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Letter to the Editor
St. Marys Pirates president disputes safety claims after parade cannon incident
Posted
My name is Allan Haney, I am the Founder, President and Captain of the St. Marys Pirates Club.
I would like to correct some information in your article that is incorrect. It was stated that the young man was injured by something that was fired out of our cannon during the parade.
It was announced that we would be banned from next year's parade unless we change our safety procedures for black powder firing.
First, let me state that our club does not, under any circumstances, use any type of wadding or any material that could become a projectile as was inaccurately stated in the news release.
We strictly follow the safety procedures set down by the North South Skirmish Association, a nationally recognized organization tasked with overseeing all reenactments held on historic Civil War sites throughout the country. They are the only organization allowed to operate the events that take place in our National Parks.
Our blank loads are assembled according to their strict guidelines. The powder is wrapped in a non-flammable packet which disintegrates upon detonation. The only thing that exits the muzzle is burning gas.
The practice of pouring loose black powder down the barrel of a cannon to load is both reckless and strictly prohibited by any organized reenactment group that takes part in any legally recognized event. The reason being, a small leftover ember from previous shots could easily ignite and explode the powder causing serious bodily injury.
Under no circumstances will our club adopt this dangerous procedure. This is the reason all our charges are wrapped in non flammable material prior to loading. We also require that the barrel be swabbed with a wet sponge after each firing to prevent premature ignition, per North South Skirmish regulations.
All our cannon crew members must take a black powder safety class and pass a test that includes hands-on training as well as classroom time to be certified to fire our guns. The class is taught by a retired Firearms Safety Instructor from the state of CT.
The ember which landed on the innocent young man and caused his unfortunate injury came from a small piece of a nylon bunting attached to our bowsprit that fluttered in front of the muzzle when it was fired.
We are taking steps to make sure that this never happens again. We have never had anything like this happen. We have fired over 5,000 rounds from our cannons and pistols over the last 10+ years. We are grateful that the young man is healing and doing better according to his parents.
Allan Haney
Captain Caribbean
St. Marys Pirates Club
