Zorg Goes Boom

[Zorg]

If you've be wondering why I've not been much in evidence on this board lately, I was in a mishap on July 10 that kept me offline for a bit. I thought it might be instructive to pass this on.

I was at a meetup with some of the crew of the Juryrig (as nice a group o people as yd ever want to meet, by the way), and had spent a lovely afternoon shooting my doglock, shooting Duncan's giant slingshot, and helping set up his new period tent, eating way too much food, etcetera.. As evening wore on, someone suggested we start the fire, which was set in a metal fire ring. I decided to fire it up in traditional fashion, laying a small amount of powder in the kindling, then using a spark from my pistol lock to ignite it.

Ive done this dozens of times before, at dozens of events.

I have dealt with this stuff for over 20 years with no mishaps or injury. That record ended July 10. I took precautions that were reasonable and prudent, placing a small amount of powder in the cap to dress the tinder while keeping the bulk of the powder well behind me.

only

I don't smoke, and failed to realize that the fire ring might have been being used as an ashtray.

The small amount of powder --most of it still in the metal cap in my left hand--flashed immediately, and, startled, I drew back.

Which of course exposed the powder can.

In my right hand.

boom.

Instantly, the whole area was wreathed in smoke. Duncan said he literally felt the wall of his house move from the detonation. The only thing I could see was that my right sleeve was on fire. I beat it out and ran inside and got under the shower. There was skin hanging off my right forearm, the back of my fingers looked grey and weird. I thought at first the injuries were minor, but then the pain set in, and Duncan, bless him, drove me to the hospital (and over his mailbox in the process). After a ridiculously long time in the ER, a doctor came in, took one look at me, and had me transported to the Johns Hopkins burn unit in Baltimore (a place which I highly recommend if you are so unlucky), where, at 5AM two nurses.....ironically from the island of Dominica.....debrieded the skin (which was fine except for the screaming parts).

I was very very lucky...we all were ( I've had a few other reenactors say they don't understand why I still have hands). Dogg caught a bit of the flash and it dried out his contacts and he caught a sliver in his eyelid (whether from the explosion or the angle grinding we were doing earlier I don't know), but at last report was doing fine. He and I seem to have been the only injuries of note. I had been in garb (doublet, linen shirt, and no polyester) which protected me from the bulk of the flash. Aside from some powder tattoo (hey, its period), healing second degree burns on my hands and arms, and my hair, which will grow back, I'm fine.

But.

Aside from the pain, the healing time cost me a summer. It also cost me the trust and friendship of the Juryrig crew, which is far, far worse.

If there's anything to come of this, it's two simple lessons.

One is, no matter how careful, you can't forsee everything, especially where lots of people have their hands on the surroundings.

And the second,

None of us regard these things we deal with--the swords, the firelocks, the cannon--as toys. We do, however, sometimes forget that they are, pure and simple, instruments of murder, and however ancient, that they will happily fulfill that function given the opportunity to do so.

No amount of apologies or explainations are likely to cut much ice with Duncan and the Juryrig crew, who frankly didn't know me from Adam. I only hope that my experience can keep someone else from having a similarly interesting evening........

[Black Deacon]

Well Mate. At leaste yer OK and will have a tale to tell. Glad ye be coming along so well.

[Rumba Rue]

Good to hear you're ok! Gads, that must have been horrible!

Lesson learned: DON'T DO IT AGAIN!!!

Us members of PRP when using a fire ring or barbeque, use a small amount of wood, paper, and a bit of charcoal and use one of those barbeque flame lighters - never, but never black powder or a pistol to light it! :)

Murphy's Law - If it can go wrong, it will go wrong!

Rumba Rue

** **

[Sealegs Constance]

Sorry to here about your mishap. I am glad you are healing and things are coming along fine for you unfortunetly you learned the lesson the hard way. Oh well take care of yourself. :) Glad you made it back to the pub. We missed you.

[Red Maria]

Zorg I'm glad to see you're finally back. I've known Zorg for over a deacde and know he is not a reckless person. This was a fluke accident and should in no way reflect on him as a person. Zorg is noramlly a conscientious person who puts safety first. He made a inprudent mistake that harmed himself most of all. I'm glad he is in one piece.

Juryrig please have the grace to forgive him. He's a good man. He is loyal, supportive, and a genuinely good person. One mistake should'nt cancel out all that. He has learned a hard lesson. Please don't make him pay enternally for it. If you want to blame anyone blame me for I lured him into the sweet trade.

Glad to see you back on the board again Zorg. I'll give you a call this weekend and let you know how the Toshiba Tall Ship Festival went.

