America Blew Up A Whale With 1000lbs. of TNT

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  • Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
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Комментарии • 2,2 тыс.

  • @the_fat_electrician
    @the_fat_electrician  Год назад +1969

    Meatus Deletus

    • @zachzach505
      @zachzach505 Год назад +184

      I love how RUclips gives a translation

    • @skittlyscooter1779
      @skittlyscooter1779 Год назад +49

      I will take a 10% responsibility for this video, idc

    • @30cal23
      @30cal23 Год назад +70

      when the admiral is still pissed he had to read Moby Dick in high school then calls his cousin bob the builder....

    • @travisgould6802
      @travisgould6802 Год назад +40

      Can we get a full video on the mark 18?

    • @rickery43
      @rickery43 Год назад +5

      Can we get out takes on the this video?

  • @axelmilan4292
    @axelmilan4292 Год назад +2908

    That is the most American thing I've ever heard. "We've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas. Blow it up!"

    • @the_fat_electrician
      @the_fat_electrician  Год назад +275

      HAHA 😄 🤣

    • @MRsolidcolor
      @MRsolidcolor Год назад +122

      "im tired and wanna go home"
      lol end this now

    • @rebeccamount50
      @rebeccamount50 Год назад +125

      That's basically the thought process of an E4. "I get to go home when it's done? How much dynamite do we have?"

    • @ds2781
      @ds2781 Год назад +44

      Nah , I think that would be project orion , which is when we thought launching a ship into space by setting off nuclear bombs under it was somehow a good idea . Don't get me wrong the science 100% proved it was possible but it would massively suck for anybody in that hemisphere of the planet .

    • @Ryanisthere
      @Ryanisthere Год назад +38

      No not were out of ideas
      Blowing it up was the first idea

  • @JessSimpson1313
    @JessSimpson1313 8 месяцев назад +50

    When anyone asks WTF happened to the US between 1945 and 1990 I always like to remind people that we used to put lead in the gasoline and im sure the guy who thought this up did alot of road side work.

    • @countryjoe3551
      @countryjoe3551 7 месяцев назад +1

      🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

    • @AtlasJotun
      @AtlasJotun 3 месяца назад +3

      _"...used to_ put lead in gasoline"? I'm afraid I've got some bad news...

  • @jackjumper4231
    @jackjumper4231 Год назад +1

    3:19 I am convinced that one news clip was the entire motivation/inspiration for the Kevin Bacon movie trimmers

  • @leeteague8126
    @leeteague8126 Год назад

    I already knew this story, but your telling of it is vastly superior

  • @johnpublic5169
    @johnpublic5169 2 месяца назад

    The E-4 mafia, if it existed, would be so proud. It’s a 16:1 dead whale to baloney mist ratio.

  • @damienflexer7976
    @damienflexer7976 Год назад

    I'm just now realizing that this must've been the inspiration for Gojira to write the song "Flying Whales"

  • @canadiancanucklehead8310
    @canadiancanucklehead8310 Год назад

    I figured shit like this would’ve happened only in Ohio, but Oregon’s a close second.

  • @RoshkaVP
    @RoshkaVP 21 день назад

    i met the guy who owned that car... i also lived like 3 blocks away from that area...

  • @Space-ei8lv
    @Space-ei8lv 2 месяца назад

    It wasn’t a bad idea. They just let the lookers stay too close.

  • @imirish2187
    @imirish2187 9 месяцев назад

    Imagine your car being totaled because some idiot in the gov said mmmmmmm I don’t feel like doing my job today

  • @roddwilson6791
    @roddwilson6791 Год назад

    Edit, you forgot the dunebuggy on the moon😂, cuz "merica"

  • @jamesTBurke
    @jamesTBurke 10 месяцев назад

    Well it's on video so the insurance company would believe that

  • @dmw13
    @dmw13 4 месяца назад

    Search the Brett Dominoe trio. They wrote a song about this event. It is so worth listening to!

  • @kypirko5710
    @kypirko5710 Год назад

    You need to go nuts on the “rods from god” project.

  • @SafetyBriefer
    @SafetyBriefer Год назад +272

    'Get the dynamite. We're going home early.' - I want this on a shirt!

  • @TheHankerchief26
    @TheHankerchief26 Год назад +1312

    From Oregon, grew up hearing this story. Bonus Facts:
    -In 2020, the city of Florence ran a contest to name a new beachside city park. The winner, by popular vote? "Exploding Whale Memorial Park".
    -George Thornton was tasked with managing the "demolition operation" because his supervisor, Dale Allen, was out deer hunting. He later got promoted to supervisor of the Medford office of what is now the Oregon Department of Transportation, and swore up until the day he died that he did everything correctly.
    -The guy whose car got pancaked, Walt Umenhofer, was a Navy demolitions expert in WWII. He was on a business trip to Florence, having just bought a car for the trip, and when he saw what the Highway Division was doing, he panicked, telling Thornton that he needed only 20 -sticks-, not 20 tons. Thornton blew him off, and Walt's car got pancaked.
    Walt eventually did get comped for his car ($7,000 from the state), and later opened and operated a shooting range in Eugene known as The Baron's Den, which was one of the few places in Oregon you could rent and legally shoot a Tommy Gun, as advertised by the big honking billboard right off the Interstate. Walt Umenhofer died in 2016, but The Baron's Den is still open.
    The best part: Right before driving from Eugene to Florence, Walt bought his car from Denham Oldsmobile in Eugene....during their "Get a Whale Of A Deal On A New Olds!" promotion.
    ...You can't make that up.
    www.nytimes.com/2020/06/20/us/exploding-whale-memorial-park.html
    web.archive.org/web/20110717092953/tafkac.org/animals/exploding.whale/son_of_blubber.html
    jalopnik.com/heres-the-story-behind-the-oldsmobile-crushed-by-300-lb-1848658789
    CORRECTION: Walt Umenhofer wasn't a WWII vet. While he was a former Naval Demolitions expert, the article I originally read that in over a decade ago (linked to below) has since been updated (updated article link in original article), and the newer article doesn't mention it again. Perhaps an error in the original article. Mea Culpa!
    www.offbeatoregon.com/H001_ExplodWhale.html
    Also, there's a website dedicated to the event:
    www.theexplodingwhale.com/

