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Zilch Bombs
It was the first couple of years in the
1970s - the '60s were still a very fresh memory. One
hangover between the decades was the pursuit of "cheap
thrills" - things that cost very little, but provided
maximum stimulation of the senses. Senses that were,
more often than not, in an altered state due to the
ingestion of "recreational pharmaceuticals"
- some natural, some not; some legal, some not. Before
the InterNet, ideas for cheap thrills traveled by word
of mouth, one satisfied consumer to another. Where the
idea for zilch bombs came from, I don't know. Probably
the same source that made showing Disney's "Bedknobs
and Broomsticks" or "Fantasia" as the
midnight flick a very profitable enterprise. But zilch
bombs fulfilled the requirement - they were cheap, and
they provided the requisite sensory stimulation.
The dorms in the quad at A&M in the
first couple of years of the 1970s had four floors,
with stairwells about a quarter of the way from each
end of the building. There was a space in the center
of each stairwell which allowed something to be dropped
from the fourth floor all the way to the ground floor.
The materials required to construct and
operate a zilch bomb were a coat hanger, a plastic bag
from a dry cleaner's, a match or lighter, and a container,
such as a coffee can or paint bucket, full of water.
The plastic bag was gathered into a long "rope",
and overhand knots were tied in it every foot or so.
The coat hanger was used to suspend the plastic knotted
"rope" from the metal banister at the top
of the stairwell, such that the "rope" was
at the top of the four-story clear space, hanging vertically.
The container of water was positioned on the ground
floor underneath the suspended "rope".
The operation of the zilch bomb had to
wait for nightfall - the usual time for one's senses
to be in an altered state. The operator used the match
or lighter to ignite the bottom of the plastic "rope",
then hustled down the stairs to a point a few steps
above the ground floor. As the plastic "rope"
burned, globs of molten, burning plastic dropped from
it. Due to the composition of the plastic, the flames
had components of yellow, red, and blue. As these globs
gathered speed, the airflow caused the flames to sputter,
creating the signature sound, "zzzzilllllchhh!!",
until the globs hit the container of water and hissed
out. The operator, observing at the point of maximum
speed of the dropping zilch bombs, saw a multi-colored
stroboscopic effect as the globs hurtled by, heard the
sputtering, wind-tortured flames, enhanced by the Doppler
effect, and got a whiff of burning plastic, thus stimulating
three of the five senses simultaneously. The knots in
the "rope" maintained its shape, and controlled
the flame, keeping all of the plastic from catching
fire quickly. As a bonus, as the knots caught fire and
dropped, they provided "mega-bombs" at random
intervals. The container of water quenched the fire,
and localized the molten plastic, which kept building
damage and cleanup at a minimum.
Like they said, cheap thrills.
John (Yankus) Yantis
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