By Valencia Wicker
vwicker@abcnews4.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) -- Mount Pleasant Waterworks was preparing to lay down a pipe at the corner of Simmons and McCants Streets when workers came across human remains dating back to the 1800s.
"We brought in an archeologist and had them check to see if there were any other remains in line where we were laying the pipe. And they found another five sets of bones," said Clay Duffie, general manager of Mount Pleasant Waterworks.
The bones were found under a sidewalk just feet away from Old Ocean View Cemetery.
"These remains were found in the road right-of-way. So, obviously prior to 1891 there was no established property line so this area was all woods and dirt street and there was no real way to know where the bodies were buried."
The caskets were disintegrated. So far, officials have found no names or family members.
"Once we discovered the remains we went through the process of providing public notice to see if there were any family members that might know of the names and identities of the remains," Duffie said.
The discovery pushed the Waterworks project back 60 days and cost the company thousands of dollars.
"It costs about 30,000 dollars to go through this process, but again it's the right thing to do to be respectful of these remains."
Tuesday night, the company will present an ordinance before Mount Pleasant town council. If approved, the bones can be moved and re-buried in a cemetery.
