Workers sifting through topsoil on Randolph Road in Howell made an unexpected – and terrifying – discovery on Tuesday: a landmine, likely from the Civil War.
In a news release, Howell Police said they received a call over the discovery at about 11 am, who in turn called in the State Police Bomb Squad for assistance. Explovises experts who examined the device determined that it was possibly still live and had to be destroyed at the site it was found.
The land mine was then safely detonated, with no injuries or damage was reported by police.
Police said the mine was round and about the size of a small coconut, but heavier. Being a manual land mine, the device would have required its handler to pull a string to detonate; however, this mine’s string was missing.
The question that remains: how did a land mine from the Civil War wind up in topsoil in Howell? Police don’t have an answer for that yet.
