the coast of Catalina Island in the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

. The cannon is believed to be part of the wreckage of the ''

Quedagh Merchant ''Quedagh Merchant'' (; hy, Քեդահյան վաճառական '' Qedahyan Waćařakan''), also known as the ''Cara Merchant'' and the ''Adventure Prize'',Zacks, p. 266 was an Indian merchant vessel famously captured by Scottish privateer Wil ...

'', a ship that was commandeered and later abandoned by

Captain Kidd William Kidd, also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd ( – 23 May 1701), was a Scottish sea captain who was commissioned as a privateer and had experience as a pirate. He was tried and executed in London in 1701 for murder a ...

in 1699. It is the first

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

cannon that has been recovered from the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. It's one of 26 cannons found off the coast of Catalina Island. It was first taken to

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

'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 Children's Museum of Indianapolis The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the world's largest children's museum. It is located at 3000 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana in the United Northwest Area neighborhood of the city. The museum is accredited by the American Al ...

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

Description

The cannon is made entirely of iron and weighs approximately . The cannon muzzle is in diameter. The width of the

trunnion A trunnion (from Old French "''trognon''", trunk) is a cylindrical protrusion used as a mounting or pivoting point. First associated with cannons, they are an important military development. Alternatively, a trunnion is a shaft that positions a ...

is approximately . The diameter of the

cascabel Cascabel may refer to: * Cascabel (artillery), a subassembly of a muzzle-loading cannon * Cascabel chili, a small, round chili pepper * Cascabel, a Shuttle Loop roller coaster at Chapultepec Park in Mexico City * Spanish common name for ''Crotalu ...

is approximately . The length of the cannon itself is approximately . 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 off the coastal waters of Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic. The cannon was only 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

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and sec ...

encrusted on the cannon allowed scientists to better understand the dynamics of the 1699 wreck of the ''Quedagh Merchant''. It is believed that the ship, once abandoned by Kidd, was looted and then set adrift and ablaze down the Río Dulce. An underwater science laboratory conducted

electrolytic An electrolyte is a medium containing ions that is electrically conducting through the movement of those ions, but not conducting electrons. This includes most soluble salts, acids, and bases dissolved in a polar solvent, such as water. Upon dis ...

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 continued to undergo the electrolytic conservation treatment when it arrived 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 ''Quedagh 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 laboratory for five years for conservation and observation.

References

External links

Children's Museum "This Week's WOW" video describing the cannon and electrolytic reduction.
{{TCMIndy The Children's Museum of Indianapolis 2007 in the Dominican Republic Piracy in the Caribbean Individual cannons 2007 archaeological discoveries Articles containing video clips William Kidd