Explosives, Tools For Progress

Produced: 1970s

Length: 22 Minutes

Today, most people would associate explosives with war or destruction or even terrorism. In Explosives – Tools for Progress, explosives are viewed on a different light. The film shows how explosives helped shape the history of the country and the many uses of explosives in our daily activities. The film features three major structures that were created using explosives – Manhattan in New York, the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington, and the Panama Canal. These structures were created by using explosives to shape and create the site for constructions. The film shows a typical construction site with engineers preparing the ground for a blast. The most interesting part is the preparation of the blast in the Isthmus of Panama as engineers used an uncommon underwater blast. Safety in shipping and handling the explosives like proper storage and labeling were also emphasized in the film. In a populated area like Manhattan, rope mats are used to fence the blast site to prevent explosion materials to reach the people. The film also showed how explosives play a major role in our daily activities. The peeler, for example, is made of steel which is made of iron. Iron ores are mined from the ground using explosion blasts. Irrigations are also built by blasting the ground and these irrigations help grow vegetables and other agricultural products that we consume.The short film shows simultaneous blasts of the construction sites in Washington, New York, and Panama Canal. Manhattan is now a major financial, economic, and cultural center of the world, the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington is now a major source of electricity, the Panama Canal is a significant naval route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans – all these and many more have been made possible by using explosives, an important tool for progress.