nebula Posted March 27, 2004 Group: Royal Member Followers: 10 Topic Count: 5,823 Topics Per Day: 0.75 Content Count: 45,870 Content Per Day: 5.94 Reputation: 1,897 Days Won: 83 Joined: 03/22/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/19/1970 Share Posted March 27, 2004 Is it a sin to laugh at this stuff? Death by Catapult 2004 Reader Submission Pending Acceptance For the benefit of the rest of the world, in 1986 the UK saw its most violent storm for over 350 years. Wind speeds in some parts exceeded 90 mph and an incredible amounts of damage were done to property and people up and down the UK. This story made several of the Kent newspapers at the time and - like most sane, rational beings I too found it dificult to believe - but it is absolutely true. In Margate in the county of Kent, there are many tall Poplar trees and it's not uncommon for residents in the more rural areas to be surrounded by woods and spinnys. During the 1986 storm, an estimated 1 billion trees were lost - uprooted - by the gales. One hapless resident of Margate owned a house that bordered a small wood on the edge of which were 3 massive Poplars. The wind had felled 1 - which had come to rest across his back garden - while the other 2 had managed to resist the winds but had bent over just far enough to lodge their tops under the soffat of this guy's roof. The foliage of the bent trees was obscuring almost 100% of the light which would have entered his upstairs bedroom windows. Now, this chap did not own a chainsaw nor could he reach the trunks of the trees which were several yards beyond his reach - even when leaning out of the window. Undeterred by these frustrations and apparently unfettered by common-sense, he decided to find the base of the first tree, shin up the trunk from its location on the edge of the wood and (you can see it coming can't you?!!!) saw the top off while sitting astride the trunk with his feet wedged against his roof gutter. After almost 20 minutes of sawing, the tree - which experts estimate held the energy equivalent to small field gun - broke away from the part he was sawing off and sprang back upright. His body was found in a neighbour's garden over 1 mile away and had suffered massive trauma. The police surgeon stated that his neck probably broke during the whiplash and he would therefore have known nothing of the impact with the ground. Submitted on 02/04/2004 Submitted by: Peek-a-Boo Reference: Var Margate newspapers 1986 Copyright Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LadyC Posted March 27, 2004 Share Posted March 27, 2004 i'd venture a guess that the story is fictional. if it's a sin to laugh at it, well, you'll be in good company! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGR Posted March 27, 2004 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 512 Topics Per Day: 0.07 Content Count: 8,601 Content Per Day: 1.13 Reputation: 125 Days Won: 2 Joined: 07/16/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/04/1973 Share Posted March 27, 2004 i'd venture a guess that the story is fictional. if it's a sin to laugh at it, well, you'll be in good company! Franky, I guess I need to go do some repenting myself!!!! Reminds me of the Bill Engvall tune-"Here's Your Sign!!!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LadyC Posted March 27, 2004 Share Posted March 27, 2004 oh my goodness LOL, i recently watched blue collar comedy tour with all those (raunchy at times) comediens... bill the cable guy, jeff foxworthy, a couple of others... they did a whole bunch of the "here's your sign" jokes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
other one Posted March 27, 2004 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 29 Topic Count: 599 Topics Per Day: 0.08 Content Count: 56,249 Content Per Day: 7.56 Reputation: 27,980 Days Won: 271 Joined: 12/29/2003 Status: Offline Share Posted March 27, 2004 Is it a sin to laugh at this stuff? Sometimes you just can't help laughing. I don't think it is a sin...... at times maybe tacky. Like ladyC I doubt the story is fact. At least all fact. I find it very hard to believe that even a tree of that size could throw a body a mile. However I have seen people do really dumb things of this nature. (me included). I watched a guy cut a tree limb out from under himself one time and fall about ten feet. (couldn't get across the street in time to stop him). We did laugh at the guy and when he found that he was not hurt he had a pretty good laugh himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheercoach Posted March 27, 2004 Group: Junior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 7 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 114 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 1 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/04/2003 Status: Offline Share Posted March 27, 2004 What's a spinny? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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