Finally! I'm done going through the Bolivia video footage from my hundred-dollar flash camcorder.
This last one is of something that is standard operating procedure for tourists to Potosi. First, you tour the silver mines and reward your mining hosts with gifts of cookies and dynamite.
Then you go explode your own dynamite. Like so.
5 comments:
One question - how did the caballaro crimp the blasting cap onto the primer cord? Unfortunately the video missed this part.
I worked with explosives whilst in the army, including C4 rigged like that.
In my humble opinion these guys are nuts (locals and tourists alike).
That's crazy. I would not have been able to carry homemade, and lit, dynamite like that
Don, I did actually videotape the entire sequence but I tried to keep the web part on the short side (bandwidth, attention span).
I wouldn't know what to look for. Do you want me to put the whole thing up somewhere for you to watch?
Sure. Thanks for offering to do this.
Each of the three components: dynamite, primer, and cord (or "fuse") have explosive potential. Of these, I think the most dangerous is the primer. The method by which the cord is clamped into the small opening at the end of the primer so that it can't fall out is very important. For example, had a loose cord separated during the walk to where it was detonated, then the device would not explode causing angst to the person who would have to go and check it out as to what the problem was ... including the possibility that it would belatedly explode whilst they were checking it out.
Smart, careful people use a special "cramping device" which was not in evidence in the part of the video I saw.
However, smart, careful people only ignight the fuse at the spot of detonation and not before they start walking to the target area.
Prima facie, this is yet another case of tourists having brain farts and doing something they would never consider doing at home. Going snorkeling in small boats with no life presevers, etc. etc.
I wish my little camera had caught the part where one of the guys running said "Why on earth didn't we light it over there instead of running with it?"
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