On November 9, 1970, a dead sperm whale weighing 7,300 kilograms appeared on the coast of Florence, Oregon. Authorities began analyzing different alternatives to get rid of the carcass, while the putrid smell reached unbearable levels. After a brief consultation with Navy representatives, they decided to implement the most American solution possible: place dynamite next to the whale and blow it to pieces…
From a public health standpoint, this is a gigantic challenge. A dead whale appears on the beach. People frequent that area, and the putrid smell quickly manifests. What is the best option? After all, seven tons of rotting meat, skin, bones, and cartilage cannot be eliminated by magic…
Dynamiting the Whale
That was the problem Oregon faced between November 9 and 12, 1970. At that time, beaches were under the jurisdiction of the Highway Division. They decided that burying the whale was not an option due to the possibility of it being uncovered by time and sea action. Cut the whale 'and' bury it? Neither, because no one wanted to accept the job. And if they burned it, the smell would be even worse. The solution? Dynamite.
20 boxes, or about 500 kilograms. The hypothesis was that the explosion would be large enough to disintegrate most of the whale, while local birds would take care of eliminating/consuming the smaller remains.
According to George Thornton, the engineer in charge of the operation, the only doubt was how much dynamite would be needed for a satisfactory disintegration, and he did not rule out installing a second charge. Authorities established a security perimeter, and at 3:45 PM on November 12, they pulled the lever.
What happened? They turned a potentially dangerous object into many, of course. The explosion threw rotting meat a distance of 240-250 meters, chunks with enough force to put several people's lives at risk.
Even in the video you can see that the initial celebration gives way to screams and agitation, something the journalist described as "a race to survive".
Fortunately, no one suffered serious injuries, but ending up covered in dead and rotting whale particles was not pleasant for those present. One of the vehicles in the area was not so lucky. A huge piece of meat destroyed its roof, very similar to a meteorite impact.
What was the opinion of the authorities? Thornton said the explosion was "exactly" as they expected... with the exception of the hole under the whale and its guts scattered over 250 meters. Cleanup crews remained on that beach for a long time, burying the remains.
The current policy of the Oregon Parks Department is to bury whales.
Source: Willamette Week
https://old.neoteo.com/una-prensa-hidraulica-aplasta-cartucho-dinamita-explota/