    • @merkitten953
      @merkitten953 Год назад +22

      Thats awesome :)

    • @Nmille98
      @Nmille98 Год назад +106

      AND sources? Based.

    • @Lunar137
      @Lunar137 Год назад +104

      Holy shit, man dropped a wall of text (the good kind) with sources to back it up. Absolute unit!

    • @steves578
      @steves578 Год назад +31

      I am in awe of the based of this man.

    • @FarmerDrew
      @FarmerDrew Год назад +31

      Your comment... LEGENDARY, THANKS

  • @jameshuddleston5714
    @jameshuddleston5714 Год назад +122

    This is one of my favorite stories to hear my grandpa tell because he was there that day and his dad was one of the guys setting charges 😂 When they got home his mom asked what had happened since they were covered in whale, and his dad just replied "well we probably made the paper" I never knew my great grandpa but he was definitely an real American.

  • @BrainInjuredTortellinni
    @BrainInjuredTortellinni Год назад +652

    This is one of the best uses of, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help!” I have ever seen.

  • @michaeloverton04
    @michaeloverton04 Год назад +632

    I was going to joke about when whales naturally explode, but you beat me to the joke in less than 10 seconds. You're getting better and better by the video, and it's pretty impressive.

  • @Getoffmylawnbrit
    @Getoffmylawnbrit Год назад +483

    "Every problem can be solved with the proper application of high explosives" - Mythbusters

    • @the_fat_electrician
      @the_fat_electrician  Год назад +67

      indeed

    • @dogloversrule8476
      @dogloversrule8476 Год назад +33

      This is definitely a Mythbusters event if there ever was one. Only thing missing is the high speed footage

    • @davefromaccounting5209
      @davefromaccounting5209 Год назад +19

      For example, got homework? danger play-doh. someone keeps taking your lunch, landmines. traffic? spicy rope.

    • @pirobot668beta
      @pirobot668beta 4 месяца назад +2

      'Black Adder' said it earlier and better.
      Every plan the character Baldric hatched required the tiniest bit of explosives.
      There are counter-charge devices call Baldric's; a tiny EFP that fractures the casing of a bomb and ignites the main charge without a massive blast.

  • @uberreaktor4836
    @uberreaktor4836 Год назад +61

    "Blowing shit up and getting paid for it. Two of my favorite things."
    -Tank Dempsey, probably those guys spirit animal

  • @cookingwithchefjeff
    @cookingwithchefjeff Год назад +53

    Paul Linnman was a broadcasting icon in Portland for decades, and his reporting on this story is absolute gold.
    Bonus fact: the Eugene Emeralds baseball team on occasion will re-brand as the "Exploding Whales," in honor of the event.

  • @ckorourke2009
    @ckorourke2009 Год назад +398

    Being from Oregon, I've seen this several times but I have never laughed as hard as when you narrate the story. Thank you.

    • @the_fat_electrician
      @the_fat_electrician  Год назад +46

      that means alot thank you

    • @17arando
      @17arando Год назад +8

      ​@@the_fat_electricianAgreed, I know this story so well it practically feels like I was alive during it and this is by far the best telling of it I've heard haha
      Points for the research into our beach policy too. California wishes they did this, I didn't even know beaches COULD be private growing up.

    • @17arando
      @17arando Год назад +9

      (California has some hilarious problems with rich people blocking access to beaches because they weren't able to buy up some place with actual private beaches. In Oregon there is no such thing, all the beaches are flatly public and it's awesome. Unfortunately the water is freezing year round, but hey, it's nice to look at and if it's hot enough, some icy water is nice for a quick dip 😅
      So anyway, I live in Miami now. . .)

    • @deanfirnatine7814
      @deanfirnatine7814 7 месяцев назад +4

      @@17arandoTo this day we are still driving cars, riding horses and mushing dog sleds on our beaches, yes dog sleds its a thing, lol.

    • @muntuku
      @muntuku 5 месяцев назад

      Same!

  • @caronin
    @caronin Год назад +101

    Proof that civilian's and grunts have at least one thing in common. Tell either one they can go home early when X job is done, and they both will come up with the most expedient solution possible. Fucking 'Merica, love it.

  • @bullboo1
    @bullboo1 Год назад +45

    I saw it on tv as a kid live on the news and my father stated " A thousands pounds of TNT....this is not going to be good!" We did laugh our butts off afterwards.
    they could have done better but ignorance and brute force left the beach a stinking mess for months.

  • @iainballas
    @iainballas Год назад +62

    As an Oregonian, I'm pretty glad you touched the fact our beaches are public highway. So many get that part wrong, and assume that no one was in charge and so wonder how the road people got involved in whale removal.
    As someone who lives near where it happened, this story always amuses me at how there's a few people dotted all over the world it seems who've heard of this.

  • @davidrobinson5057
    @davidrobinson5057 Год назад +187

    "Get the dynamite, we are going home early. "This is my new favorite quote.

