The Fourth of July Cannon

In the years leading up to World War I the Fourth of July was one of McCook’s favorite celebrations. In those days there were still Veterans of the Civil War around, both Northerners and Southerners, who turned out for every patriotic parade, and the patriotic fervor they engendered was contagious. School children, the DAR, civic groups, veterans of the Civil War and the Spanish American War, the Burlington Band, and politicians of every hew, marched that day, to the delight of townspeople of every age. After the parade there was a huge community picnic, followed by a program in the park, consisting of musical numbers and patriotic speeches, which to Ray Search, then just a boy, seemed to be very long winded.

For several years preceding the celebration in 1916, there was a special attraction on the 4th of July. In the Burlington RR shops, several of the machinists got together and decided that what the celebration needed was a real, honest to goodness cannon, the firing of which would serve as a fitting climax to the city’s morning festivities, and begin the afternoon’s activities. Some of the machinists were Veterans of the Spanish American War who had served in the Artillery Corps. They supervised the machining of the cannon, which was of an unknown caliber. It really didn’t matter, since the cannon would just be shooting a blank charge. The noise value of the weapon was the only consideration.

Each year Mr. Murphy, the foreman of the shops was in charge of firing of the cannon. A sort of ritual grew up around the firing of McCook’s Artillery piece. The cannon was packed with a charge of black powder, and then the greasy cotton wadding (from the cleaning of the RR engines) was rammed into place. Mr. Murphy supervised these preparations. Then the cannon was aimed up Main Street (now Norris Avenue). When all was ready, Mr. Murphy would insert a lighted taper into a small hole on top of the barrel. The taper lit a fuse leading to the black powder, setting off the charge. The result was a huge explosion, with much black smoke billowing up from the cannon. much to the delight of the townspeople attending the celebration, especially small boys, such as Ray.

At the 1916 celebration, things had gone well. There was a fine parade, with a goodly number of spectators. The picnic was well attended, and people were assembling to hear the speeches.

Ray was at the train station to watch the firing of the cannon. which would signal the raising of the flag, and the start of the afternoon’s activities. The first shot went off without a hitch. Whether a second shot had been planned, or was just a spur of the moment decision, no one ever said, but immediately after the first shot, while smoke was still billowing up around the cannon, a second round of powder was inserted into the barrel of the cannon. The cotton wadding was placed in the barrel, and Mr. Murphy, himself, took the ramrod to tamp the wadding into place, to ready the charge.

Evidently the barrel had not cooled sufficiently after the first shot, because as soon as Mr. Murphy rammed the wadding home, the black powder exploded inside the barrel. The ramrod, which was being used to pack the wadding, became a projectile, landing atop a tin building two and a half blocks north of the depot, in the lot south of what is now the Fox Theater. Fortunately, no spectators were injured in the unexpected explosion, but part of Mr. Murphy’s hand was blown off. He was rushed to the hospital, and eventually recovered sufficiently to resume his duties for the railroad. But it was decided by the city fathers and the railroad executives, that the cannon, which had been so popular in previous celebrations, was too dangerous, and the 1916 4th of July Celebration in McCook marked its last appearance.

Source: Ray Search Remembers McCook, by Walt Sehnert