31 March, 2009

The Eruption of Mount Edgecumbe

Wordless Wednesday is hosted by Dixie at French Lique. Thanks for hosting. Click on the link to go to her site and view other pictures.


In 1974, residents of Sitka, Alaska were alarmed when the long-dormant volcano neighboring them, Mount Edgecumbe, suddenly began to belch out billows of black smoke. People spilled out of their homes onto the streets to gaze up at the volcano, terrified that it was active again and might soon erupt.








Luckily it turned out that man, not nature, was responsible for the smoke. A local practical joker named Porky Bickar had flown hundreds of old tires into the volcano's crater and then lit them on fire, all in a (successful) attempt to fool the city dwellers into believing that the volcano was stirring to life. According to local legend, when Mount St. Helens erupted six years later, a Sitka resident wrote to Bickar to tell him, "This time you've gone too far!"

Did you guess? The theme this week is April Fools.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

How stupid to go to that much trouble to pull a prank.grrrrrrrrr...Ann

Kim said...

I think you are all ready for April Fools!

dana said...

Too funny!! I just showed this to my husband who LOVES Alaska. He's been several times (fishing) and I've gone two times.

You shared a great one!!! Happy April Fools Day and WW!! Dana

Kathy said...

Wow - that's a dedicated joker! Funny story!
Kathy

Nancy said...

Oh how funny...well not to the folks there but for bloggers with a twisted sense....lol. Cute post. :)Nancy

Jill said...

Happy WW! Too funny!

Marjorie (Molly) Smith said...

Some folks will do anything to pull a prank...Happy Aprils Fool Day

Dixie said...

that took some preparation to pull off... My highschool classmates once put the principals car on the roof... it took about the same genius and stupidity combination as the Alaska stunt.. LOL

Kathy said...

Oh my gosh, you nearly had me there, how funny but not to the poor residents, Happy WW and April Fools Day, Kathy.

Tootsie said...

good greif...what a nasty joke! I would never live that close to a volcano!!! how scary!

Justine said...

Oh my, that's a horrible prank to play! But, it made for a great WW post!

Justine :o )

The Quintessential Magpie said...

That's the worst prank! I wonder if he could do time in jail for that one??? ;-)

XO,

Sheila

Domestic Designer said...

Good story! Happy April Fools!!!

Carla said...

Bad prank, great story!

Lynda said...

What a goofball! Some people take April Fools to a whole other level!
Great photo~

Leah said...

Great story and photo - but not a great prank to pull on all those people!!! :)