    • @jamesmayle3787
      @jamesmayle3787 Год назад

      The Bible is truth.
      The key to understanding that is in combining personally reading the Bible with putting the teachings Jesus Christ gave us into action in your own life. Start with forgiveness, parents are easiest, they’ve loved you. That’s a very important step in understanding all this. You have to work though your inner drama and forgive. Also, make sure you at least read three books of the Bible, Genesis Mathew and one you chose yourself.
      Jesus Christ is the way truth and life

    • @throttlejockie
      @throttlejockie Год назад +1

      I need this on a shirt

    • @lukedeakin7124
      @lukedeakin7124 Год назад

      ​@@jamesmayle3787the god of the Bible is a petty, jealous being, who supports slavery and genocide

    • @cojones8518
      @cojones8518 5 месяцев назад +3

      Back before the hippies ruined everything, you could buy a case of dynamite and caps at the local hardware store.

  • @ericwillcoxen7856
    @ericwillcoxen7856 Год назад +290

    I remember when the reporter, Paul Linmann, retired they brought out a cake on air that had a whale with X's on the eyes and dynamite boxes around it, as this story was his first major news story that made it nation wide. Also, the car that got crushed by thaf chunk of whale was basically brand new off the lot. The owner, who was one of the ODOT supervisors, had just bought it and drove it over from the dealer.

    • @chrismaverick9828
      @chrismaverick9828 Год назад +37

      That's funny as hell right there. :D He literally has NO ONE to sue over it. HE was a supervisor that gave the go-ahead. No one to blame but himself.

    • @Zminator1986
      @Zminator1986 Год назад +10

      @@chrismaverick9828 Talk about karmak justice on behalf of the whale. 🤣

    • @ellencameron3775
      @ellencameron3775 Год назад +52

      In addition, the car lot from which said car was bought was advertising "a whale of a deal."
      The whole thing is one giant circle.

    • @westcoastwarriorsarchive7929
      @westcoastwarriorsarchive7929 Год назад +6

      ha government "not my problem" mentality made it his problem lol

    • @dananorth895
      @dananorth895 Год назад +4

      Actually he wasn't the one who made the decision.

  • @Morbieman
    @Morbieman Год назад +444

    This is one of the greatest stories of all time. Two things. 1. You know that beer was involved in this plan. A lot of it. 2. This story proves that there is no problem so large that it cannot be solved by the proper application of high explosives.

    • @Outlaw_Actual11b
      @Outlaw_Actual11b Год назад +15

      My man this was 100% bourbon involved 🤣

    • @nkpv808
      @nkpv808 Год назад +3

      Valkyrie reference anyone???

    • @sarahnevra241
      @sarahnevra241 Год назад +6

      As someone who is originally from Oregon, I can safely say this: there WAS probably beer involved, but not nearly enough to actually explain the decision making process there. The beer was just easier to cart around and keep sand-free than water.

    • @addmoregas
      @addmoregas Год назад +3

      This entire comment was read in Nick's voice. 🤣

    • @ronaldrobertson2332
      @ronaldrobertson2332 Год назад +3

      It's just about as good as a bunch of rednecks, guns, and tannerite blowing up a bunch of feral hogs, only a whole lot more fun!

  • @gypsydaviepearlsnapsportfi5680
    @gypsydaviepearlsnapsportfi5680 Год назад +30

    Oregon resident here, this is easily my favorite story to tell people who ask me what growing up in Oregon was like.
    "Well we have Sasquatch, really good weed, and blow up whales for fun."

    • @KnawedOne
      @KnawedOne 3 месяца назад +1

      🤣🤣🤣 Oregon ….. keeping it weird for humankind.
      Just gonna stay on my side of the Columbia River! 😆😆

  • @KayeWhye
    @KayeWhye 9 месяцев назад +20

    This man's natural ability to make the most insane story not only interesting, but FUNNY, keeps me coming back for more. I can't believe I only found this channel a couple of weeks ago!

  • @ATFprdepartment
    @ATFprdepartment Год назад +134

    I know I didn’t just hear you say “Meat Mortars” with a straight face.

    • @the_fat_electrician
      @the_fat_electrician  Год назад +84

      4 takes if u were curious

    • @dogloversrule8476
      @dogloversrule8476 Год назад +11

      @@the_fat_electrician only 4? That’s impressive

    • @sladeb6036
      @sladeb6036 Год назад +2

      @@the_fat_electrician LMAO

    • @bigdaddydwil
      @bigdaddydwil Год назад +7

      @The ATF what about the straight faced meatyores?

    • @DSiren
      @DSiren Год назад

      @@the_fat_electrician I C... 4....
      wait a minute!

  • @jessenicoletta4160
    @jessenicoletta4160 Год назад +147

    Imagine being a local kid at that time, "Hey Billy! A dead whale washed up and they're about to blow it up, wanna go watch?"

    • @zoopdterdoobdter5743
      @zoopdterdoobdter5743 Год назад +8

      Mom had something more gag-worthy than Billy's skid marks or crusty socks to deal with that evening. 😆

    • @Daves_Not_Here_Man_76
      @Daves_Not_Here_Man_76 Год назад +5

      Oregon man approves

    • @ninjabearpress2574
      @ninjabearpress2574 Год назад +2

      I'd be trying to catch up with my little brother because I KNOW he's going to get too close.

    • @Lyulfr
      @Lyulfr Год назад +3

      That describes my entire family who lived in the area at the time!

    • @brandonseyfried1251
      @brandonseyfried1251 Год назад +3

      The kind of phrase that represents a major benchmark in the lives of young lads. Decades later, they will all remember the moment with quiet glory.

