The Slice: Lake plans went up in smoke

Slice readers were asked if they had ever had a boat sink.

“No, but I burned my brother’s boat to the ground in front of my house,” wrote Chris Caraway.

Hey, those things happen.

Caraway thought it would be a good idea to check the engine before taking the vessel out for the weekend. So he took the appropriate steps for turning it on while the boat was out of the water and he tried to start it up.

No luck.

Caraway didn’t realize it at the time, but the fuel line was broken. Gas was leaking.

And he was about to become a North Side legend.

“I tried to start it again, and lo and behold, all that gas in the bilge was ignited by a spark from the starter motor. Kaboom!”

In an instant, the prospects for the weekend took a turn.

“Big fire,” said Caraway. “Even singed the neighbor’s tree. End of boat.”

That was a few years ago. But even though a potential on-the-lake disaster was averted, certain parties have not forgotten the incident.

“My brother will not loan me his new boat.”

Re: Tuesday’s Slice and people who fake being ill to get out of work: “Reminds me of when I was working,” wrote a woman whose name I’ll keep to myself. “We had a woman who would leave work, saying she was sick. She would really put on an act by hanging onto the hallway walls when she was getting ready to leave.

“Later that day, during the lunch hour, we would see her car at the Big Brothers bingo hall on Monroe Street. After that, we called it the ‘Bingo flu.’ ”

On this day at Expo ’74: The Amazing Kreskin.

Today’s Slice questions: Frank Delaney came upon a website with information on “scenic drives near Spokane, Idaho.”

Hmmm. Perhaps that was supposed to say “Spokane AND Idaho.” But if “Spokane, Idaho” was actually the accurate geographical designation, how would Spokane be different than it is today? How would Idaho be changed?