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Mark Williams
Colton High School Library
mwillia@cello.gina.calstate.edu
"For a list of all the ways technology has failed to improve the quality
of life, press 3 now."

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 2 Apr 1995 19:45:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mark Williams <mwillia@cello>
To: Melba Tomeo <TOMES1@AOL.COM>
Cc: Multiple recipients of list LM_NET <LM_NET@suvm.acs.syr.EDU>
Subject: Re: REF: Olympic Torch

Well, maybe this will help.  For the 1984 Olympics, the flame was kindled
at Olympia in Greece using a lens and the sun's rays.  I am almost certain
that it is always done in this manner.  In much earlier modern Olympics
the torch was a real torch.  Today, a gas fired torch is used, with the
gas supply in the handle.  As the torch get low on fuel, it is touched to
another, and so on.  For the L.A. Olympics torch run across America, ATT
had trucks following the various runners with spare torches.  In the
truck, a "keeper" flame, also kindled from the Olympia source, was kept
burning from portable cylinders of gas so that the actual flame could be
used to rekindle torches if necessary.  The flame is flown across bodies
of water, and the flame is fed from portable tanks of fuel, compressed
propane usually during the trip.  In Lillehammer the ski jumper used a
slightly different torch than was used for other legs of the run.
Although it looked like the others, _it_ was pressurized, force-feeding
the gas to the flame so it would not blow out during the skier's jump.
And in Barcelona, an archer used a traditionalal arrow wrapped with an
oil-soaked rag (which was lit from the torch) and fired the arrow over the
Olympic cauldron.  The cauldron's gas jets had been turned on moments
before so the air above it was filled with vaporized gas.  As the flaming
arrow passed through the cloud, it ignited the cauldron.  So the two most
recentGames had very impressive ignitions.  I wonder what Atlanta will
come up with?

Mark Williams
Colton High School Library
mwillia@cello.gina.calstate.edu
"For a list of all the ways technology has failed to improve the quality
of life, press 3 now."


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