The Incredible Exploding Whale of Oregon

[crowdog66]

A video news report from 1970 on how NOT to get rid of a dead 8 ton whale, with thanks to The Exploding Whale. Note to engineers: Flesh acts like a fluid, NOT like a solid. This will drastically change how it reacts to a dynamite blast.

"The sand dunes there were covered with spectators and land-lubber newsmen, shortly to become land-BLUBBER newsmen, for the blast blasted blubber beyond all believable bounds."

Listen carefully after the whale explodes and you'll hear the "splut splut splut" sounds of falling, burning chunks of whale meat hitting the ground around the cameraman a quarter of a mile away from the explosion.

From a newspaper article:

"The beach erupted in a 100-foot high column of sand and whale. Chunks of the animal flew in every direction and spectators began to scream and run for cover when they glimpsed large pieces soaring directly overhead."

One can only imagine what the tourist trade in Florence, Oregon was like during the following year, with tiny pieces of stinking dead whale littering the landscape. And I can't help but wonder if all the cats and dogs deserted the town in protest at the appalling stench.

Comments

[spotts1701.livejournal.com]

I guess this disproves the old saying "Any problem can be solved with the suitable application of high explosives."

[elaryn.livejournal.com]

Erm...charming. I've been through Florence, Oregon. There's not much there, though the dunes and beaches are very pretty (especially when not covered in bits of dead whale).

[silverjackal.livejournal.com]

I am mystified why they thought blowing them up would work in the first place. Someone was too carried away by their love of explosives to really think the thing through...