Civil War-era Shell Found in Conodoguinet

Civil War-era shell causes lockdown at Army Heritage and Education Center


Published: Tuesday, July 27, 2010, 4:18 PM Updated: Tuesday, July 27, 2010, 8:46 PM

MONICA VON DOBENECK, The Patriot-News

A Civil War-era shell which a man tried to donate to the Army Heritage and Education Center caused a lockdown of the facility for about an hour Monday when employees thought the shell might be live. Jack Giblin, education director, said the man was trying to donate the shell, which he found in the Conodoguinet Creek, but a security guard recognized that it could still be dangerous.

Employees cordoned off the area and called the Carlisle Army Barracks, which notified Pennsylvania State Police. The shell was taken to a bomb disposal unit in Maryland. Giblin said he did not know if the shell was live, but it was treated as such as a safety precaution.

It's not unusual for munitions that old to still have the potential to explode, Giblin said. "Shells found in Europe and Asia dating from the 13th or 14th centuries have been found to be live," he said. "As long as they don't get wet."

The shell was plugged, which means the powder inside could still be dry, Giblin said.