Civil war munition claims another life.

NEON DEON · 05-02-08, 05:14 PM

A Civil War collector dies when 140 year old cannon ball explodes.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080502/...lCuAZQ8ShH2ocA

"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."

sunvalleyslim · 05-02-08, 08:09 PM

Based on the story, it seems unbelieveable that it could have detonated. But explosives were made to kill, no matter when or where.........

Yahoshua · 05-02-08, 09:34 PM

The article said he was drilling into the ball or grinding it or something along those lines.

Ducimus · 05-02-08, 09:51 PM

+1 for Darwin?

nikimcbee · 05-03-08, 05:40 AM

I'm surprised the powder was still good.

They had a guy here in ore-gone blow his legs off when he was trying to seperate a WWI 37mm shell for the brass. (meth head?) This just happened a few days ago.

Jimbuna · 05-03-08, 05:56 AM

How very tragic

The only positive being that he lost his life doing what he enjoyed most.

In my area of the UK fisherman off the coast occasionaly get mines off the two world wars entangled in their nets. The clear guidance is to attach a marker buoy and decouple the nets from the boat.

What do the majority of them still do though ?

They leave the nets attached and hang about waiting for bomb disposal to arrive.

I suspect/fear that one day a sudden swell will push the mine into making physical contact with the trawlers hull and, the rest will be history as they say.

nikimcbee · 05-03-08, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbuna

How very tragic

The only positive being that he lost his life doing what he enjoyed most.

In my area of the UK fisherman off the coast occasionaly get mines off the two world wars entangled in their nets. The clear guidance is to attach a marker buoy and decouple the nets from the boat.

What do the majority of them still do though ?

They leave the nets attached and hang about waiting for bomb disposal to arrive.

I suspect/fear that one day a sudden swell will push the mine into making physical contact with the trawlers hull and, the rest will be history as they say.

I'm surprised more fishing boats (or any boats) don't run into these.

Platapus · 05-03-08, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

I'm surprised the powder was still good.

As we learned in EOD school. Black Powder never desensitizes.

In the 1950's and 1960's there were several cases in the US of Civil War cannon balls "spontaneously" detonating.

What had happened was that these cannon balls were wet inside. People found them, shined them up and put them up on display above their fireplace. In some cases it can take 100 years for it to dry out and then the powder is just as powerful as the day it was made.

So please, if you ever find any type of live ordnance, please have it inspected by competent military or civilian EOD.

As previous posters have written, these pieces of ordnance were specifically designed to explode and kill people.

Jimbuna · 05-03-08, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbuna

How very tragic

The only positive being that he lost his life doing what he enjoyed most.

In my area of the UK fisherman off the coast occasionaly get mines off the two world wars entangled in their nets. The clear guidance is to attach a marker buoy and decouple the nets from the boat.

What do the majority of them still do though ?

They leave the nets attached and hang about waiting for bomb disposal to arrive.

I suspect/fear that one day a sudden swell will push the mine into making physical contact with the trawlers hull and, the rest will be history as they say.

I'm surprised more fishing boats (or any boats) don't run into these.

I live off the north east coast (Tyne) which was a very large port and shipbuilding centre during both wars.

Many of the mines that people come across are our own

bookworm_020 · 05-04-08, 08:56 PM

The French army is still collecting a quater of a million tons of left over bombs, sheels and explosive from farmers every year!

August · 05-04-08, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

I'm surprised more fishing boats (or any boats) don't run into these.

According to a fisherman buddy of mine they pull this stuff up in their nets a lot more often than is reported.

Schroeder · 05-05-08, 06:18 AM

Here in Germany we still have problems with plenty of dud bombs in the ground too. There is hardly a week where they don't have to evacuate some people do disarm those things.

05-02-08, 05:14 PM	#1
NEON DEON Ace of the Deep Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 1,207 Downloads: 39 Uploads: 5	Civil war munition claims another life. A Civil War collector dies when 140 year old cannon ball explodes. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080502/...lCuAZQ8ShH2ocA "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." __________________ Diesel Boats Forever!

05-02-08, 08:09 PM	#2
sunvalleyslim Ace of the Deep Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Los Angeles, Ca Posts: 1,142 Downloads: 267 Uploads: 0	Based on the story, it seems unbelieveable that it could have detonated. But explosives were made to kill, no matter when or where......... __________________ Crew member/ decommission member TM2(SS)(SD) 3/68-7/70 DIESEL BOATS FOREVER USS SEGUNDO (SS398)

05-02-08, 09:34 PM	#3
Yahoshua The Old Man Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 1,493 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	The article said he was drilling into the ball or grinding it or something along those lines. __________________ Science is the organized unpredictability that strives not to set limits to mans' capabilities, but is the engine by which the limits of mans' understanding is defined-Yahoshua

05-03-08, 05:40 AM	#5
nikimcbee Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Patroling the Slot. Posts: 17,952 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	I'm surprised the powder was still good. They had a guy here in ore-gone blow his legs off when he was trying to seperate a WWI 37mm shell for the brass. (meth head?) This just happened a few days ago. __________________

05-03-08, 05:56 AM	#6
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,473 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	How very tragic The only positive being that he lost his life doing what he enjoyed most. In my area of the UK fisherman off the coast occasionaly get mines off the two world wars entangled in their nets. The clear guidance is to attach a marker buoy and decouple the nets from the boat. What do the majority of them still do though ? They leave the nets attached and hang about waiting for bomb disposal to arrive. I suspect/fear that one day a sudden swell will push the mine into making physical contact with the trawlers hull and, the rest will be history as they say. __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

05-02-08, 09:51 PM	#4
Ducimus Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 12,987 Downloads: 67 Uploads: 2	+1 for Darwin?

05-04-08, 08:56 PM	#10
bookworm_020 Navy Seal Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Sinking ships off the Australian coast Posts: 5,966 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	The French army is still collecting a quater of a million tons of left over bombs, sheels and explosive from farmers every year! __________________ "There is always one person in any organization who knows whats going on, That person must be fired"

05-05-08, 06:18 AM	#12
Schroeder Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Banana Republic of Germany Posts: 6,170 Downloads: 62 Uploads: 0	Here in Germany we still have problems with plenty of dud bombs in the ground too. There is hardly a week where they don't have to evacuate some people do disarm those things.