Dynamite discovery forces evacuations in Oregon

NW Cable News (associated Press) ^ | 08/13/03 | Staff Writer

[bedolido]

ONTARIO, Ore. — Police evacuated 165 homes Tuesday after discovering more than 1,200 pounds of dynamite in the basement of an Ontario, Ore., home.

The authorities received a tip about the explosives during the afternoon and called in bomb experts from Salem and Pendleton. The experts started removing the dynamite late Tuesday, said Sgt. Jeff Milton of the Ontario Police Department.

Oregon State Bomb Squad soaked the explosives in diesel gas to destabilize them for transport. Experts then burned the dynamite in bunches.

While police worked to diffuse the situation, the Red Cross set up a shelter for the evacuated residents.

"They didn't give us time,” said one resident. “They just told us we had to evacuate right away. And they had us like, in a hurry, out."

Residents were allowed to return to their homes Wednesday morning.

Milton said two middle-aged men live in the house, the owner and a guest. Milton said the owner apparently brought the dynamite from Utah when he moved to Ontario earlier this year.

The owner, who has a history of working in the mining industry, had not been arrested as of late Tuesday, said Milton, who would not identify either man.

Milton said there was nothing to suggest the men were ready to blow anything up. He said the dynamite was stacked in cases spread throughout a cluttered basement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[bedolido]

Ontario Oregon is about 50 miles from where I live

[Phantom Lord]

Isn't dynamite about the most stable of all explosives? Why the need to soak it in diesel before transport?

[2oakes]

"to destabilize them"

You get more points that way

[Bikers4Bush]

I believe it sweats nitro as it ages. If you don't know how old it is maybe that's the best way to handle it.

[tractorman]

“soaked the explosives in diesel gas to destabilize them “

I think it should read “stabilize”

“Milton said two middle-aged men “

This should probably read “middle-Eastern”

[Myrddin]

Oregon State Bomb Squad soaked the explosives in diesel gas to destabilize them for transport. Experts then burned the dynamite in bunches.

Diesel gas? Perhaps diesel oil. Why would you want to "destabilize" an explosive. The whole point of dynamite is to "stabilize" nitroglycerin so it is less likely to detonate from minor shocks. A brilliant bit of reporting.

[Steely Tom]

Milton said two middle-aged men live in the house, the owner and a guest. Milton said the owner apparently brought the dynamite from Utah when he moved to Ontario earlier this year.

"Got all this damned dynamite here, takes up half the trailer."

"Uh huh."

"Figured I'd just bring it along."

"OK."

[AppyPappy]

Dang jackboots are always steppin on the necks of free patriots.

[Prof Engineer]

...in diesel gas...

Mr. Staff Writer ought to read some basic science texts before touching a keyboard again.

[PoorMuttly]

Muttly WANT (another) 1,200 pounds of dynamite !

Muttly NEED !

...running low on Santa's last delivery. He's giving Muttly a nice, big LASER WEAPON this year, so I don't want him to hurt his back again.

[Steely Tom]

Damn right. Country's goin' to hell.

(steely)

[Diddle E. Squat]

Obligatory stupid joke:

[justshutupandtakeit]

That should keep him away for a few years.

[blackdog]

Are you sure there is not a whale in this story somewhere?

Soaking dynamite stabilizes it against static shock discharge. Kerosene is not volitile and will prevent the dynamite from becoming a capacitor during transport, just looking for a groundpath.

[steveo]

more than 1,200 pounds of dynamite

That's almost enough to blow up three whales.

[Steely Tom]

Kerosene is not volitile and will prevent the dynamite from becoming a capacitor during transport, just looking for a groundpath.

Yup. Works real good for puttin' out electrical fires, too.

(steely)

[Steely Tom]

Uhhh...

That was a joke, dog.

(steely)

[blackdog]

As in all problem solving scenario's, some fixes can create alternate difficulties. It's a matter of weighing the risks.

Imagine the crowd when it was explained by Red Adair that he was going to use explosives to put out an oil well fire spewing vapors and methane! And he was going to do this by hand, over a flaming geyser while being kept alive by some guy spraying him down with a hose.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Yes, until it gets old and starts to sweat nitroglycerine.

[FateAmenableToChange]

“soaked the explosives in diesel gas to destabilize them “

I think it should read “stabilize”

“Milton said two middle-aged men "

This should probably read “middle-Eastern”

I don't know if you intended it, but that one almost made me nose-jet my afternoon coffee.