  • @ryanlytle2214
    @ryanlytle2214 Год назад +711

    As someone who’s lived in Oregon my entire life, I can safely say this is our greatest accomplishment as a state.

    • @kevintemple245
      @kevintemple245 Год назад +6

      Agreed.

    • @wildnationpnw
      @wildnationpnw Год назад +14

      Born and raised Oregonian. Agree!

    • @kirkjones9639
      @kirkjones9639 Год назад +16

      Well the state does produce the best heavy weather fishermen, in the country. If you can skipper a boat off the Oregon coast for two years, you can get a job anywhere.

    • @darinhassett4708
      @darinhassett4708 Год назад +8

      @@kirkjones9639 right!!!! by going out of the mouth of the Columbia in a fishing boat that takes balls

    • @Daves_Not_Here_Man_76
      @Daves_Not_Here_Man_76 Год назад +13

      Not entirely. Back in the early 80s a USCG helo did a fly by of the Queens yacht. 4 of the 5 crew members were mooning her

  • @psoren423
    @psoren423 10 месяцев назад +9

    Wow. That was the coolest thing I’ve seen from the Pacific Northwest in a long time. Dude said, “everyone is covered with small particles of a dead whale.” 😂😂😂

  • @kylewilson2819
    @kylewilson2819 9 месяцев назад +9

    As a born-and-raised Oregonian, I can confirm that we begin every conversation regarding beaches with either "Did you know we tried to blow up a dead whale that washed up on our beach?" Or "Did you know The Goonies was filmed in Astoria?"
    Side Note: You missed the best part of this story. The explosion didn't even work. It managed to blow pieces of the whale apart, but the majority of the carcass was still present and stunk even WORSE than before! Despite the chief engineer wanting to try again (Yes, he maintains to this day that it was a good idea), officials elected to simply bury the dead whale and let seagulls and crabs claim the blown up bits that remained.

  • @MajesticDemonLord
    @MajesticDemonLord Год назад +124

    This has one of my favorite quotes:
    "I know it will work, it's just a question of how much explosives we need"
    Words to live by.

    • @the_fat_electrician
      @the_fat_electrician  Год назад +29

      facts and science

    • @dobermanownerforlife3902
      @dobermanownerforlife3902 Год назад +36

      @@the_fat_electrician As a Combat Engineer, there is a correct answer to this question.
      "How much do we have?"

    • @eodhowland
      @eodhowland Год назад +7

      @@dobermanownerforlife3902 or the corollary, I don't know how much it will take, but I do know how much we are going to use.

    • @dobermanownerforlife3902
      @dobermanownerforlife3902 Год назад +2

      @@the_fat_electrician You may want to check out Terrance Popps channel. Half of his stories are from his 33 year career. He is triple tabbed. Maybe some for of collab. Maybe just entertainment.

    • @brandonseyfried1251
      @brandonseyfried1251 Год назад +5

      "How much should we use?"
      "Yes."

  • @RockThekami
    @RockThekami Год назад +98

    You somehow make just shoving tnt at a problem the only sensible solution. In the words of Jamie the glorious Walrus "When in doubt... C4".

    • @dogloversrule8476
      @dogloversrule8476 Год назад +11

      Well there’s your problem. Got to love the Hyneman. I miss that show

    • @wylandnares8642
      @wylandnares8642 Год назад +3

      I used that quote unironically once. Got a lot of confused looks, and had to explain it. Ah, worth it though. Really missed that show.

    • @dogloversrule8476
      @dogloversrule8476 Год назад +1

      @@wylandnares8642 agreed, the world just isn’t the same without it

    • @hf117j
      @hf117j Год назад +3

      Anytime you can't find a solution. Just remember that I C4. (Side note working for Amazon my favorite staging area is c4 and it means I can say this every time I'm assigned to it without being tackled. "I have c4!")

    • @TheAttacker732
      @TheAttacker732 Год назад +4

      @@dogloversrule8476 "Quack damn you."

  • @Morrigan_DeDesarux
    @Morrigan_DeDesarux Год назад +145

    Quite the whale of an explosive subject. Definitely a chunky show of chemical deflagration and detonation. I can say I've not heard about this before. Entertaining as always!

  • @Alustar22
    @Alustar22 Год назад +15

    Man, i had read about this one years ago when i fell down a rabbit hole of strange articles, the best bit of information was that the town called in the complaint because of the smell, then this whole thing took a dark twist when on a quiet morning the sky literally started raining wet, rotted whale gore from the sky as if the world became a Steven King novel.

  • @raymondepperson4425
    @raymondepperson4425 Год назад +42

    I live in Oregon, not far from where this took place. It happened a few years before my time, but I've heard the story and seen the video quite a few times. Your monologue and narration definitely takes it to another level though. Had me laughing so hard I could barely breathe. Love your videos!

    • @jamesmayle3787
      @jamesmayle3787 Год назад +1

      The Bible is truth.
      The key to understanding that is in combining personally reading the Bible with putting the teachings Jesus Christ gave us into action in your own life. Start with forgiveness, parents are easiest, they’ve loved you. That’s a very important step in understanding all this. You have to work though your inner drama and forgive. Also, make sure you at least read three books of the Bible, Genesis Mathew and one you chose yourself.
      Jesus Christ is the way truth and life

  • @epix1905
    @epix1905 Год назад +92

    I’m not an American, but when I watch your videos, I can’t help but feel American!!

