Blowing up the White House - any interest?

[JMadonna]

(10-26-2017 06:28 PM)Steve Wrote:  I've also wondered whether the type of explosives they would've used would've had enough power to cause that kind of damage, at least in the amounts that realistically could've been moved there covertly. Although explosives can be more powerful placed strategically in a building than on the ground. However, I'm not an expert on the subject. Maybe a TV show like either NOVA or Mythbusters could test whether those types of explosives would've been able to inflict that much damage.

I have seen that show on TV. They used a small barrel of powder and demonstrated that placing it in a confined area such as under the dining hall in the basement would have had enough power to bring down the floor above it.

According to the show the plan was to bring the powder through the always unguarded adjacent conservatory (built by Buchanan) and into the basement door under the portico. The serenade was supposed to bring the cabinet into the dining hall to observe and be blown up.