Technicians say it was live.
Photos from the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal
Frederick, Md (KM) The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office Bomb Squad safely disposed of a piece of Civil War-era ordinance Monday night in Frederick County.
Technicians were dispatched to a home at Glen Court Hill in Jefferson where a homeowner had been given a cannonball which was possibly live. After examining the device, technicians determined it was live, and safely removed it from the home. it was taken to the Beaver Creek Quarry in Hagerstown for disposal.
The Fire Marshal’s Office says the cannonball was given to the homeowner by another family member who discovered it near the Monocacy National Battlefield.
Officials say it’s not unusual to find Civil War-era ordinance in Maryland. Even though that conflict ended in 1865, many of these devices are still live, and could explode. “If you should uncover or are unsure if an unidentified object may be military ordinance, be safe rather than sorry. Stay away and call 911,” says State Fire Marshal Brian Geraci. “Marylanders need to be mindful that military ordnance, even vintage artifacts from previous conflicts, have the potential to explode.”
By Kevin McManus