    • @Echo_419
      @Echo_419 Год назад +1

      🦅🇺🇸 🤘😈🤘

    • @dali2133
      @dali2133 Год назад +4

      @epix... What makes America special is that it's an idea and a state of mind, much more than a place.
      Dangerous freedom, sovereignty of the individual, self-determination, and the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness are concepts that transcend geographical , topographical and political borders.
      Exercise your right to use your supercomputer of a human brain as you see fit and you ~are~ an American, regardless of what your passport may say. 👍😎

    • @glendamico9004
      @glendamico9004 Год назад +2

      This right here is the epitome of being an American! God Bless Us! (Angels start singing!) 😊

  • @Agentofchaos007
    @Agentofchaos007 Год назад +183

    The more of a “RUclipsr” this guy gets the more I love it! I can’t wait for the day when we’re getting 20+ min videos on cool obscure shit 😂

    • @the_fat_electrician
      @the_fat_electrician  Год назад +51

      haha maybe I'll get there one day

    • @Agentofchaos007
      @Agentofchaos007 Год назад +9

      No pressure 😁 it’s just awesome watching you grow keep up the good work 🫡

    • @Scicianman
      @Scicianman Год назад +13

      This man would find a way to make ikea instructions entertaining so I’ll watch whatever he puts out.

    • @mr.nobody68
      @mr.nobody68 Год назад +10

      @@the_fat_electrician that day is tomorrow, home boy

    • @ninjabearpress2574
      @ninjabearpress2574 Год назад +2

      One of the best things about TFE vids is they are short and to the point.
      The longer the vid, the less likely I am to watch it.

  • @michaelscott6022
    @michaelscott6022 Год назад +131

    "Blowing it up" is not the answer.
    "Blowing it up" is the question.
    "Stand back" is the answer.

    • @compman34
      @compman34 2 месяца назад +2

      more than a 1/4 mile it seems...

  • @ahkljdoekandlfaksdfjh
    @ahkljdoekandlfaksdfjh Год назад +23

    the funnest part of this is that you can STILL TO THIS DAY find bones from the whale on the beach or surrounding areas

  • @gmania69
    @gmania69 Год назад +12

    Being an Oregonian I’ll say I’ve seen many vids on this. Doug Brazil was the rookie photog who shot the film and he said there was a mist of blubber and goo that covered everyone and everything in the vicinity. The smell was horrendous. KATU had paid to fly him and the rookie reporter Paul Linnman in a small plane from Portland to the coast for the story. When they flew back later that day, the smell made the pilot very sick. 😂

  • @darthplagueis13
    @darthplagueis13 Год назад +28

    Story gets even better:
    1: They figured that any and all remaining chunks of whale would just end up getting eaten by various seagulls or other carrion eaters. The blast ended up scaring all birds in a large radius away so that the bits and bobs ended up having to be cleaned up manually.
    2: Apparently, there was a military veterinarian around who had received explosives training and who literally told them this was going to be a horrible idea. He was subsequently ignored.

    • @TheHankerchief26
      @TheHankerchief26 6 месяцев назад +7

      That guy was Walt Umenhofer, the guy whose car got pancaked. Literally bought that car at Denham Oldsmobile in Eugene a day before during their (I shit you not) "Get a Whale of a Deal on a New Oldsmobile" promotion.

  • @Acekhan201
    @Acekhan201 Год назад +118

    This very story was used in my engineering classes as an introduction to why engineering matters and what tends to happen when people try to cheat at it. Also, funny af.

    • @jamesmayle3787
      @jamesmayle3787 Год назад

      The Bible is truth.
      The key to understanding that is in combining personally reading the Bible with putting the teachings Jesus Christ gave us into action in your own life. Start with forgiveness, parents are easiest, they’ve loved you. That’s a very important step in understanding all this. You have to work though your inner drama and forgive. Also, make sure you at least read three books of the Bible, Genesis Mathew and one you chose yourself.
      Jesus Christ is the way truth and life

    • @MrThhg
      @MrThhg Год назад +4

      @@jamesmayle3787 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤡

    • @jamesmayle3787
      @jamesmayle3787 Год назад

      @@MrThhg no joke. 100% truth

    • @MrThhg
      @MrThhg Год назад +4

      @@jamesmayle3787 nah my blunt is 1000% truth 🤣🤣🤡🤡

    • @toportime
      @toportime 7 месяцев назад

      ​@@jamesmayle3787 You know, more people might listen if you put your comments in more appropriate places. As they say, having religion is much like having a penis, it is fine to be proud of it, but do not shove it down anyones throat without permission.

  • @Ratkill9000
    @Ratkill9000 Год назад +44

    If theres a huge problem that needs to removed, a half ton of TNT is about enough.

    • @the_fat_electrician
      @the_fat_electrician  Год назад +11

      good start at least

    • @michaelmartin4874
      @michaelmartin4874 Год назад +7

      As a former Army engineer, I'd call that a primer charge.

    • @hf117j
      @hf117j Год назад +3

      @@michaelmartin4874 This is what happens when others deal in fast but you deal in certainty

    • @Ratkill9000
      @Ratkill9000 Год назад +5

      @@michaelmartin4874 theres enough when I say theres enough. When in doubt always add 50% more

    • @michaelmartin4874
      @michaelmartin4874 Год назад +1

      @@Ratkill9000 Amen!

  • @joeswife
    @joeswife Год назад +9

    As an Oregonian, I can attest that this is the most Oregon thing ever.

  • @RatchetTrashPanda
    @RatchetTrashPanda Год назад +16

    There is no better spokesman for describing how America does shit better than this guy right here! Your videos bring us so much happiness at work! Spa Guy Approved for at work entertainment!

  • @jcmount1305
    @jcmount1305 Год назад +18

    Blasted Blubber Beyond all Believable Bounds.... one of the best lines on TV evah!

