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When Oregon blew up a whale with 20 cases of dynamite (2024)

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Re: When Oregon blew up a whale with 20 cases of dynamite (2024)

#33

Post by davidw »

rsynnott wrote: post #9

> Florence celebrates Exploding Whale Day annually at Exploding Whale Memorial Park. In 2024, the public was invited to build an altar for the exploded whale. I mean, I suppose if you’ve got one thing, you may as well really run with it.

Florence is actually a nice area if the Oregon coast is your kind of thing. There are some really big dunes nearby, the national forest, some inland lakes and of course the beach itself

https://maps.app.goo.gl/HT9ynCaNREReuS1PA

Of course, it's usually chilly and windy, so come prepared, especially in summer.

Re: When Oregon blew up a whale with 20 cases of dynamite (2024)

#35

Post by rtkwe »

lenerdenator wrote: post #31

Idk, I just kinda feel like maybe standing 50 yards away and shooting it with a hunting rifle would have poked enough holes in it for the pressure to slowly release.

The goal was to dispose of the carcass by dispersion and allowing scavengers to eat the smaller pieces it would be blown into as well as directing most of it out to see so fish etc might help consume it. It's not an unheard of practice when a corpse needs to be gotten rid of faster than normal decomposition but it's impractical to move it.

There are two basic methods; a little bit of explosives to break it up when there's time for scavengers to get rid of it, that method calls for 20 pounds under a horse sized corpse, or obliteration when the public will be around sooner so it needs to be broken down very small, which calls for a whole 55 pound fireline for a horse sized corpse.

https://www.intrans.iastate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/B...

Re: When Oregon blew up a whale with 20 cases of dynamite (2024)

#37

Post by lenerdenator »

rtkwe wrote: post #35
lenerdenator wrote: post #31

Idk, I just kinda feel like maybe standing 50 yards away and shooting it with a hunting rifle would have poked enough holes in it for the pressure to slowly release.

The goal was to dispose of the carcass by dispersion and allowing scavengers to eat the smaller pieces it would be blown into as well as directing most of it out to see so fish etc might help consume it. It's not an unheard of practice when a corpse needs to be gotten rid of faster than normal decomposition but it's impractical to move it. There are two basic methods; a little bit of explosives to break it up when th…

Huh. Fair enough.

Re: When Oregon blew up a whale with 20 cases of dynamite (2024)

#39

Post by bell-cot »

cjs_ac wrote: post #20

> "So I'm all excited, and I went over to my dad: 'They're going to blow it up, 20 cases of dynamite,' and my father proceeded to say, 'I think you misheard them. I think he said 20 sticks,"' Umenhofer recalled in 2015. "And I said, 'No he said 20 cases.'" > It was indeed 20 cases of dynamite. Reminiscent of this letter by Evelyn Waugh to his wife during the Second World War: > Darling... > So No. 3 Cmdo were very an…

A vaguely-remembered old and likely-British quote:

"It is generally desirable that a 'demolition expert' actually be the latter."

Re: When Oregon blew up a whale with 20 cases of dynamite (2024)

#40

Post by red-iron-pine »

jlmorton wrote: post #5

The blown up whale in Oregon is sort of like the SR-71 speed readout story. Reposted endlessly, but you just kind of accept it.

you don't have to accept it. it was filled live, and covered expensively.

chunks of whale fell on peoples' cars and required insurance payouts. it is well documented, and unlike the SR-71 -- classified stuff + pilot bravado -- this is just a glorious fuckup

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