An original tompion from HMS SIRIUS

The eighteenth century sailor, who rammed a wad into the muzzle of a carronade then closed it off with the tompion to prevent water seeping in, would not have believed it would still be in place well over 200 years later.

Tompions (or tampions) that we see today are usually painted replicas, like the red one sitting in the muzzle of this cannon in Norfolk Island.

 
Surprisingly, when the wreck of HMS SIRIUS was dived on and its artefacts brought to the surface, one of the six 18 pounder carronades was still fitted with its original water-tight wooden tompion (made of maple), which had been placed there in 1790 (the year it sank) or in 1787 when SIRIUS sailed from England as flagship of the First Fleet of 11 vessels bound for Botany Bay.

When the tompion was removed from the gun, beneath it were two lengths of twisted twine spliced to a ball of string wadding.

This is probably the only example of an original tompion, over 200 years old, in existence today.

In 1802 ‘Santísima Trinidad’ was the largest*** warship in the world.

Designed by an Irish naval architect, the Spanish first-rate, Santísima Trinidad (Holy Trinity) was built in Havana, Cuba in 1769. Originally designed with three gun decks she bore 112 cannon. Twenty five years later, 18 more guns were added when a fourth deck was created by closing in the spar-deck between the quarterdeck and the forecastle. 

In 1802 her guns were increased and with 4-gundecks bearing 140 guns the ‘Santísima Trinidad’ was reputed to be the largest warship in the world,

Her original armament of 112 guns consisted of 30 × 36 pdrs, 32 × 24 pdrs, 32 × 12 pdrs and 18 × 8 pdrs. She had a displacement of 4950  tons, was 61.3 m long (201 ft) with a beam 16.2 m (53 ft) and  carried a complement of 1050 crew.

When Santísima Trinidad, sailed for Trafalgar in October 1805 with the combined Franco/Spanish fleet she carried more guns than any other ship-of-the line outfitted in the Age-of-sail but ‘due to her great bulk, her helm was unresponsive in the light winds of the day’ and she was targetted by ships of the British fleet.

Having lost her mast she eventually surrendered and was taken in tow. In the devastating storm which blew in the day after the battle, she sank.

Today a full-size representation of Santísima Trinidad sits on the wharf in Alicante, in Spain. This is not a true replica, but was constructed over the steel hull of a merchant ship.

The stern galleries are particularly impressive.

Today the ship is a popular pub, disco and restaurant.

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Ref: Wikipedia and pics in public domain.

1) The Spanish warship Holy Trinity (Santísima Trinidad). Known as "El Escorial of the seas", it was the only ship in the Battle of Trafalgar that had four decks and 136 cannon.

2) Plans of Spanish ship Santísima Trinidad, before conversion to four-decker

4) Infante don Pelayo going to rescue Santisima Trinidad at Battle of Cape St Vincent on 14 February 1797.

Replica/Representation of Spanish ship Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad (Alicante) by MM (2012)
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POST SCRIPT *** 

I have been advised by an informed reader that Santisima Trinidad was not the largest ship in the world at the time. 
Evidence of this fact is substantiated in the comments posted below by: Nautique.
As the detailed evidence is specific and quite extensive I have not included those facts in this post but trust that readers will seek out this information to update their knowledge.
I extend my thanks to the writer of the comment for this.
MM

Gibraltar tunnels and guns

Gibraltar - where The Rock inself hides an intricate network of tunnels dug deep inside it for guns dating back to the Napoleonic period plus later eras.
This gun - near the top of The Rock has no marks on the trunnion.
Note: behind the gun on the rock face are what appear to be caves - these are embrasures for the cannon.

The Windsor Gallery was the first tunnel dug into The Rock of Gibraltar. It was constructed by the Corps of Engineers in 1783 after having taken a year to dig. The heavy guns which stood at the embrasures were all hauled up the mountain by hand. The zigzag road up the side of the hill has a series of iron rings in the rock face which were used for hauling.

Downtown Gibraltar - The plaque reads: These four Russian guns were captured in the Crimea 1854-58 were presented to Gibraltar by the British Government in 1858.
Not exactly Rotherham cannons but may be of interest.

Gibraltar - half way up the Rock looking north to the narrow border with Spain (hidden by cloud) only a mile away. WW2 guns point across Algiceras Bay to the coast of Spain.

Weapons of sea war - 1802

During the Napoleonic wars such lethal weapons were fired from cannon on board fighting ships.
The design of the weapons was to facilitate maximum damage to the enemy - both man and ship.
Here you see Chain Shot and Shot with Points for a 12 pounder smoothbore gun.

I don't expect my forthcoming book to have such devastating effects however I can advise that FLOATING GOLD, and age-of-sail adventure, will be published in late May 2010.

I took this picture in the Maritime Museum in Valparaiso, Chile.