Podcast Summary: Relic Radio Thrillers – A Ton of Dynamite

Series: The Man Called X
Date: November 21, 2025
Host: RelicRadio.com
Setting: Venezuela, focusing on the construction of the Bolivar Waterway

Episode Overview

This episode of The Man Called X—titled "A Ton of Dynamite"—takes listeners to the jungles of Venezuela, where Ken Thurston (the Man Called X) investigates sabotage at the construction site of the Bolivar Waterway. The waterway, a project meant to bring prosperity and modernization to the region and supply America with essential iron ore, is being threatened by a series of deadly accidents and mysterious setbacks. As Ken searches for the perpetrator—believed to be the elusive saboteur Kolenda—he navigates a web of deception, murder, and shifting alliances among the international cast of characters.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. The Dream of the Bolivar Waterway

• Louis Dalla Costa, a Venezuelan visionary, dreams of opening the country’s interior via a massive waterway project, benefiting both local people and American steel interests.
  • “Thousands of my people, their villages isolated for centuries, will at last be able to enjoy the benefits of modern civilization. Schools, hospitals, decent homes.” —Dalla Costa [01:56]
• The dream is threatened by increased sabotage: equipment breakdowns, theft, and a dam collapse.

2. Sabotage and Treachery: The Search for Kolenda

• Ken Thurston is approached by Dalla Costa to investigate sabotage, suspecting Kolenda, an international criminal, is behind it.
  • “Colenda? Sure. Freelance international crook specializing in sabotage.” —Ken Thurston [02:55]
• The Chief in Washington is reluctant but ultimately helps Ken by sending his reluctant yet enterprising contact, Pagan Zellschmidt, to Venezuela for assistance and identification.

3. Assembling the Suspects

• Ken meets:
  • Professor Harkness, a botanist obsessed with rare orchids.
  • Betty Corcoran, a tough riverboat captain with suspected motives.
  • Manuel Florio, government inspector.
  • Jose Martinez, hot-headed construction engineer.
• Tensions and suspicions run high over the cause—and culprits—of the sabotage.

4. Explosions and Misdirection

• An explosive accident destroys part of the canal (09:37), intensifying accusations among the crew.
  • “Look here, look. You can see what happened to the canal that was already built, senor.” —Florio [09:26]
  • “Completely buried.” —Thurston [09:37]
• Arguments center on whether the explosion was incompetence or planned sabotage, with new evidence suggesting excess dynamite was used from a nearby sulfur mine.

5. Shifting Blame and Cold-Blooded Murder

• Betty Corcoran is implicated because she owns the sulfur mine; later, she is found murdered in the mine itself (17:32).
  • “As you can see, she’s quite dead.” —Florio [17:34]
• The murder halts all progress on the waterway, pending police investigation.

6. Pagan’s Comedic Misadventures

• Pagan’s journey to Venezuela is comically delayed, underscoring the episode’s wry humor.
  • “There are no beaches in Caracas.” —Thurston [13:23]
  • “That's right. But you ought to see this one here in Miami.” —Pagan [13:24]

7. Detective Work and Scientific Sleuthing

• Ken discovers empty dynamite boxes with sulfur dust, suggesting Kolenda is getting explosives from the mine (14:42).
  • “Because there is a sulfur mine operating back in those hills. Early this morning, I found over fifty empty dynamite boxes near that mine. They still had yellow sulfur dust on them.” —Martinez [14:42]
• Ken devises a clever method to unmask the saboteur: since sulfur permanently tarnishes silver, he tests each suspect’s coins.

8. Unmasking Kolenda

• Ken deduces that Professor Harkness is Kolenda, revealed by the blackened silver coin.
  • “But it can’t be washed off silver.” —Thurston [21:36]
  • “Look. One of those coins—” —Florio [21:42]
  • “This one. Black. Yeah, Glinda gave it to me. Didn't you, Professor Harkness?” —Thurston [21:50]

9. Final Showdown and Resolution

• Harkness/Kolenda attempts escape by boat, but the waterway’s final blast is triggered, symbolizing both the literal and metaphorical realization of Dalla Costa’s dream (23:08).
  • “You might call it the beginning of the Bolivar Waterway. But somehow I’d like to think of it as a dream coming true.” —Thurston [23:08]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It's best left in the hands of experts. Amateurs are prone to run into accidents. Possibly even better ones.” —Florio’s warning [12:33]
• “I just found thirty more dynamite cases in the sulphur mine lying over the hill empty.” —Thurston [19:38]
• “Colenda used dynamite from that sulfur mine. There was plenty of yellow sulfur dust on the empty boxes. He must have been covered with the stuff by the time he got through.” —Thurston [21:20]
• “But it can’t be washed off silver.” —Thurston [21:36]
• Pagan’s comedic delays and innocence in detective work continue to endear him as comic relief.

Timestamps for Critical Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------| | 01:56 | Dalla Costa describes the waterway’s transformative aims | | 02:55 | Kolenda identified as prime suspect in sabotage | | 09:37 | Discovery of sabotaged canal after a blast | | 13:24 | Pagan’s comic misadventure revealed (Miami instead of Caracas) | | 14:42 | Martinez mentions sulfur mine dynamite connection | | 17:32 | Betty Corcoran’s body found in the sulfur mine | | 21:20 | Coin test reveals Harkness as Kolenda | | 23:08 | Successful completion of the Bolivar Waterway and final blast |

Tone and Language

The episode maintains a classic Old Time Radio blend of intrigue, suspense, and occasional comic relief. Herbert Marshall’s Ken Thurston is dry, determined, and methodical; supporting characters bring a mix of earnestness, mistrust, and comic bumbling.

This episode stands out for its clever blend of international intrigue, scientific deduction, and thrilling detective work, all set amid the atmospheric backdrop of Venezuela’s riverfront jungles. The themes of progress battling corruption—and the high stakes of Cold War-era industrial projects—echo through the drama, making A Ton of Dynamite a classic adventure for fans of suspenseful storytelling.