Object found in parking lot ID'd as Civil War-era artillery shell

Star-Telegram ^ | 1-12-07 | DOMINGO RAMIREZ JR

[Pontiac]

Is this the actual shell?

If it is and they believe they can handle it in this fashion why are they bothering to defuse it?

[RightWhale]

The shell has not been fired and is not a dud. It is also not a solid piece--bolt--so is likely still filled with powder. Got to wonder if any pressure is being applied by the upper hand in the photo.

[Dysart]

The Star-Telegram photographer(Laurie L. Ward) has her name attached to the picture so I certainly believe that it is THE shell.

Your second question is a very good one. I don't know what they are thinking.

[Yardstick]

At first, a robot was used, but the shell was too heavy for the robot to lift...

Had to be a little embarrassing for the robot.

[Zack Nguyen]

No weapon was found with the shell.

Hilarious. What a find it would have been if there were. Come to think of it, the article never states that a Union artillery man wasn't there. How do we know?!

[PAR35]

Got to wonder if any pressure is being applied by the upper hand in the photo.

I don't think they used contact detonators, did they? Weren't they time fuses?

[SamAdams76]

I reckon the South is fixin' to rise again.

[kalee]

ping

[j_tull]

I didn't know the world's finest quarterback had a fort named for him. 8^)

[Pontiac]

Did they ever say he had an arm like a "Rifle"?

Like a Naval rifle.

[RebelBanker]

Impact fuses were rare, both sides generally used timed fuses that depended on the muzzle flash from the gun to light them. The fuses were only put in just before loading, so the shell probably has a wooden plug (like a cork in a bottle) to keep the powder from spilling out.

As long as the shell is still sealed and not heated a lot, it is relatively safe to handle. The problem is that the powder charge inside is likely to be "live" and may have been destabilized by moisture over the years. Several ordnance experts have been hurt when shells they were drilling into exploded when the contents were exposed to air.

[neb52]

They said it was in the landscaping. It could of risen up particularly after the ground was turned up. Things like that happen a lot around South Arlington(city on the Southern border of Euless). It use to be a live artillery firing range during WWII. The Army Corp of Engineers have been continually busy working there as more housing development is built out.

[neb52]

"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."

The City of Fort Worth(named after General Worth of Mexican War fame) would of still been a functioning frontier fort at the time. So it is possible it could be a shipment to the fort or maybe a surrounding smaller defensive position.

[stand watie]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

fyi, i visited Ft Fisher on Friday last with my beloved "duckie".

free dixie,sw