Ripley's Believe It or Not by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! for March 10, 2014
March 09, 2014
March 11, 2014
Transcript:
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Oil from the heads of sperm wales was used to make smokeless candles in the 19th century - a single wale could provide 3 tons of fuel. In the old American West, some jails were made of clay and had no bars, so prisoners were chained to large rocks that were buried in the dirt! The Asian vampire moth calyptra thalictri, found in Europe, is known to suck the blood of humans.
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Templo S.U.D. over 10 years ago
So once the criminal’s buddies dynamited or sledge hammered him out of the jail, how did they manage to unchain their conrad?
BRI-NO-MITE!! Premium Member over 10 years ago
I recall reading in The Straight Dope that up until the late 1960s they used whale oil in automatic transmission fluid.
Marv Walker over 10 years ago
So, what you are telling me is that I got ripped off when I had my transmission fluid changed in my 432,803 mile Jeep Cheroke Sport …
Mneedle over 10 years ago
Keep in mind that the “old west”. Only lasted about 50 years. From the end of the war of Yankee aggression until about 1900 or 1905.
GeorgeJohnson over 10 years ago
The sperm whale oil used to be good for a lot of things. Lamp oil, and sewing machine oil, watches. Just about everything that required a high quality oil. But it wasn’t just the blubber, it was the oil located in the whales head.