  • @nickburnley5041
    @nickburnley5041 Год назад +16

    I was working with some ranchers from Wyoming a couple of years ago. They found a dead horse on the trail, and called the park service. Park service packed that thing with plastic explosives and vaporized it. The video was great. All because the park service does not want bears and other large predators getting a taste for horse meat.

  • @jacobjackson5607
    @jacobjackson5607 Год назад +77

    As an Oregonian, I can say once every year this comes up. I have watched videos about it like 8 times. It’s a part of our native tradition

    • @brandonseyfried1251
      @brandonseyfried1251 Год назад +1

      I'm from NJ; let's see......
      We blew up the Hindenburg...
      We hosted the first Mass Shark Attack in the summer of 1916...
      We had the first mass casualty train wreck in the country in the 1850s...
      Jimmy Hoffman's body is somewhere in the state...
      We invented the traffic jughandle...
      Pork roll is pretty awesome...

    • @RevantheBlack
      @RevantheBlack Год назад +2

      Along with every child being made to play Oregon Trail in school

  • @MrJeramyMckay
    @MrJeramyMckay Год назад +22

    As a born and raised Oregonian, this is one of the proudest moments in State history. Just behind our tourism campaign of telling people to visit, but don't move here.

    • @deanfirnatine7814
      @deanfirnatine7814 7 месяцев назад +2

      Governor McCall actually changed the road signs at the California border from Welcome to Oregon to "Have a Nice Visit" lol, he should have made it state law they could only visit.

    • @gageivan544
      @gageivan544 5 месяцев назад

      I find that absolutely amazing especially the special hatred oregonians have for Californians omfao​@deanfirnatine7814

    • @deadchewie
      @deadchewie 4 месяца назад

      Don't forget......"keep Oregon green, bring money".

  • @anthonyjordan2576
    @anthonyjordan2576 Год назад +6

    Hey as a Person that was born and raised in Florence, we take pride in this. Florence is also known for our Sand Dunes and the Sea Lion Caves, which by the way is the largest in the world and we have, Darlingtonia State Natural Site is the only Oregon state park property dedicated to the protection of a single plant species. Concurrently, the plants it protects are the only carnivorous flora in the system.
    Florence is a legit place to live and grow up…

  • @domination1985
    @domination1985 Год назад +8

    0:19 scariest words you can hear

  • @fakezombeyy
    @fakezombeyy Год назад +7

    It got turned into a bunch of meateorites.

  • @enoughothis
    @enoughothis Год назад +43

    This story can be best described by the words "and then reality ensues." The video footage is classic.

    • @jamesmayle3787
      @jamesmayle3787 Год назад

      The Bible is truth.
      The key to understanding that is in combining personally reading the Bible with putting the teachings Jesus Christ gave us into action in your own life. Start with forgiveness, parents are easiest, they’ve loved you. That’s a very important step in understanding all this. You have to work though your inner drama and forgive. Also, make sure you at least read three books of the Bible, Genesis Mathew and one you chose yourself.
      Jesus Christ is the way truth and life

    • @enoughothis
      @enoughothis Год назад

      @@jamesmayle3787, and a merry Winter Solstice to you.

  • @asahelnettleton9044
    @asahelnettleton9044 Год назад +14

    My dad's family lived in Oregon at the time, so I've heard this story several times, but I knew TFE's telling would be the most humorous retelling. I was not disappointed.

  • @williamburroughs9686
    @williamburroughs9686 Год назад +10

    You should be a history teacher. You have a rather... unique way to telling history. Good for building paternalism and no one would be skipping your class.

    • @KnawedOne
      @KnawedOne 3 месяца назад +1

      He does teach history I believe

  • @riverafter9500
    @riverafter9500 Год назад +14

    As I watch this, I’m sitting 200 yards away from” exploding whale memorial park”, in Florence Oregon. Yeah, we made a park to commemorate it.

    • @CorePathway
      @CorePathway 7 месяцев назад

      Fun fact: the city of Florence was named after Florence Nukingwhale. I mean Nightingale.
      .
      Actually not, but I’m going with it anyway.

    • @seantiz
      @seantiz 5 месяцев назад

      Please tell me you are joking. And I hope it’s true.

  • @mrpyro333
    @mrpyro333 Год назад +5

    3:47 "meaty-orites" best pun I've ever heard, well done sir.

  • @Sweet05cts
    @Sweet05cts Год назад +17

    "Hey Whale Chunks, did ya hear dysentery is out killing people on the trail?"
    "Hold my beer"

  • @toofastnobrakes
    @toofastnobrakes Год назад +6

    You forgot a few key components to the story. And it’s that blowing it up didn’t even work. It didn’t create enough force to disperse the entire whale. It scared away all the scavengers that they assumed would eat the “small” chunks left over. And they wound up having to cut it up and haul it off anyway…. 😂

  • @codyspegel6317
    @codyspegel6317 Год назад +13

    This is a very new take on getting rid of beach bums but I'm for it. And the guy in charge was obviously a combat engineer

  • @alexm.5537
    @alexm.5537 Год назад +28

    Seen this story before and it never gets old.

    • @the_fat_electrician
      @the_fat_electrician  Год назад +9

      it really doesnt

    • @chrismaverick9828
      @chrismaverick9828 Год назад

      It reminds me of that video of the cow getting struck by lightning and just keeling over. It's terrible, but you have to laugh.

