They were most likely spent solid round shot, sort of like cast iron bowling balls. They hit the ground and then roll and bounce a long way until the come to a stop. They were designed to do that as the bouncing balls played havoc with massed troops. So Tom is correct in thinking many would wind up in a low point like that road, although I would think that that road was a long way beyond their impact point and they simply rolled into that cut. There is nothing in the photos to give size relationships but they are most likely 8, 12, or 16 pound balls as that was what most light field artillery was in those days, that road is very narrow because those balls are smaller than most folks would think.
Tom C wrote: > > To your question... Where then are the craters from the canon balls that > must have landed *off* the road, in the likely softer soil? > > I would guess they don't really weigh THAT much and were moving at a > relatively low velocity. > > Another alternate explanation could possibly be that the road, being > relatively high, slightly sloped and comparatively smooth (less friction), > allowed the canon balls to roll to the low point when they hit the road. An > object in motion tends to stay in motion. Since they were likely all shot > from the same direction and I would guess, at a relatively oblique angle, > their momentum might be such to propel them off the road. > > Still thinking. :-) > > Tom C. > > >> From: "Kenneth Waller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Reply-To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List <pdml@pdml.net> >> To: "Pentax-Discuss Mail List" <pdml@pdml.net> >> Subject: Re: Chicken or Egg Photo Story - NY Times >> Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 23:50:24 -0400 >> >> I agree. >> >> BTW, if the balls actually landed on the road & weren't placed there, where >> are the craters? >> >> Kenneth Waller >> http://tinyurl.com/272u2f >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "graywolf" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> >> Subject: Re: Chicken or Egg Photo Story - NY Times >> >> >>> Why is it so interesting? I see nothing that makes any difference to >>> anyone but >>> a few folks who want to be taken for pundits. The lighting shows that >> the >>> sun >>> was more overhead in the second photo, but if the photographer was into >>> faking >>> his photos, he could well have lied about the time he took them. It >>> reminds me >>> of the title to one of Shakespeare's plays, "Much ado about nothing". >>> >>> >>>>> Subject: Chicken or Egg Photo Story - NY Times >>>>> >>>>> http://tinyurl.com/2oczre >>> -- >>> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >>> PDML@pdml.net >>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >>> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >>> follow the directions. >> >> -- >> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >> PDML@pdml.net >> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >> follow the directions. > > > -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
