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Civil War Cannonball Kills Relic Collector
Aol, AP ^ | May 2,2008 | STEVE SZKOTAK,

Posted on 05/02/2008 8:39:16 PM PDT by fishhound

CHESTER, Va. (May 2) - Like many boys in the South, Sam White got hooked on the Civil War early, digging up rusting bullets and military buttons in the battle-scarred earth of his hometown As an adult, he crisscrossed the Virginia countryside in search of wartime relics -- weapons, battle flags, even artillery shells buried in the red clay. He sometimes put on diving gear to feel for treasures hidden in the black muck of river bottoms.

But in February, White's hobby cost him his life: A cannonball he was restoring exploded, killing him in his driveway.

More than 140 years after Lee surrendered to Grant, the cannonball was still powerful enough to send a chunk of shrapnel through the front porch of a house a quarter-mile from White's home in this leafy Richmond suburb.

White's death shook the close-knit fraternity of relic collectors and raised concerns about the dangers of other Civil War munitions that lay buried beneath old battlefields. Explosives experts said the fatal blast defied extraordinary odds.

"You can't drop these things on the ground and make them go off," said retired Col. John F. Biemeck, formerly of the Army Ordnance Corps.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.aol.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; US: Virginia; Unclassified
KEYWORDS: cannonball; civilwar; dixie; godsgravesglyphs; ordnance
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Rest in Peace. I really admire those who so deeply cherish and know our history.
1 posted on 05/02/2008 8:39:17 PM PDT by fishhound
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To: fishhound

One thing I learned shooting old time black powder guns over the years is that unlike smokeless powder, black powder has a very long shelf life.


2 posted on 05/02/2008 8:42:42 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono (If you don't want people to get your goat, don't tell them where it's tied.)
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To: Inyo-Mono

Hope to build a traditions soon.

Trying to find a civil war history ping list do you know who might have one?


3 posted on 05/02/2008 8:45:11 PM PDT by fishhound (Boycott the Olympics in China.)
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To: fishhound

Color me ignorant, but I didn’t know that old cannonballs explode. I honestly thought that the explosion was in the cannon, which propelled the ball as a projectile and the resulting damage was from impact, not explosion.

How are those things constructed?


4 posted on 05/02/2008 8:46:30 PM PDT by Jedidah
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To: fishhound

What did these cannonballs use for a detonator? Was there some kind of primer/fuse that went off on impact?


5 posted on 05/02/2008 8:47:05 PM PDT by Sender ("Why is it that I can't just eat my waffle?" - Barack Hussein Obama)
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To: Jedidah; Sender

Might have been:

Light fuse

Drop cannonball in cannon

Light cannon fuse

I could be wrong though.


6 posted on 05/02/2008 8:49:17 PM PDT by wastedyears (The US Military is what goes Bump in the night.)
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To: Sender
Frequently a cloth or fiber fuse that screwed into the hollow ball like a plug. Ignited by firing the gun. Could be cut to time the detonation to occur in the air over enemy troops.

BTW, the article mentions "rusty bullets"- Not possible.
7 posted on 05/02/2008 8:50:03 PM PDT by AndrewB
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To: Jedidah; Sender

Don’t know but I do know some where explosive.

Trying to find and ping the civil war or guys in the know on FR.


8 posted on 05/02/2008 8:50:31 PM PDT by fishhound (Boycott the Olympics in China.)
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To: fishhound

“Now, son, gunpowder is very safe, and i’m a trained profeessional. Hand me that blowtorch so I can get started.”


9 posted on 05/02/2008 8:51:40 PM PDT by arderkrag (Libertarian Nutcase (Political Compass Coordinates: 9.00, -2.62 - www.politicalcompass.org))
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To: Jedidah
Civil War artillery fuses.
10 posted on 05/02/2008 8:52:26 PM PDT by AndrewB
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To: fishhound

Holy delayed-reaction, Batman!


11 posted on 05/02/2008 8:53:43 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand ("resort not to force until every just law be defied")
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To: AndrewB; indcons

Great picture.

Fuses...they’re whats for dinner. lol

indcons...Ping Mil History


12 posted on 05/02/2008 8:54:47 PM PDT by fishhound (Boycott the Olympics in China.)
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To: fishhound

On the other hand I could see a few names!
Names I wouldn’t loose sleep over!


13 posted on 05/02/2008 8:55:13 PM PDT by shadowcat
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To: fishhound
Ball with fuse intact. Don't try to open these up if you find one.....

14 posted on 05/02/2008 8:56:22 PM PDT by AndrewB
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To: AndrewB

thanks


15 posted on 05/02/2008 8:58:20 PM PDT by fishhound (Boycott the Olympics in China.)
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To: AndrewB

did they have special wrencheds for these like deck plate wrenches?


16 posted on 05/02/2008 8:59:37 PM PDT by fishhound (Boycott the Olympics in China.)
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To: arderkrag

LOL.


17 posted on 05/02/2008 9:00:19 PM PDT by fishhound (Boycott the Olympics in China.)
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To: AndrewB; Sender
Frequently a cloth or fiber fuse that screwed into the hollow ball like a plug. Ignited by firing the gun. Could be cut to time the detonation to occur in the air over enemy troops.

Hence the "Star Spangled Banner" lyrics: "And the rockets' red glare; the bombs bursting in air"...

18 posted on 05/02/2008 9:00:35 PM PDT by tarheelswamprat
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To: fishhound
Hope to build a traditions soon.

Trying to find a civil war history ping list do you know who might have one?

It is a blast (pun intended) to shoot black powder arms. I've had 'em, all single shot flintlocks, percussion riles, pistols and revolvers. Build it and have a blast. If you need helpful hints about their firing and care, send me a FreepMail. Although I had three great-grandfathers in the conflict, I don't know of a Civil War ping list. Does anyone else?

19 posted on 05/02/2008 9:00:40 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono (If you don't want people to get your goat, don't tell them where it's tied.)
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To: Inyo-Mono

Thanks. I will.

Did you do the match lock at all? A guy posted a deer kill on youtube with one, gun looked 5 feet long.


20 posted on 05/02/2008 9:04:13 PM PDT by fishhound (Boycott the Olympics in China.)
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