When an eight-ton, 45-foot-long sperm whale turned up dead on an Oregon beach in 1970, officials wanted to take care of it as soon as possible. So they blew it up with dynamite. And ignited a “blubber snowstorm” that sent a geyser of blood and muscle 100 feet in the air, deposited whale chunks on unsuspecting people a quarter of a mile away, and unleashed a smell that lingered for days. | Popular Science

The Exploding Whale of Oregon (1970) A beached sperm whale carcass was deemed too big to bury or remove, so officials decided to blow it up with dynamite. The blast sent huge chunks of rotting whale raining down on spectators and cars half a mile away. The smell lingered for weeks. In the end, what was meant to be a quick, no-fuss cleanup turned into one of the most spectacularly bungled public works projects in American history—and Oregon’s most beloved cautionary comedy. Engineer George Thornt