To understand the point of this post, First look at the ‘100 word challenge’ here
(if you haven’t already) where you will find an explanation of the prompt,
and also a list of links to other responses.
An explosion shook the ground outside the main factory. A cast-iron manhole cover rose smartly, yet gracefully, into the air as if it had been a champagne cork, described a perfect arc, and descended onto the tailboard of a nearby dray, smashing it in half. The driver of the dray came close to spontaneous evacuation of the bowels.
In synchronism with further bangs, several more iron lids followed suit in the ensuing seconds. On a hunch, a supervisor walked round to the rear of the plant, where an analytical chemist, holding a carboy over a gulley, looked up.
“It wasn’t my fault!” he said…
Believe it or not, this account is substantially true. I have added a little colour – only a little – for which there is no extra charge. The story was told to me by a much older employee of the company for which I worked for a time (my first job) who remembered the incident. The son of the chemist worked in the same department as I did!
