Box unearthed from backyard holds aging dynamite, not buried treasure

From The Associated Press

SARVER, Pa. — Lori Artman thought she’d uncovered a fortune when she found an old wooden box partially buried in her backyard. But there was no hidden loot in the box — just dynamite. ‘‘We were hoping for money, a buried treasure,’’ Artman said. ‘‘Instead we just had a crazy day with the bomb squad.’’ The box was found Friday when Artman, her boyfriend and her nephew were inspecting the fence around her property in Buffalo Township, about 25 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. They called police, who summoned the Allegheny County bomb squad. The dynamite was wrapped in newspapers from 1968. Artman said she was told it likely came from an old mine or was left by a gas company that used it to blow up large rocks. Authorities said they destroyed the 76 sticks of deteriorating dynamite by burning it in a field. ‘‘It was very unexciting,’’ said township Fire Chief Gary Risch Jr. ‘‘It looked like a bale of straw on fire.’’

Jason's snark: Now that's an explosive discovery.