Hilton Head Steam Gun

During the Spanish-American War, Hilton Head Island was home to the last of thirteen Steam Guns manufactured by the Spanish. It is located at Hilton Head Island, SC 29928. The “Steam Gun” was an experimental naval-artillery unit that harnessed pressurized air to fire a dynamite projectile at 100-yard range. The gun was located on a ringed concrete platform about 130 yards from the shore. The steam gun never engaged any enemy targets. By 1902, it was considered obsolete.

The Union Army also built the Fort Welles Hospital and Wharf. The military hospital is still intact today, but the Wharf was destroyed by a hurricane in 1892. Several other forts were built on Hilton Head in the early 1900s, including the Hilton Head Steam Gun. Although the “Steam Gun” was not a success in battle, the fires it produced did little to discourage Patriot resistance.

During the 19th century, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, was a prominent coastal artillery installation. It was home to a large cannon called the Steam Gun. This device harnessed pressurized air to propel explosive dynamite charges. Its range was far greater than that of the largest naval cannon at the time. It was located on the shore of a sand dune, a mere 130 yards from the beach. It fired 100 times over its short lifetime. It was not used in battle. It was dismantled in 1904. The gun is now a historical artifact.

Hilton Head was the site of several early fortifications. First, a Scottish settlement built a palisade fort on St. Helena Island in 1684. The Scottish settlers also established a lookout post on Braddocks Point on Hilton Head. During the Yemassee War of 1715, Pinckney Island was also built as a fort to defend against Spanish fleets. There was also a lookout post on Hilton Head Bluff. In 1686, a Spanish attack on Stuart Town caused the lookout post to be burned to the ground.

Another fortification was built along Skull Creek. It was originally called Battery Gillmore. In early 1862, the Union built Fort Mitchell as a coastal artillery battery on the bluff overlooking Skull Creek. It was designed to house five or six heavy guns. It was built to protect the U.S. Navy coaling station at Seabrook Landing.

Fort Walker, or Fort Welles, was also built on Hilton Head Island. It was named after Gideon Welles, the secretary of the Navy. In 1861, Union troops occupied the Island. They built a large base around the fort, a military hospital, and a wharf. They also built a large naval base on the nearby sea island of Port Royal. Over 12,000 Federal troops occupied the Island and fought for the Union. Eventually, Port Royal was occupied by Confederate forces during the Civil War. It was a major center of slavery and secession.

Several attempts were made to create a steam cannon. One of these experiments was undertaken by Leonardo da Vinci. He believed that a water barrel would expand into vapour, causing it to eject a projectile. He also believed that the water would blast the projectile out of the barrel if it reached a certain temperature. He also designed a steam cannon with a barrel of green copper inside a red copper casing. Eventually, he transferred his experimental steam cannon to the arsenal of St. Petersburg.

The Hilton Head Island Steam Gun was also an experimental cannon. The cannon fired 100 times in its short lifetime, but never targeted an enemy. It was considered useless by 1902. It was dismantled in 1904. There is still evidence of the steam gun on the island today. There are ruins at the location, and visitors are welcome to explore them. Day trips to Hilton Head from nearby historic towns like Beaufort, SC, and Bluffton, SC, often include stops at Civil War landmarks and early artillery sites.

Another experimental cannon was the Zalinski Pneumatic Dynamite Gun, also known as a steam cannon. This device fired a 100-pound canister filled with dynamite three to 3.5 miles. It was used on Hilton Head and other sea islands during the early 19th century.