UXB Found Downtown

by Bill Tobin 7/27/09

UXB Found Downtown

A quiet Monday afternoon is interrupted by a bomb?

A bomb unearthed in Holliston? UXB is the acronym for Unexploded Bomb.

A homeowner in an older residential neighborhood is updating the septic system, a rather routine and common experience in Holliston. The usual old bottles, tin cans and trash were uncovered during the excavation. But wait, what is that cylindrical object, too big to be a window weight? It was dug up, and placed on a level surface.  A neighbor saw it and suggested it might be an old bomb, and advised calling the police and fire departments.  They responded and examined the "looks like a bomb", but were not able to confirm the status of it.

The home and grounds were declared off limits to all, including the homeowner until the matter was resolved.

Fire Chief Cassidy notified the state police bomb squad, and forwarded pictures of the bomb. They promptly sent bomb techs to Holliston to investigate the situation. After inspecting the bomb, they made the decision to contact the US Military Bomb Squad, located at the Naval Base in Newport, Rhode Island.

About two hours later, the bomb squad arrived from Newport and quickly transported the bomb to the recycling site on Marshall Street to prepare to detonate the bomb.

(Chief Cassidy suits up for the planned detonation)

No one, police, fire and ambulance crew, or reporters were allowed inside the gate, and all remained on Marshall Street.

(emergency personnel prepared to respond)

At 5:18, the bomb was electronically detonated, by the mililtary. There was a very audible boom heard as far away as downtown, and ground shaking near the site.

The age, origin and why it was buried in Holliston most likely will never be known.

Are there more buried bombs in Holliston?

Chief Cassidy stated that this is the first time that the military has been called to Holliston for a bomb.  

Posted in Neighborhood, News.

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