    • @jamesmayle3787
      @jamesmayle3787 Год назад

      The Bible is truth.
      The key to understanding that is in combining personally reading the Bible with putting the teachings Jesus Christ gave us into action in your own life. Start with forgiveness, parents are easiest, they’ve loved you. That’s a very important step in understanding all this. You have to work though your inner drama and forgive. Also, make sure you at least read three books of the Bible, Genesis Mathew and one you chose yourself.
      Jesus Christ is the way truth and life

  • @codyfreilinger192
    @codyfreilinger192 Год назад +25

    As I live in Oregon, I love this story, and it always gets told on the anniversary of the time a whale got NASA funding

  • @zodarian6705
    @zodarian6705 Год назад +7

    I had already known of this story before and had seen it a couple of times but I couldn't wait to see your take on it great job

  • @maxmcarnage7642
    @maxmcarnage7642 Год назад +14

    The sounds of whale kibble raining down on the beach was hilarious, I had to rewind and listen to it a time or five.

  • @stilgaardfremen73
    @stilgaardfremen73 Год назад +15

    "Oh the humanity! Chunks of whale are hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement!" - Les Nessman.

    • @michaelmartin4874
      @michaelmartin4874 Год назад

      Nice to see someone else that remembers WKRP.

    • @merkitten953
      @merkitten953 Год назад +1

      @@michaelmartin4874 i dont like LITTLE gustos, Herb" 😏

    • @darrenrogers6430
      @darrenrogers6430 Год назад

      @@michaelmartin4874 I live in California and refer to our governor as a bad version of Herb the sleazy salesman

    • @michaelmartin4874
      @michaelmartin4874 Год назад

      @@darrenrogers6430 The difference being that, when push came to shove, Herb actually had a concience.

    • @darrenrogers6430
      @darrenrogers6430 Год назад

      @@michaelmartin4874 gotta have a soul to have a conscience Newsom has neither

  • @MichaelMiller-xj1ti
    @MichaelMiller-xj1ti Год назад +5

    "Fire in the blow hole!"

  • @vanhasydan4754
    @vanhasydan4754 Год назад +5

    You had me laughing so hard. Now I'm wondering what thebresult would be if you and the guy that does Casual Geographic teamed up.

  • @aetherial87
    @aetherial87 Год назад +5

    I said to declare war on Wales, not whales.

  • @kellhound7227
    @kellhound7227 Год назад +17

    When life gives you problems, and you have access to TNT, because everyone loves explosions! Great video, love your new format, its nice and clean!

    • @jamesmayle3787
      @jamesmayle3787 Год назад

      The Bible is truth.
      The key to understanding that is in combining personally reading the Bible with putting the teachings Jesus Christ gave us into action in your own life. Start with forgiveness, parents are easiest, they’ve loved you. That’s a very important step in understanding all this. You have to work though your inner drama and forgive. Also, make sure you at least read three books of the Bible, Genesis Mathew and one you chose yourself.
      Jesus Christ is the way truth and life

  • @1911Drew
    @1911Drew Год назад +35

    After the blast, I like what Fred’s wife said to him, “alright Fred you can take your hands out of your ears.”
    Please keep your future content in this format.
    Thanks for putting the video up.

    • @sladeb6036
      @sladeb6036 Год назад +1

      Yeah I liked that too lol

    • @jamesmayle3787
      @jamesmayle3787 Год назад

      The Bible is truth.
      The key to understanding that is in combining personally reading the Bible with putting the teachings Jesus Christ gave us into action in your own life. Start with forgiveness, parents are easiest, they’ve loved you. That’s a very important step in understanding all this. You have to work though your inner drama and forgive. Also, make sure you at least read three books of the Bible, Genesis Mathew and one you chose yourself.
      Jesus Christ is the way truth and life

  • @richardsanchez5444
    @richardsanchez5444 Год назад +2

    As a construction worker I would have 100% done the same thing. They knew exactly what they were doing.

  • @mikebennewitz7019
    @mikebennewitz7019 10 месяцев назад +3

    The owner of the car was a local resident who happened to be an explosives expert and said the construction boys were doing it wrong and needed more charge to vaporize the carcass...but he didn't work for the road crew so they didn't listen.

  • @davidgoff7120
    @davidgoff7120 Год назад +17

    I’ve watched replays of that multiple times over the years. So good to hear someone make some jokes about it.

  • @impala9994
    @impala9994 Год назад +10

    Oregon is good for two things: whale deletion and the feeling of leaving Oregon

  • @patrilea8216
    @patrilea8216 Год назад +5

    Fuck yeah bro, the only thing that tops a video from you is being the first commenter on Demoliton Ranch [obtained that the other day). Love the content brother, best wishes to the family and still pushing for the MP review.
    Viper7 out

  • @owenlivengood9210
    @owenlivengood9210 7 месяцев назад +3

    I love the perfect use of the “I’m from the government and I’m here to help” clip in almost every video…. Has me rolling every time

  • @FirstnameLastname81206
    @FirstnameLastname81206 Год назад +3

    The funny thing is, this isn't even the only time a whale was blown up in and/or around Oregon.
    December 24th, 1941. A B-25B Mitchell piloted by Charles Ross Greening of the 17th Bombardment Group was doing a sub patrol 200 miles from the mouth of the Columbia river, where they came across something in the water. They got visual confirmation of the object: a dead whale. However, with the mindset of 'better safe than sorry', they decided to drop their full 3000 pound bomb load on it just to be safe. Obviously, it wasn’t a sub, and they just blew a dead whale to smithereens. Low on fuel, they headed back to base in Pendleton, Oregon, documented the patrol, and went on with their day. These men would later be recruited by Jimmy Doolittle for the Doolittle Raid, the first retaliatory bombing of Japan.

