Blowtorch and Gunpowder
2003 Honorable Mention
Confirmed True by Darwin
(8 July 2003, Moore Township, Pennsylvania) An unidentified 16-year-old
boy, and only that boy, was taken by surprise when a bowl of blackpowder
blew when it was heated with a blowtorch. At first, he had tried to ignite
it with a grill lighter, but when that failed, he decided a blowtorch would
do a better job. About that, he was right: the flash was awesome indeed.
Confirmed True by Darwin
The blackpowder explosion caused severe burns to his face, and he admitted to some pain after the jarring incident. "He made a foolish decision and suffered the consequences," said the police chief. This was not the lad's first lesson with gunpowder. A neighbor confided, "He lost one finger to a firecracker accident a few years ago."
Reader Comments:
"The title alone should tell you nothing good will come of this."
"Pyromaniacs pay close attention."
"This story reminds me of your brother. How is he?"
"I think I'll go powder my nose."