[capnwilliam]

We've ALL done stupid things, shipmates. I once "wanted to see how black powder flashed", so put some in a brass ashtray, and threw in a match. Match didn't land closely enough, so I reached in and pushed it closer. THAT got it closely enough: it flared up and took the skin off my thumb! Nothing serious but it sure hurt and I had a "weepy", bleeding, infected thumb for a couple weeks.

Black powder is mighty dangerous! This incident of Zorq's should make us all realize things about it: never use it as a firestarter unless you're really facing an emergency getting a fire going; never load a BP weapon "from the horn"; use a small powder measure. Be careful of spilling it or of an area where it may have been spilled.

First Mate Jan and I are learning to be members of a cannon crew for a Battle of New Orleans reenactment. So far we're just dryfiring. I suspect when some of the crewmembers experience a six pounder going off next to them for the first time just a few feet away, it's going to make them more than a bit more respectful of what they're dealing with.

:)

Capt. William

[Capt. Flint]

Zorg.... I'm glad to hear that your ok.... Hope you heal up well and can get back into the swing of things. Just think of the story you get to tell everyone what happened to you one time...... Keep us informed and let us know how your doing. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask..... Flint.

[HarborMaster]

Wow Zorg.., Well told tale indeed. Most unfortunate..., Here I am as SCUBA diver and I smoke.., if I'da been there it probably woulda been my butt. Glad yer back., and perhaps the Jurying will get past the bad times.,and you can all get into some new good ones.

HarborMaster

P.S. I take it that Doglock has all the reliability to spark as any bodys flint.

[Christine]

Whoa Zorg! Scary! Good to hear you're doing okay now. Don't do that again, you silly poop! lol!

[Paisley]

omg zorg!!!! geeze...i had no idea! was this "combo juryrig/going away party" that i missed????

wouldv'e been a hell of a send off buddy, but i'd rather have you in one piece!

muah!!

[Capt Grey]

Zorg, I be mighty glad ye didn't lose any fingers or hands. But burns are very, very painful t'recover from; as I'm sure ye know.

I be glad everyone is fine and, hopefully, will be of a forgiving nature. That is why they call them "accidents"; you don't plan them.

Take care, matey.

[CaptSharky]

Howdy Zorg,

We haven't met, but I am glad to hear you doing ok. I do a little black powder shooting with a flint lock rifle every once and a while. One needs to respect the stuff.

Welcome back and get better!

[Mad Woman Cheryl]

Geez Zorg, that explains why I haven't heard from ya. If there is anything we can do, just let us know. Hope all is going well in the healing area and hope to see ya soon.

[Black Hearted Pearl]

Aye, Zorg. It is good that ye survived yer accident and can now regale your tale. Hopefully, it will discourage those less experienced not to "play" with blackpowder (are ye listening Capt. Z?). Thank ye so much for sharing. Hope ye are feeling better soon.

[Stynky Tudor]

Damn, I’m just happy that you’re still with us. Glad you're back.

[Hawkyns]

Bloody 'Ell, Zorg!!

Lucky to have your hands is right. and other bit's of your anatomy, as well. Someone was looking out for you that day, that's for sure.

Pearl is 1000% right. Shit happens, even to those who have experience.

Guns and cannons are pipe bombs waiting for you to drop your guard. Black powder is an explosive, and will kill. Being paranoid about safety is a good thing.

Luck t'ye Zorg. Hope the burns heal well with little scarring.

Hawkyns

[Sjöröveren]

Cripes! That were a close one, Zorq! Glad that it didn't take anything more than a bit o' skin.

I had a very close call with black powder years ago that stills gives me the shivers when I think about it. I was demonstrating at an historic site here in MN, talking about Voyageurs and the Fur Trade and such. There were several hundred school kids touring that day, so I had someone helpinng me. This guy had never really handled period firearms before, so I was trying to keep my powder horn and stuff with me. Well, I turned my back for a minute, this guy grabs my powder, my possibles bag and my Queen Anne flintlock pistol. What got my attention was an ear-splitting boom. Mr. Pyrotechnic had filled my pistol with the measure for my Brown Bess. So instead of about 5 grains of powder, he had put in about 70 or 80. Easily enough to puncture a moose. Then he had given the pistol to a 9 year old girl to shoot.

Fortunately, nothing happened but the boom. The girl got lucky and hadn't pointed the thing at anyone, and she thought it was cool, so her parents didn't sue us.

I tore Mr. Pyro a new bore, and took my powder to my car and locked it up. Then I made sure I would never work with this bozo again.

Moral of the story: Don't turn your back, don't make assumptions.

[Red Bess]

Zorg, I'm glad you came out of it in one piece -- no matter how "period" missing limbs are! Faire winds and fast healing, mate.