okay now here's what the deal was last night and this is uh this was going to be great we had a a 1
000 to 30 pound pumpkin now over a half a ton of pumpkin and we had it
out there on 53rd Street and we were going to blow it up with one stick of dynamite
uh the guy who raised it is uh named Scott Armstrong he lives out on Long
Island and he raised this in his mother's backyard and he said I got nothing to do
with it and you can't eat the thing so he brought it in and he said just blow it up
here turn on this is from last night this is what we were going to do last night there's
the pumpkin and as you can see it started to rain well that that's when our problems began because
then the fire department came in and said you know this pumpkin this pumpkin is is generating
electricity what do you mean it's it's three they said it's about five or ten volts of electricity
running through the the pumpkin what was it hooked up to something no it's not hooked up
to anything that's any wires no I'm sitting there no right away I'm thinking terrorism
that's the first thing that came to mind of course they're electrifying our vegetables
so uh crazy
so so now here's what happened they had the guys come out and inspect it today and sure
enough you know on the on the curb before you go to the street you get the curb there's that that
iron cap that runs along the corner of the curb right there at the perpendicular where you have
the horizontal and the vertical yeah right there it is right there well there there is a a five
volt current running through there at all times really at all times and and because of the rain
the rain the water was acting as a conductor and it was electrifying the pumpkin which that's crazy
that's insane I'm just telling you what they told me well
first of all why is there a current running through that I that I can't help time I have
no idea it's kind of like a third rail the city that never sleeps that's awesome
whoa so so anyway that that meant that to arm it the thing might explode right while the guy was
there alarming it so we couldn't do it that's right so now I believe is the weather all right
so we're going to do it okay we got everybody's approval everybody has signed off on this all
right now let's let's take a shot of it right now there's the pumpkin right there
and and sometime tonight a few kids are good we're going to put a stick of dynamite in there
and blow up the pumpkin and once again as you can see we've shut down 53rd Street for two days in a
row now nobody can get in or out of the city because we're blowing up the giant pumpkin
so that's what we'll be doing 57 inches high 40 inches wide 55 inches deep a circumference
of 144 inches we're using eight ounces of black powder the equivalent one stick of dynamite ladies
and gentlemen oh it's going to be great yeah you're gonna stay up for this all right let's
go back out on the 53rd Street is everything ready now to explode the pumpkin now how did
I just give the signal and then they will set off the charge who who's setting off the charge
a gentleman named Russ
isn't that an old Limerick a gentleman named Russ yeah I had to wear a truss and uh but they're okay
oh my God
wow
well forget the five volts of electricity he's got eight ounces of black powder but
sure yeah okay no smoking that was for us apparently okay that's for us and
we're ready to go we're ready to go right now all right let me see the shot again
let me see the shot again okay I'll tell you what let's do a commercial and then we'll blow it up
it's it's too good to throw it away right now
I'm right back and blow up the pumpkin ladies and gentlemen okay
the moment we've been waiting for two days in the making turn on the camera let's see what's
happening outside are we ready to go is everybody ready Paul are you ready I am ready sir you want
to put on your safety guy I think it would be it would be wise yeah probably not a bad idea
okay I'm ready Anton take it away here we go let's see
let's take a look at that again in slow motion instant replay there's your half ton of pumpkin
oh wow it just gets better and better with
was anyone injured Barbara do we have we her early reports everything seems
to be okay it is Russ is Russ still able to smoke
it's all right there he is he seems to be okay there's your there's your uh 1
000 pound pumpkin ladies and gentlemen he's