Cannonball Found In Bel Air Deemed Harmless

BEL AIR, MD — The bomb squad was called to Bel Air recently after authorities received a call about a cannonball, according to the Bel Air Police Department. Police said the cannonball was found downtown.

A man looking for scrap metal in the 200 block of Broadway found it and was told to take the object a safe distance from the police station, according to The Aegis, which reported he brought it to Rockfield Park for inspection.

After conducting an x-ray, police said the bomb squad determined the object was inert.

Officials disposed of the cannonball, and nobody was injured, police reported Tuesday, Sept. 22.

The cannonball was believed to date back to the 1800s and was used at sea, The Aegis reported.

If people find a military ordnance, authorities advise practicing the three Rs:

• Recognize suspicious objects that should not be touched under any circumstances.
• Retreat from the area.
• Report the item and approximate location to a 911 dispatcher.

A few months ago, an unexploded ordnance was found in a flower bed at a Bel Air home. The 37 MKI projectile from World War II was discovered on Calvary Road.

At the time, the fire marshal reported it was "not uncommon" for military ordnance to appear in Maryland. That is especially true in Harford County, where Aberdeen Proving Ground was founded in 1917 to bolster national defense and test weapons after World War I began.

While ordnance may turn up in the Chesapeake Bay or on land, the fire marshal said: "These devices pose the same threat as the day they were originally manufactured."

See Also:

• Bel Air Couple Finds WWI Explosive While Gardening: Fire Marshal
• Grenade Found in Vacant Jarrettsville Home: Fire Marshal
• Bomb Squad Recovers Grenade in Fallston: Fire Marshal