1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:05,680 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, a 3 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: show for those interested in the big and bizarre moments 4 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: of history. I'm Gabe Lusier, and in this episode, we're 5 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: looking at the greatest April Fool's prank in Alaskan history, 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: the phony eruption of Mount Edgecombe. The day was April first, 7 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:40,200 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy four. Residents of Sitka, Alaska were fooled into 8 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:44,599 Speaker 1: thinking that a nearby volcano was about to erupt. They 9 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: awoke that morning to the terrifying sight of black smoke 10 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: spewing from the top of Mount Edgecombe. The dormant volcano 11 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: hadn't erupted for more than four thousand years, but it 12 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: seemed to have stirred to life overnight. That was a 13 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: frightening prospect for the seven thousand or so townspeople who 14 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 1: were situated just thirteen miles away from the thirty two 15 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: hundred foot tall volcano. But luckily for them, the whole 16 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 1: thing turned out to be an elaborate April Fool's prank. 17 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: The architect of the hoax was fifty year old Oliver 18 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: Porky Bikar. He was a World War Two veteran from 19 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: Washington State who had moved to Alaska with his wife 20 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: and three children in nineteen sixty. A lagger by trade, 21 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: Porky eventually opened his own business in Sitka, selling and 22 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: servicing logging equipment. He also took part in the annual 23 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 1: All Alaska Logging Championship, where his specialty was cutting a 24 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: tree so that it fell smack dab on a target, 25 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: usually a hard hat. Porky's knack for showmanship extended to 26 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: his role as Sitka's resident practical joker. Even before faking 27 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: a volcanic eruption, Porky pulled off such stunts as using 28 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: a backo to drop an entire tree on his friend's 29 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: driveway and setting up plastic flamingos and trees along the 30 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: coastline as a way to confuse passing tour boats on 31 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:15,079 Speaker 1: the lookout for wildlife. Porky knew that the volcano prank 32 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: would be his magnum opis, so he took his time 33 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: planning it to make sure everything went off just right. 34 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: He first came up with the idea in nineteen seventy one, 35 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: and then spent the next three years gathering materials and 36 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:33,399 Speaker 1: waiting for an April Fool's Day with bright, clear skies. Finally, 37 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 1: on the morning of April first, nineteen seventy four, Porky 38 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: looked out the window and saw Mount Edgecombe towering in 39 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: the distance, clear as day. He told his wife Patty, 40 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: this is it. I have to go do it today, 41 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:51,639 Speaker 1: to which she smiled and replied, quote, just don't make 42 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: an ass of yourself. Although Porky had amassed all the 43 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: materials needed to stage an eruption, he hadn't chartered a 44 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: hell helicopter to fly it all over to the crater. 45 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: He spent the early morning calling one chopper pilot after another, 46 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: but all of them turned down the job once they 47 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: heard what Porky was planning. The last name on his 48 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: list was Earl Walker, way over in Petersburg. Thankfully, the 49 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: pilot had a good sense of humor and agreed to 50 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: fly over as soon as the morning fog in his 51 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: area had lifted. That gave Porky some time to assemble 52 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: his supplies. He had stockpiled seventy or so old car 53 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: tires for the occasion, and with the help of three friends, 54 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: Harry Slcer, Ken Steadman and Larry Nelson, he loaded all 55 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: of them into two large canvas slings. When Earl Walker arrived, 56 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: they attached one of the slings to a hook on 57 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: the bottom of his chopper. Then all the men piled 58 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: inside with the rest of their gear, a few cans 59 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: of black spray paint, several gallons of kerosene, a mountain 60 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: of rags, and about a dozen smoke bombs. Within minutes, 61 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: they had flown across the sound that separates Sitka from 62 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 1: the small island where Mount Edgecomb sits. They dropped the 63 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: first load of tires at the crater, and Porky stayed 64 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 1: behind while the chopper went back for the second load. 65 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: In the meantime, the prankster got to work stomping a 66 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: message into the snow around the volcano's rim. He carved 67 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: out the words April fool and fifty foot letters, and 68 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: then traced over them with black spray paint. When the 69 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: rest of the crew returned, the men stacked up the tires, 70 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: lit them on fire, and headed home. In an impressive 71 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 1: show of discretion. Porky had already notified the Sitka police 72 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: and fire departments about the prank. He had also notified 73 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 1: the Federal Aviation Administration which had granted the helicopter clearance 74 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 1: to approach the volcano. In fact, the air traffic controller 75 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 1: even complimented the men's work, telling them quote, the son 76 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 1: of a gun looks fantesque. Unfortunately, Porky forgot to notify 77 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,840 Speaker 1: the coast Guard, so when panicked residents began reporting a 78 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 1: thick bloom of black smoke pouring out of the crater, 79 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 1: the Coastguard commander sent a helicopter and a whale boat 80 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:18,719 Speaker 1: to investigate. The chopper pilot flew in close for a 81 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 1: better look, and then radioed back to base to say 82 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 1: it was just a false alarm. There was no sign 83 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 1: of volcanic activity whatsoever, just one hundred or so burning 84 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 1: tires and a message reading April fool. The Sitka radio 85 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 1: station and emergency dispatches were flooded with calls throughout the day, 86 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: but when residents found out it was all a big joke, 87 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: they took the news surprisingly well. Most people thought the 88 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: prank was hilarious, and Alaska Airlines even diverted a few 89 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 1: of its flights that day so that passengers could see 90 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: the faux eruption for themselves. Not long after, the story 91 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:01,279 Speaker 1: was picked up by the Associated press and reported in 92 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: newspapers all over the world. The stunt brought Porky a 93 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 1: lot of attention, including from the Admiral of the Alaskan Coastguard, 94 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:14,040 Speaker 1: who thought the prank was brilliant. But Porky's favorite response 95 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 1: by far was said to have come from a Denver 96 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 1: lawyer some six years later, in the wake of the 97 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 1: catastrophic eruption of Mount Saint Helen's in Washington State. The 98 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: man had sent Porky a news clipping of the event, 99 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:31,600 Speaker 1: along with a note saying, this time you've gone too far. 100 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:37,679 Speaker 1: Oliver Porky Bikar passed away on August eleventh, two thousand 101 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: and three, at the age of seventy nine. His legendary 102 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:46,479 Speaker 1: prank has ensured that Alaskans won't forget his name anytime soon, and, 103 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:50,719 Speaker 1: according to recent reports from the Alaska Volcano Observatory, his 104 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,920 Speaker 1: prank may take on new relevance in the not too 105 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: distant future. That's because in twenty twenty three, preliminary measurements 106 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 1: showed magma moving deep below the Mount Edgecomb volcano. The 107 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: activity was significant enough for the observatory to raise the 108 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: volcano's threat level to high risk. That doesn't mean the 109 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: volcano will erupt anytime soon, or even at all. And 110 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 1: of course if it were to erupt, there would be 111 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: plenty of time to issue warnings in advance, but because 112 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: of Porky's prank, you have to wonder how many people 113 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: would actually believe them. I'm gay Blues Yay, and hopefully 114 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: you now know a little more about history today than 115 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 1: you did yesterday. If you'd like to keep up with 116 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: the show, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and 117 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: Instagram at TDI HC Show, and if you have any 118 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: comments or suggestions, feel free to send them my way 119 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:54,239 Speaker 1: by writing to This Day at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks 120 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: to Kasby Bias for producing the show, and thanks to 121 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: you for listening. I'll see you back here again tomorrow 122 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: for another day in History class.