Danger could be lurking in sand

Grace Beahm // The Post and Courier

Bailey Johnson, 13, and his mother Gina Johnson, of Brownstown, Ill., walk Wednesday among signs of erosion at the tip of Folly Island. The pair set out to explore after hearing about the ordnance that had been found at Folly Beach County Park after recent erosion uncovered two mortar shells Tuesday.

FOLLY BEACH -- It's normal to worry about sharks in the surf and stingrays in the shallows. But who could imagine mortar rounds underfoot as the newest danger?

Locals are scratching their heads as to how two mortar rounds, probably from the pre- or early World War II days, got left behind for decades until they were randomly uncovered this week and picked up -- actually carried -- by a curious island visitor.

The good news is no one was hurt and no new devices were found Wednesday.

But the lingering question here on the "Edge of America" is what might be found next, especially with moon-driven higher-than- normal tides coming this week that are capable of exposing hundreds of years' worth of artifacts, war materials or surprise discoveries just overnight.

"As the erosion slides out, we don't know what we're going to find," a cautious Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin said. "We hope we don't find any more of those things though."

Those "things" were the two mortar rounds that interrupted one of the hottest days of the year.

Tuesday's events unfolded this way: A female visitor to Folly Beach County Park was walking near the southwest point of the island. She was well past the designated swimming area and on a serene beach that has a head-on view of nearby Bird Key.

While there, she stumbled upon something that apparently had been exposed near the beach's high-tide line. The visitor reportedly chose to carry the item directly to park officials. A second round was discovered as well.

Each of the devices was described as tubular in form, measuring about

2 feet in length and as big around as a softball. Both were encrusted with marine growth and are believed to be from the pre- or early-World War II era, separating them from Folly's much earlier period as a Union Civil War base. It's not unusual for cannonball shells from that war to be uncovered on Folly, but more toward the north end.

After both rounds were safely destroyed by the Charleston County Sheriff's bomb squad, speculation began running rampant that they were leftovers from when the area may have been used as a firing range by the military. If that's the case, Folly would have proven an excellent choice for practice.

The southern part of the island was desolate for much of the last century, and the intersections of the Folly and Stono rivers was considered a wide-open expanse running toward Kiawah Island, meaning it would have been ideal for viewing the path of shells as they're fired.

Local records, though, don't support the notion that an official government shooting range was in play there.

Researchers with the S.C. Collection of the Charleston County Library could find no mention Wednesday that the site was ever a designated military gun camp. One of the island's older residents -- who grew up on Folly's southern end -- also doesn't recall the site being run as a recognized practice range.

"I lived on that end in '41, but I don't remember any shooting," said Town Clerk Marlene Estridge, 77.

She does remember other aspects of the island's response to World War II, though, including Coast Guardsmen sleeping under her house, and "the blackout" where Folly houses had to be shuttered at night to prevent German U-boats from identifying the shore.

In the meantime, officials are asking anyone who finds a strange object on Folly to stay away from it and to immediately notify lifeguards or authorities. Also, they warn not to use a cellphone to take a picture of it because electronic devices can be dangerous around explosives.

Visitors to the park Wednesday kept staff busy with questions, while others said they were just happy to know something had been found, even if it was a relic from an unknown past that created more questions than answers.

"I think it's wonderful," said Terry Lyons of Springfield, Va. "It's a part of history."