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.

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