| One would think it impossible to set a
| |
| | There was about 25 gallons of the stuff
|
| creek on fire. But that was only a minor
| |
| | left in Uncle Smack's shop.Try as we
|
| challenge for Cousin Charley.Regular
| |
| | might, we couldn't find a gas chamber big
|
| readers of this column have met Charley
| |
| | enough to accommodate so large a charge.
|
| before as a disrupter of church revivals
| |
| | Charley, genius that he was, settled on a
|
| and perpetrator of floods.There is yet
| |
| | giant blaze.After Uncle Smack had closed
|
| another escapade which must be recorded
| |
| | his smithy for the day, Charley pried off
|
| lest historians doubt the veracity of a
| |
| | a couple of boards and wrestled the
|
| tale oft told in the Boot Heel of
| |
| | half-full drum of carbide outside. We
|
| Missouri, the land of my
| |
| | loaded it on my coaster wagon and hauled
|
| childhood.Charley was a natural-born hell
| |
| | the cargo down back alleys to the edge of
|
| raiser -- acknowledged leader of, and
| |
| | town where Jimson Creek flowed
|
| inspiration for, stripling relatives.Our
| |
| | lazily.Charley poked a hole into the
|
| Uncle Smack, a blacksmith famous for his
| |
| | carbide container with a hatchet then
|
| perpetual motion machine, had a
| |
| | shoved the overturned can with his foot.
|
| nearly-full 50-gallon canister of
| |
| | Slowly at first, then with gathering
|
| carbide. He had shoved it into a corner
| |
| | momentum, the barrel lumbered into the
|
| when compressed acetylene became
| |
| | water. A loud hiss and swirling bubbles
|
| available for welding.Previously, he had
| |
| | told us the carbide was converting to
|
| to manufacture his own torch gas with
| |
| | gas."Stand back!" Charley warned. "This
|
| carbide and water in a hand-assembled
| |
| | is going to be a hum-dinger!This was
|
| tank. It was a risky process that made
| |
| | unnecessary advice because we compatriots
|
| Smack nervous.When Cousin Charley
| |
| | in crime had already advanced to the rear
|
| discovered he could snitch a handful of
| |
| | a considerable distance.Casually, Charley
|
| carbide through a loose board in the shop
| |
| | lit a match to an oily rag he had brought
|
| wall, he thought he had discovered the
| |
| | along for the occasion, and tossed it
|
| mother lode.Carbide is fascinating stuff.
| |
| | toward the water bubbling and hissing
|
| When mixed with water it emits acetylene
| |
| | merrily.FOOMP!The explosion wasn't as
|
| gas that burns with a hot, bright
| |
| | loud as the cannon had been, but it
|
| flame.It also makes a dandy explosive
| |
| | generated enough pressure to rattle the
|
| when captured in a flimsy container or
| |
| | windows of nearby houses.It didn't take
|
| when ignited in quantity. At one time it
| |
| | long for a crowd to gather. All marveled
|
| was widely used for car headlights,
| |
| | at the phenomenon of Jimson Creek
|
| miners' lamps and ceremonial cannons.
| |
| | aflame."What in Nell is it?" exclaimed
|
| Carbide Bombs Charley's interest, of
| |
| | Mr. Ocher, first to arrive."I can't
|
| course, lay in its sensational
| |
| | imagine," replied Charley with a well-
|
| properties.He soon taught his younger
| |
| | feigned, puzzled expression on his
|
| followers how to construct marvelous,
| |
| | face.Fire Brigade Pretty soon, the
|
| noisy, bombs. They consisted of lard
| |
| | volunteer fire brigade raced up with its
|
| cans, a cup of water, and a teaspoon of
| |
| | all-purpose hand-operated pumper, tanker,
|
| carbide in a Bull Durham sack.For the
| |
| | and ladder wagon. The firemen stood
|
| modern generation, it should be explained
| |
| | around for several minutes wondering what
|
| that Bull Durham was a popular smoking
| |
| | to do.How do you quench a burning creek
|
| tobacco once upon a time.It was sold in
| |
| | of water?It was the consensus of those
|
| little cotton sacks with a yellow
| |
| | assembled that a well of natural gas had
|
| drawstring and a packet of cigarette
| |
| | erupted. That made Mr. Ocher, owner of
|
| papers pasted to the side. The
| |
| | the adjacent land, bug eyed.Mr.
|
| combination cost only a nickel. Big-time
| |
| | Galworthy, a shrewd businessman who
|
| smokers rolled their own "coffin
| |
| | recognized opportunity when it came
|
| nails."Empty Bull Durham sacks were never
| |
| | knocking, offered his opinion of the
|
| carelessly tossed away after the original
| |
| | blaze. "Just an isolated pocket of
|
| contents went up in smoke. They had many
| |
| | natural gas, Ocher, but I'll give you $50
|
| secondary uses.Boys kept marbles, coins,
| |
| | for mineral rights -- on the off
|
| lucky charms, and other small treasures
| |
| | chance.""Not on your tin-type," sputtered
|
| in them.Girls prized them for keeping
| |
| | Mr. Ocher - visions of royalties turning
|
| jacks, hop-scotch markers and shards of
| |
| | his brain into jelly.Fire Chief Vainey
|
| broken china for make-believe tea
| |
| | scratched his head for awhile then
|
| parties.Adults had more uses for Bull
| |
| | allowed as how the brigade might as well
|
| Durham bags than can be catalogued.Lard
| |
| | do what it knew best -- squirt water on
|
| cans, likewise, were never discarded.
| |
| | fire.The firemen sprayed the column of
|
| They were ubiquitous storage containers
| |
| | flame for about 10 minutes, but with out
|
| because of their wide snap-on
| |
| | effect."Boys," said Chief Vainey after a
|
| lids.Charley's carbide bomb was elegantly
| |
| | bit, "we look pretty silly throwing water
|
| simple. A teaspoon full of carbide in a
| |
| | on burning water. Let it burn."No one
|
| Bull Durham sack - suspended by its
| |
| | seemed to wonder why Uncle Smack stood
|
| string above a cupful of water in the
| |
| | around with a big grin on his face --
|
| lard can.To set off the device, one had
| |
| | occasionally laughing out loud. He knew
|
| only to push it over with a stick -- a
| |
| | the smell of acetylene and its attraction
|
| 10-footer was the favored length. If you
| |
| | for Charley.The flame withered and died
|
| were more daring you could run past the
| |
| | in a few more minutes. With it went Mr.
|
| loaded can and kick it over.The sudden
| |
| | Ocher's dreams of wealth.Charley was
|
| creation of gas blew off the can lid with
| |
| | happy, though, and could be heard
|
| a loud bang.We created a goodly amount of
| |
| | murmuring to himself, "Wonder where I can
|
| excitement the night we helped Charley
| |
| | get some more carbide?"Lindsey Williams
|
| pour three cups of carbide into the
| |
| | is a Sun columnist who can be contacted
|
| town's old Civil War Cannon, stuff the
| |
| | at:Website: with several hundred of
|
| barrel with rags and stones then pour
| |
| | Lin's Editorial & At Large articles
|
| water down the touch-hole. Charley's
| |
| | written over 40 years.Also featured in
|
| Masterpiece Charley's masterpiece,
| |
| | its entirety is Lin's groundbreaking book
|
| however, was setting Jimson Creek on
| |
| | "Boldly Onward," that critically analyzes
|
| fire.Once the cannon caper had paled,
| |
| | and develops theories about the original
|
| Charley decided to dispose of the
| |
| | Spanish explorers of America.
|
| remaining carbide in one grand gesture.
| |
| |
|
