The Big Bang, by Ricky

In 1966 I was a senior at South Tahoe High School (now the Middle School). One of my classes was Ecology and was team taught by Mr. Harold Mapes and Mr. Al Hildinger.  Mr. Hildinger also taught a lapidary class during the evening adult education program.

Our ecology class was taught in the biology classroom of the science wing of our school.  At the time, the school was laid out like a giant letter “E” with the science wing at the top “arm” of the “E”.  The administrative offices and library were located along the main corridor representing the upright line of the “E” with other classrooms off the other arms of the “E” shape.  The science wing had five classrooms with the biology/ecology classroom at the beginning of the hallway followed by the chemistry classroom, two more classrooms, and at the end of the hall was the physics room.

On one particular spring day near the end of term with graduation rapidly approaching, Mr. Hildinger was teaching our ecology class, as previously indicated, in the biology room.  He was teaching the adult lapidary class in that same room later in the evening and wanted to have his rock-saw moved from the physics classroom at the end of the hall to the biology room and asked for a volunteer to go get it for him.  No one volunteered.  After waiting a few seconds, he told me, “Please go get it.”  I said, “I don't want to.  I'll probably break it.” (I was not having a good day.)  Handing me the key to the room, he said, “Just go get it.”  I left the room to do so.

Upon arriving at the physics room, I used the key to gain entry and immediately saw the rock-saw several feet in front of me.  It was basically an electric motor looking to weigh in at about 30 pounds, attached to a mechanism to hold a rock sample while a diamond tipped circular-saw blade would spin while slowly moving forward and slicing its way through a rock sample.  The result would be a thin slice of rock to be turned into jewelry or other item of display.

The rock-saw was sitting in a large 5 inch deep tray located on the top of a metal cart about 5 feet tall, 20 inches wide, and 3 to 3 ½ feet long.  The cart was supported by 4 spindly metal legs on small wheels with two metal platforms located at the bottom and middle of the cart’s legs to provide stability for the legs and thus the cart itself.  Along with the rock-saw in the 5 inch deep tray at the top of the cart was approximately 3 gallons of kerosene used to cool the saw blade and lubricate the rock sample while it was being cut.

The whole contraption was heavy and did not want to roll very well so I had to push hard to get it moving.  Fortunately, the cart was aligned with its long axis towards the door so I was able to push and pull it out the door into the hallway after draping the power cord up along the rock-saw.  It was not easy to get it out the door because the wheels would not pivot.  I locked the room and prepared to complete the task.

Since I could not get the wheels to pivot, I decided to push the rectangular cart sideways down the hall.  I began by placing my hands on the top tray and gently pushing.  Nothing happened.  I pushed harder.  Still no movement.  I pushed even harder.  Finally, the cart began to move towards the biology room some little distance away.  I passed one classroom.  I passed the second classroom.  I was nearly at the chemistry room door when Murphy's Law teamed up with the laws of physics and gravity.

As I neared the chemistry room door, I failed to notice that the power cord had fallen off the rock-saw down to the floor.  It landed in front of one of the little wheels.  When the wheel made contact with the power cord it stopped turning and the leg it was attached to stopped moving forward causing all the legs to stop moving forward.  However, I was still pushing on the top of the cart which did not stop moving forward.  By the time I noticed, the top of the cart was leaning away from me not very far but beyond the center of gravity and inertia was in control.  I could not hold it and pull it back to upright.

Time slowed down as I watched in horror as the momentum kept the rock-saw and cart top moving to the inevitable conclusion.  In less than three heart beats it hit the floor with a resounding BANG which echoed down the halls, around the corner, and alerted most of the administrative personnel, librarians, and all the classes in the science wing that the chemistry lab had exploded.  Instantly, it seemed, all the students in the science wing classrooms began to empty out into the hall and I was caught like a deer in headlights.  As bad as this was, 3 gallons of kerosene were now flowing down the hall towards the chemistry room.  The floor having been depressed by many years of students walking into the room, the kerosene made a 90-degree right turn and began to flow into the chemistry room.  I could envision a real explosion if kerosene fumes reached a Bunsen burner.

When the mess was finally cleaned up and I helped Mr. Hildinger lift the cart upright and moved it into the biology room, he determined that the rock-saw was okay but the diamond saw blade had been warped by the force of the fall.  It cost him $100 to replace but he never asked me to help out.  This was my own personal experience with an Alexander's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!

© 21 October 2014

About the Author 

I was born in June of 1948 in Los Angeles, living first in Lawndale and then in Redondo Beach.  Just prior to turning 8 years old in 1956, I was sent to live with my grandparents on their farm in Isanti County, Minnesota for two years during which time my parents divorced.

When united with my mother and stepfather two years later in 1958, I lived first at Emerald Bay and then at South Lake Tahoe, California, graduating from South Tahoe High School in 1966.  After three tours of duty with the Air Force, I moved to Denver, Colorado where I lived with my wife and four children until her passing away from complications of breast cancer four days after the 9-11-2001 terrorist attack.

I came out as a gay man in the summer of 2010.   I find writing these memories to be therapeutic.

My story blog is, TheTahoeBoy.Blogspot.com.