A Pennsylvania history buff who recreates firearms from old wars accidentally fired a 2-pound cannonball through the wall of his neighbor’s home in Uniontown, Pa.
William Maser, 54, fired a cannonball Wednesday evening outside his home in Georges Township that ricocheted and hit a house 400 yards away. The cannonball, about two inches in diameter, smashed through a window and a wall before landing in a closet. Authorities said nobody was hurt.
State police charged Maser with reckless endangerment, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.
No one answered the phone Friday at Maser’s home. He told WPXI-TV that recreating 19th-century cannons is a longtime hobby. He said he is sorry and he will stop shooting them on his property, about 35 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
Oops!
Well, that’s okay… now the house is history too.
Cannons don’t kill people, only people kill people. ((Boot to the head.))
Obviously it was an accident. Was he the only charged? What about the rest of his crew? You probably should shoot a cannon in a neighborhood. Maybe rent a field for a few hours when you want to fire the thing off.
His neighbour was a confederate spy he deserved it.
I’d love to hear the call to the insurance company.
Ward: Now Beaver, how many times have I told you not to fire that cannon in the neighborhood. Tomorrow we are going right over to the Schmigles and you are going to apologize.
Beaver: aww, ok Dad. Eddie said it wouldn’t go that far.
Ward: You know better than to listen to Eddie. Now go to your room.
Next Day —
June: Ward, you were a little hard on the Beaver last night.
HAHA! I live in Uniontown and this really doesn’t surprise me! Glad it wasn’t my house!
I think the idea when you fire a replica cannon for some kind of ceremony or historical event is that you don’t use actual cannon balls.
“accidentally fired a 2-pound cannonball”, how does that happen?
I accidentally pointed the cannon at the neighbors, accidentally filled it with gunpowder, accidentally tamped the wadding in, accidentally placed a cannon ball inside, then accidentally installed a fuse, accidentally lit a match and then inadvertently touched it to the fuse. I really can’t understand why anyone would be upset and such a chance set of circumstances happening!?!
DUMB ASS, YOU SHOULD BE SUED INTO NON-EXISTENCE AND ALL OF YOUR OFFSPRING SHOULD BE CHEMICALLY CASTRATED, TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER INCIDENTS OF DUMB-ASS-ERY.
#9 xjonx, from the article it said the cannon ball ricocheted and that he had fired the cannon hundreds of times without incident. the cannon was not pointed at the neighbors.
Believe it or not, but cannon balls will ricochet off the ground.
Would this guy rent this cannon? I’d like to create an accident too…
Hang on. How do you fire a REPLICA cannon AT ALL?
Seems to me it was a real canon, not a replica.
I really HATE IT when that happens. D’oh.
“Oops, missed the guard tower that time.”
Was this a Civil War reenactment, or an “F Troop” reenactment. HAR!
Gee! All I have to deal with is the neighbor rattling his trash cans at 10:00 at night…
If this had been in the South much would have been made of redneck this and redneck that – Bubba and Junior are “At it again, y’all”. But, since this was in Pa. it’s aaaight. Nobody got hurt. It’s cool. Such is Life. Oh well.
Too much back spin causes it to curve. It was an honest mistake. My crossbow does similar shit, I never know what I’m going to hit.
#5 – There was a gay sitcom along the same lines called, “Leave it, it’s beaver.”
exercising his 2nd amendment rights, his next project will be to recreate Fat Man, a la Nagasaki.
I’m sure the NRA will support him.
You need to watch out which way you point those things.
Did I Do That?
400 yards guys! There’s some bragging rights in there somewhere. Wish my neighbor was a quarter mile away.
I shot an cannon into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?
Long, long afterward, in an neighbor’s home
I found the cannon, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.
I don’t believe in the one cannonball theory. There was another cannon and caisson on the grassy knoll.