Posted on 01/12/2007 9:07:07 AM PST by Dysart
EULESS — A metal object found at a business parking lot last week has been identified as a 140-year-old artillery shell from the Civil War era, authorities said Friday.
The live round was scheduled to be defused in a few days by the members of the Northeast Explosive Response Team, who retrieved the shell on Jan. 5 from property at Simtek Inc.
Authorities believe the shell could still contain black powder.
“It still had a fuse cap at the end of it,” said Euless fire investigator Vernon Gilmore.
A military official identified the shell this week after being shown photographs of it.
The shell was used with Parrott cannons in the Civil War, authorities said. No weapon was found with the shell.
“There was Civil War activity in Texas, but how that shell got here we don’t know,” Gilmore said. “It could have just fallen from a wagon traveling this area, or a collector could have just lost it.”
The shell was found about 12:50 p.m. on Jan. 5 in the 1500 block of Royal Parkway.
An employee discovered the shell several days before Jan. 5 while doing landscaping work and left it near the parking lot but never reported it. Another employee found it Jan. 5 and Simtek officials called authorities.
Firefighters evacuated the business after they arrived on the scene as explosive experts attempted to remove the 20-pound shell.
At first, a robot was used, but the shell was too heavy for the robot to lift, authorities said.
An explosive team member then grabbed the shell and placed it in a container.
No injuries were reported.
Yes, that is how it ended up in the parking lot. ~sarc.
Old School WMD... I expect we will find the Iraq (Syria) WMD sooner than that...
A battery of Parrott guns at Fort Brady, Virginia. They are manned by the 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery. 1864.
Dixie Ping
lookm= look
No weapon was found with the shell.
Are they referring to his temperament or his mutant super powers?
Do you know why they were called Parrott guns?
Yes, it will still go boom.
Apparently there was Civil War fighting in Texas and what is now known as New Mexico. A collector would probably not want a live shell even if it was a dud. The wagon driver would have not been pleased if this fell off his wagon, so it was probably part of an ammo dump of small size.
Thanks for the ping! I just hope the EOD team defusing this thing is VERY careful. There have been several serious injuries recently from people trying to get the powder out of WBTS era shells - experts on such ordnance. Apparently, there is a nasty chemical reaction possible if there was moisture in the shell when the old powder is exposed to air.
Hard to say. I've been called an "explosive team member" before. But I quashed that sort of slanderous nonsense with a thorough butt-whipping.
The guns and shells were designed by US Army Captain Robert Parker Parrott.
I knew someone would have the answer. Thanks.
Interesting shape. Did it have a sabot?
And I'll bet you did that right quickly too. *\;-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.