  • @davidplett9480
    @davidplett9480 Год назад +7

    Living in Oregon, I can assure you that every time a whale washes up, this is brought up in the comments as an option. It's all but a state holiday.

  • @jeffreywinters8060
    @jeffreywinters8060 Год назад +8

    Something tells me that the head engineer in charge was probably a combat engineer for Uncle Sam at one point. We all know how much they love their explosives...

  • @Targ3tpractice
    @Targ3tpractice Год назад +6

    "Not a question of what we are gonna do, just how much TNT it will take"

  • @maxlemay323
    @maxlemay323 Год назад +5

    I've been watching your videos since day 1 and we can really see how much work you've put into production and it really shows!!! Thanks for all the laughs - From Canada

    • @jamesmayle3787
      @jamesmayle3787 Год назад

      The Bible is truth.
      The key to understanding that is in combining personally reading the Bible with putting the teachings Jesus Christ gave us into action in your own life. Start with forgiveness, parents are easiest, they’ve loved you. That’s a very important step in understanding all this. You have to work though your inner drama and forgive. Also, make sure you at least read three books of the Bible, Genesis Mathew and one you chose yourself.
      Jesus Christ is the way truth and life

  • @pfrstreetgang7511
    @pfrstreetgang7511 7 месяцев назад +4

    It's comforting to see some things never change.
    Oregon.

  • @dirtbily7222
    @dirtbily7222 Год назад +7

    Haha, another event in history that would have been epic to watch live!
    Great job bro!

  • @bigchunga4982
    @bigchunga4982 Год назад +4

    This is very popular in Oregon. And the reporter made his career on this. Check out the full clip, there's more gems in it.

  • @JayHobson-o3n
    @JayHobson-o3n Год назад +3

    I have watched several of your videos now. You have THE BEST delivery I've heard in awhile. And I'm learning stuff while laughing my ass off. Great job!

  • @colecomyford8964
    @colecomyford8964 Год назад +10

    As an Oregonian, my high school anatomy teacher used to make his class watch that whale video every year.

    • @jamesmayle3787
      @jamesmayle3787 Год назад

      The Bible is truth.
      The key to understanding that is in combining personally reading the Bible with putting the teachings Jesus Christ gave us into action in your own life. Start with forgiveness, parents are easiest, they’ve loved you. That’s a very important step in understanding all this. You have to work though your inner drama and forgive. Also, make sure you at least read three books of the Bible, Genesis Mathew and one you chose yourself.
      Jesus Christ is the way truth and life

  • @AdamNDJ
    @AdamNDJ Год назад +10

    I learned about this in the 80's at my elementary school, in Oregon... The thing that you have to realize about Oregon, is that everything South of Eugene is basically like they smashed Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee together. You don't get more backwoods than 100 miles in any direction from the nearest town in old growth coastal pine.

    • @markthegunplumber8376
      @markthegunplumber8376 Год назад +3

      That's why we call it Southern Orygun it's more akin to West Virgina than anything else. One of the few places where if you get pulled over by an Officer and he says "I see you have a concealled carry permit, Are you carrying today"? you damn sure better have it on you or you're fixin to get an ass reaming and he's going to say something like "what if I needed help? fat lot of good that gun will do home n the dresser better start carrying the damn thing" and as a CCW holder you have a responsibility to protect others . 2. places you never want to go with out packing a gun in So. Orygun is Cave Junction and Wolf Creek.

  • @carltaylor334
    @carltaylor334 Год назад +1

    Out here in Wyoming that video is played in a lot of safety classes. I have seen it several times sitting in MSHA. Normally I take Nick a face value. This time I am going to say something. They didn't delete the whale. There was a large section that had to be buried with a crawler. You can't say it is 16 to 1 ratio. It would be more like 4 to 1. I am going to buy one of those Tee shirts.

  • @ishidan01
    @ishidan01 Год назад +5

    Legend has it that while they were setting up, an actual military trained demolitions engineer showed up and warned them that 1. That was too much and 2. They were not shaping the charge to make sure it blew all out to sea instead of, oh, half into the spectators. He was, of course, told to get lost by the construction workers who were trying to get the hell away from an eight ton rotting corpse as fast as possible.

  • @bajasoobnut
    @bajasoobnut Год назад +17

    That car that was crushed was brand new lol, the guy bought it and decided to go on a road trip to watch the whale blow up. I live in Oregon and am fairly familiar with the story as it was in Florence which is about a 3 hour drive from me lol. Fun fact the lead engineer finally retired about 10 years ago while being stationed up in the Cascades ever since that faithful day lol

  • @AlcoLoco251
    @AlcoLoco251 Год назад +6

    I absolutely loved Distractible's rendition of this story, but this one blows it out of the water!

    • @jamesmayle3787
      @jamesmayle3787 Год назад

      The Bible is truth.
      The key to understanding that is in combining personally reading the Bible with putting the teachings Jesus Christ gave us into action in your own life. Start with forgiveness, parents are easiest, they’ve loved you. That’s a very important step in understanding all this. You have to work though your inner drama and forgive. Also, make sure you at least read three books of the Bible, Genesis Mathew and one you chose yourself.
      Jesus Christ is the way truth and life

  • @WIILLYS59
    @WIILLYS59 9 месяцев назад +2

    You CRAZY Son of a something. . .You do these videos well. . " Black powder to blubber conversion" . . Just as I took a sip of coffee. . . .Blew it everywhere , laugh my ass off. . THANK U

  • @tanka3344
    @tanka3344 Год назад +6

    “The ole “well technically” card” dammit I love the shit I hear on your channel. Keep ‘em rollin brother