08/12/2026
💣🚒 FROM THE ARCHIVES: The “Bomb” in the Firehouse That Didn’t Go Quite as Planned
(The Adams County News, August 3, 1976)
Imagine walking into the firehouse early one morning and finding a mysterious box sitting on a shelf—filled with what appears to be dynamite, wires, and a flashing red light.
That is exactly what happened in Manchester when a practical joke turned into a much bigger ordeal than anyone expected.
At approximately 6:45 a.m., Sherwood Cooley, a retired Manchester resident, stopped by the Manchester Firehouse to pick up the work schedule for some employees working on a federal program.
While inside, Cooley noticed a box sitting on a shelf.
Curious, he opened the door beneath it—and immediately stepped back.
Inside was what appeared to be a bundle of dynamite.
According to the newspaper, the device consisted of eight to ten sticks approximately eight inches long, painted black, with wires coming from each end. Two D-cell batteries had been taped to the cylinder, with wires soldered to them.
And if that wasn't convincing enough, a flashing red light made it appear the device was active.
Cooley wasn't taking any chances.
He closed the door, backed away from the box and went outside to warn anyone approaching the firehouse.
Manchester Police Chief Herman Howell was called to the scene. After seeing the suspicious device, officials contacted Fire Chief Frank Tolle, who advised them not to touch it.
The Sheriff's Department was contacted, and Deputy Trop Stamper was sent to investigate.
Soon, the firehouse was surrounded by law enforcement and emergency personnel as officials tried to determine exactly what they were dealing with. A team from the Portsmouth Alcohol, To***co and Fi****ms Division was also notified and dispatched to Manchester.
There was just one problem.
It wasn't a bomb.
The newspaper reported that while officials were waiting, tensions began to ease and people started questioning who might have placed the device there—and why.
Then someone remembered something.
A fire department member named Alcoho had reportedly built the device earlier as a practical joke for Fire Chief Frank Tolle.
Chief Tolle had apparently been in on the prank, and Deputy Stamper had placed the fake bomb in the firehouse as a training device for the fire department.
Unfortunately, no one had told Sherwood Cooley.
What was supposed to be a joke and training exercise had suddenly brought Manchester police, sheriff's deputies, firefighters, and even federal authorities into the picture.
The newspaper summed up the aftermath perfectly:
“In any event, once the truth was learned, there was little laughter.”
The photographs accompanying the original story captured just how seriously authorities initially treated the discovery. One shows Deputy Trop Stamper, Sherwood Cooley and Manchester Police Chief Herman Howell standing with the “bomb” while waiting for the ATF squad. Another shows the device tucked inside the box where Cooley first discovered it.
Nearly 50 years later, the story offers a fascinating—and slightly unbelievable—glimpse into another era of Adams County history.
What began as a practical joke became a morning Manchester residents and first responders probably didn't forget anytime soon.
History isn't always found in major events or famous moments. Sometimes it's preserved in stories like this one—a strange morning at a local firehouse when a homemade “bomb” brought nearly everyone running before the truth finally came out.
At the Adams County Community Foundation, we believe preserving these stories helps preserve the character of our community. The unusual, humorous, serious, and sometimes downright unbelievable moments recorded in our old newspapers are all pieces of the larger story of Adams County.
And 50 years later, this is certainly one story worth retelling.
#1976
