Wednesday, November 27, 2024

The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919

We are making pumpkin pie tonight, and seeing molasses often reminds my wife of this story.

It's fun to say sticky tsunami, even though it is a stupid phrase.

The tank, 50 feet high and 90 feet in diameter, contained 2.3 million gallons of molasses originally destined for use in a munitions plant. The tank, though only a few years old, seemed shaky. People who lived and worked in the North End said the tank shuddered and groaned when the company filled it. Shortly after noon, the tank collapsed with a thunderous roar. The ground shook, and witnesses said the rivets popping out of the tank sounded like machine gun fire.

4 comments:

The Mad Soprano said...

Courtesy of Bad Day HQ: Here is Disasters of the Century's episode on the Molasses Flood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD_rlKMC9x4

Ken Mitchell said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ken Mitchell said...

Schooner Faire's "Oh Molasses!" about the 1919 molasses flood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6GlajMzVf0

Assistant Village Idiot said...

I had never heard it. Thanks.