The great exploding whale of 1970

[Jim Wellington]

If there was ever a story suited for "Off Topic"... this is it!

Today is the 35th anniversary of a great event in the history of my newly adopted home town -- Florence, Oregon.
It is not an urban myth... It is not an internet hoax... it is news reporting at its best... and it is Florence history.

The link is from a TV station in Portland. Read the story, and be sure to watch the video.

http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=49982

It makes a fella proud!

[toypusher]

I remember that!

You sure should be proud!

[Guest]

Hey Jim,
There's been a couple of dead whales blown up around where I live that I can recall, but we never had blubber rain like that.
BTW-That was some good audio of the 'incoming!'...
That car looked like it was totaled, good thing nobody was hurt.
Just last month a huge fin whale washed up on spit at Freshwater Lagoon, right along Highway 101 just North of here.
The local university decided that they wanted the skelletal remains for display purposes, dynamite wasn't used....

[asianflava]

I remember a whale exploding Taiwan recently. There were pics in Yahoo pictures, it happened on the street while they were transporting it away. OK I found the pics: Be warned they are pretty gruesome!

http://www.theexplodingwhale.com/more-whales/20040126-taiwan/

The homepage has all kinds of info on this kind of thing. It even has the 35th anniversary on the front.
http://www.theexplodingwhale.com/

[Guest]

Something tells me that Sue won't like that picture...

[Kevin A]

Did anyone else notice George Thornton was in the video of the whale explosion? Yup, He was with the Oregon State Highway Dept.

[tupelosue]

Something tells me that Sue won't like that picture...

that is soooo funny! I'd already looked at the picture and copied it before i read dean's post!!

one of my motorscooter forums is having a big controversy/brouhaha about the merit of chinese scooters. i figured this picture could speak 1000 words on why Italian scooters are better!!

[purplepickup]

OK I found the pics: Be warned they are pretty gruesome!

....talk about roadside bombs...

I think that guy trying to wash the guts off the street is going to need a bigger hose.

[gman]

Did anyone else notice George Thornton was in the video of the whale explosion? Yup, He was with the Oregon State Highway Dept.

I knew George, he was a really nice guy, took a lot of ribbing about that mistake, At his retirement party, he said it was one of the highlights of his career. also said it seemed like the best way to deal with the problem at the time.

[Guest]

Hey Kev,
Looks like it was a different George Thornton, unless our George paid Gman to say that.

[ToonMan]

I was listening to the Art Bell radio Show a few years back and this subject was brought up. It caused such a stir that KATU News re aired the segment. That was so finny to see!!!!!!! Yes it is true!!!!!!!!!

[Kevin A]

Hey Kev,
Looks like it was a different George Thornton, unless our George paid Gman to say that.

Hey Dean,

BINGO, I was hoping someone would figure out where I was going with that....

[ToonMan]

I went to dinner tonight with my family and my wife said to me, "Isn't that someone from one of the News shows?" indicating the table next to us. I looked and sure enough, it was Paul Lindman, the reporter who did the Exploding whale story!!! Kind of weird since I had just posted here!!!!!

[southpennrailroad]

Great club! Build it and your in right?