About 1990 I had a narrow squeak. I had been touching up the underseal on my car with bitumen – tar - , and got some on my overalls. As normal, I soaked them in petrol to get the worst off, rinsed them in water and put them in our front loading Hoover washing machine, which was in an old coalhouse about 4' square off a short corridor which led from our kitchen to the back door.

A while later, a smell of petrol went through the house and I realised I hadn't rinsed as much of the petrol off as I thought. I went out to try and stop the machine, just in case. As I opened the door to the old coalhouse, there was a massive explosion, and a mass of flame knocked me backwards as the soap tray blew out of the washing machine and the top blew off. At that point my head hit the wall behind me and I lost interest for several minutes.

When I awake, I found that the ceiling had fallen in in the outhouse, the rear door had been blown through its frame and two windows had broken glass, as did the front door, which had two small panes broken, all at the height of the top of the washing machine. The force of the explosion had been such that the brass handle on the metal-framed kitchen window had snapped off as the window was blown open.

As for me, I had just lost some of my eyebrows and my fringe, my arms were red and I had a blinding headache. I disconnected the machine, and then went to get materials - glass, wood and plasterboard - to start repairs before my wife got home and asked me what happened. Regrettably she noticed the scorch marks on the front of the washing machine and I haven't been able to live it down since!

Amazingly, the washing machine went on to do another four years service, although it needed a new drum a few weeks later, which could have had something to do with the accident.

I now just use old clothes to underseal the car and burn them afterwards!

John Davies

NB I submitted this last year but after creating some interest it disappeared - neither accepted or rejected - and doesn't turn up on a search, not even in slush pile rejects.

I am somewhat confused, so I am submitting it again. John D

Submitted on 07/27/2006

Submitted by: John Davies
Reference:

Copyright © 2006 DarwinAwards.com

James said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
That's odd! It must have gotten lost in the shuffle. I don't remember it and I've been a mod for a while now! Anyway, I love the write-up, especially the part about your wife noticing the burnt washing machine first! A classic and cartoony PA! Thanks, John!

Fitzroy said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
I heard that a huge quantity of submissions were lost outright due to some technical glitch that might overlap with the prior submission of this. In any case, it is a great write-up and it has all the elements of a strong Personal Account.

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