The Great Molasses Flood of 1919
disaster when a massive storage tank filled with 2.3 million gallons of molasses suddenly burst.
The failure sent a 25-foot-high wave of thick syrup rushing through the streets at 35 miles per hour, crushing buildings, overturning vehicles, and trapping unsuspecting pedestrians and workers in its sticky grasp. The sheer force of the flood was enough to knock a streetcar off its tracks and damage the steel supports of the nearby elevated railway.
Tragically, 21 people lost their lives, and 150 others were injured in the chaos.
The disaster was later attributed to structural weaknesses in the tank, which had been hastily constructed by the United States Industrial Alcohol Company to meet wartime demand for industrial alcohol.
Reports indicated that the tank had been leaking molasses for years, yet little was done to reinforce its integrity. In the aftermath, lawsuits were filed, and after a lengthy legal battle, the company was found liable for negligence.
The flood left a lasting mark on Boston’s history, with residents claiming that for decades afterward, the scent of molasses still lingered in the air on hot summer days.
en.wikipedia.org
www.history.com