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Texas Man's Paperweight Was Live Bomb
5 Oct
Summary
- A Civil War artillery shell sat on a desk for years.
- A visitor warned the owner it might be live.
- Explosive experts safely detonated the relic.
A Texas resident, Steve Martin, unknowingly kept a live Civil War-era artillery shell on his desk for years. Believing it to be a harmless dummy round, the object became a conversation piece in his Atascosa County home. The shell was acquired after Martin's son found it while fishing.
A visitor with military experience raised concerns, suggesting the object might still be live. This prompted Martin to contact the Atascosa County Sheriff's Office. An explosive ordnance disposal team from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland was dispatched to examine the relic.
Experts identified the approximately 20-pound object as a live Parrott round, still capable of detonation over 160 years after its creation. The projectile was subsequently transported to an explosives range at Camp Bullis, north of San Antonio, where specialists safely destroyed it.
The Parrott rifle, developed before the Civil War, was a significant piece of artillery used extensively by Union forces. Its rifled design offered greater accuracy and range, proving effective against fortifications. The discovery serves as a stark reminder that old ordnance can remain a serious hazard.
