When Hurricane Matthew first started to approach the Southeastern United States, residents were extremely concerned, for obvious reasons. Hurricanes are absolutely devastating to architecture, animals, and human life—even in areas that seem well-protected.
Yet in the wake of all this ferocity and destruction, something incredible has been unearthed. What it is gives us new insight into history…while posing yet another threat.
After Hurricane Matthew tore through the East Coast, a resident of Folly Island, South Carolina spotted something unusual on the beach. There, in the sand, were about a dozen cannonballs dating back to the Civil War era. Because of the nature of the discovery, explosives experts were sent in to investigate.
It turns out that, during the Civil War, Union troops used the island as a vital base from which to attack nearby Fort Morris. So it’s no surprise that this isn’t the first time pieces of that era were uncovered. In 1987, a construction project led to the discovery of a black regimental cemetery, and in 1989, Hurricane Hugo unearthed a number of military artifacts.
As intriguing as these finds are, they’re also extremely dangerous. In 2008, a Virginia man died while trying to restore a cannonball in his driveway; the force of the explosion was so strong that it sent shrapnel through a neighbor’s porch a quarter-mile away.
Charleston officials warned residents that they may hear explosions as they attempt to detonate the artillery. Unfortunately, they faced a serious obstacle: high tide.
“Our technicians are unable to access the [ordnance] at this time due to the approaching high tide,” said a police officer in an interview. “Once the tide has receded, our EOD technicians will evaluate the stability of the ordinance and render it safe, if necessary.”
Hopefully everyone will remain safe as experts analyze the cannonballs. It’s incredible that they’ve lasted this long—and frightening that they still pose a threat after all this time!
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Source: boredomtherapy.com
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