Name/Title
Manby Mortar Device and CannonballsEntry/Object ID
2022.2.104.02Description
This Manby Mortar was used at Marblehead in the 1870s. It fired a 5-3/4" diameter ball weighing 24 pounds attached to a rope to stranded and wrecked ships to provide a lifeline to sailors for rescue. The mortar was eventually replaced by a brass Lyle Gun which offered the crew superior range and accuracy for firing the shot line to a ship in distress.
Ship crews that ran aground only hundreds of yards from shore could not expect help and would break up in the surf resulting in the deaths of many crew or passengers.
The first rescue using the Manby apparatus occurred in the early 1800s when crew members were brought safely ashore under Manby's direction.Location
Building
Lifesaving Station MuseumOhio State Park
Marblehead Lighthouse State Park
