Five Churn Dash Blocks

 

In November 1970, a 45-foot, eight-ton whale carcass washed up on the beach near Florence, Oregon. The Oregon State Highway Commission decided to used half a ton of dynamite to dispose of it. They assumed the blast would blow it to smithereens. Most of the bits would wash out to sea, and the rest would be devoured by crabs and gulls. They invited the news outlets and public to come watch the spectacle. Things didn’t turn out exactly as planned. Instead of disintegrating the behemoth, the explosion sent huge chunks of rotting blubber and flesh raining down on spectators and vehicles up to a quarter mile away. The blast frightened away the scavengers that were meant to clear away the smelly debris. Most of the whale was left on the beach until heavy machinery was brought to bury it. Today, Oregon’s policy is to either bury beached whales, or just let nature take its course.