Another neat oceanic relic....

[acwbullets]

I wasn't quite sure where to put this projectile so I have added it to the artillery section because it basically came out of a hand cannon. This is a civil war ear lance bomb made specifically for the C.C. Brand Bomb Lance whaling gun. Originally it would have had three India Rubber fins that were rolled around the back while the lance bomb was loaded. Upon firing, the fins would have spread outward creating stability. On the very back of the piece is the fuse adaptor which I will post shortly. It is threaded into the piece and has an Indian Rubber gasket to keep out the elements.

[acwbullets]

Here is a photo of the fuse adaptor. The top was full of powder that would have started to burn from the powder charge going off when the gun was fired.

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Was this explosive loaded?  dimentions?  It appears so small.
Regards,
John

[acwbullets]

John,

These were explosive rounds and were probably some of the first types of rockets. I have attached a picture of the back of the piece with the fuse adaptor out so you can see the cotton/wick fuse. This is the small area towards the back that is thin. This entire length is the fuse. The larger area on the front is actually where the explosives are. These were meant to be fired into the heads or vertebrea and explode either killing the whale or damaging the spinal cord so it couldn't move. The front part with the explosive round measures 9.75" in length by .876" in diameter. The back area where the fins attached measures approximately 6.75" in length by .560" in diameter. The entire piece is 17" in length. I am still doing research on the powder charges one would nead to fire this piece. The barrel of the gun is approximately 7/8" in diameter designating this as the CC Brand Lance Bomb Gun No. 1.

[acwbullets]

Here is a picture of the gun that fired the lance bomb. When this gun came into my possession it was still loaded and ready to fire! This gun is solid cast iron and weighs a lot.

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

Hey thanks a lot for the added info.  Certainly and interesting piece. There seems to be no end to the oddities made in th0se days.
Best Regards,
John