The Boston Molasses Disaster

by Nick Vagnoni, Posted Apr 20th 2006 @ 8:05PM

Maybe the Boston Molasses Disaster is imprinted on the collective memories of folks in Boston, but it was news to me. Apparently, on January 15, 1919, a 50 foot tall tank of molasses (the common sweetener of the time) burst, sending 2.5 million gallons of the sweet goo hurtling through the city at a reported speed of 35 miles per hour, killing 21 people and injuring 150 others. The initial wave of molasses was between eight and 15 feet high, according to a Wikipedia entry. A Straight Dope article goes into more detail, and both pieces cite a book on the subject: Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 by Stephen Puleo. Causes of the disaster range from shoddy tank construction to theories about anarchists. The flood apparently derailed an elevated train and remnants of the mess were still being cleaned months later.

[Photo: Wikipedia]

Filed Under: The History of..., Did you know?
Tags: 1919, america, boston, dark tide, did you know, disaster, east coast, flood, molasses