Stephanie Joy Mitchell, a resident of Vancouver’s Carter Park neighborhood, had an eventful weekend during the Vancouver Arts and Music Festival.
However, unlike many attendees celebrating art and music, she experienced a startling discovery that would transform her ordinary Sunday into an extraordinary tale.
While digging up rocks in her backyard, Mitchell stumbled upon a peculiar metallic object that caught her attention.
Unlike the stones she was accustomed to, this object felt bulky and round, with a texture that was unmistakably not like that of a rock.
“I can feel the weight, I can feel the texture even through my garden gloves,” she noted, revealing her growing curiosity.
Upon turning the object over, she was astonished to see a cork or stopper, leading to the realization that it might indeed be a cannonball.
“I called my mother over and showed her,” Mitchell recounted, aware of the potential danger that such an object could pose.
Her instincts kicked in quickly; she was concerned about disturbing the heavy sphere and carefully placed it down again.
To ensure safety, Mitchell took action by texting her neighbor, warning them to stay away from her backyard.
With urgency, she tried reaching a nearby firefighter, but he was unavailable, prompting her to call the Vancouver police for assistance.
Responding promptly, the police arrived followed by explosives experts, including a Vancouver police explosives technician who coordinated the response.
Mitchell recalled the impressive ensemble of professionals who appeared at her door, culminating in a team of six bomb technicians from the U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit stationed at the Oregon Air National Guard base in Portland.
The local bomb expert assessed the object and speculated its origins, suggesting it could potentially date back to the Civil War era during the time the U.S. Army was active at Fort Vancouver.
According to federal law, the military retains ownership over all military explosives, including antiquities like Mitchell’s find.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Gershom Slonim of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit emphasized, “If a military explosive winds up in civilian hands, that’s considered an emergency.”
As a precaution, the authorities instructed Mitchell and her family to avoid their backyard while they conducted assessments.
Despite the chaos, Mitchell still had plans for the day.
She was slated to attend an award ceremony at the Vancouver Arts and Music Festival, something she didn’t want to miss despite the bomb experts stating their evaluation process would take hours.
With a slight sense of normalcy, Mitchell and her partner attended the reception, where — unbeknownst to her — she would receive recognition for her artistic talent.
Mitchell was awarded the People’s Choice Award for her compelling charcoal portrait, which depicted a deeply lined face.
Although thrilled about her award, the earlier unexpected find weighed heavily on her mind, and she chose not to mention the incident to anyone present at the ceremony.
After the festivities, they returned home where more action awaited them.
Slonim and his six-member team arrived with a cautious yet thorough approach.
“He was asking me a whole bunch of probing questions,” Mitchell summarized, as they carefully moved, measured, and X-rayed the mysterious object in her yard.
The military personnel’s protocol is to analyze any military ordnance with a comprehensive database that contains valuable information about various explosives.
This database provides crucial data about potential contents and safe handling procedures, which aids in the safe removal or disposal of such items.
However, despite their extensive efforts, the team was unable to definitively identify the cannonball’s origins.
“We took it back to Portland,” Slonim recounted, explaining their adherence to safety protocols during the disposal process.
The object was buried beneath dirt to prevent fragment dispersal during detonation, a standard practice employed for such situations.
With an air of professionalism, Slonim assured Mitchell that everything went smoothly throughout the process.
This adventurous day leaves lingering questions about the cannonball’s age and how it ended up beneath a tree in Mitchell’s backyard in Vancouver.
Mitchell’s uncanny discovery not only emphasized the unpredictability of gardening but also reminded the community of their historical legacy, possibly intertwining with events of the past.
image source from：columbian
