Black powder dynamite is both efficient and hazardous. Its general commercial use is to clear land of large debris like boulders and tree stumps. Though it has only 20 to 30 percent of the explosive power of full nitro dynamite, if that power is multiplied and applied to a human body, the effect is devastating.
April 21, 1955, was the last day of Oliver Smith's life. Twelve sticks of black powder explosive had been bound with black tape and mounted to the underside of the driver's seat in Smith's 1952 Buick sedan. He'd been driving around Portland for two days, unaware of Death waiting beneath his seat cushion. Late that evening, Smith got into his car, turned the key, hit the starter switch, and died instantly in a blast that destroyed the vehicle and obliterated the 35-year-old attorney and new husband.
Episode Host: Josh McCullough
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