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It sounds like a joke, but in 1919 the Boston Molasses Disaster was no laughing matter. A huge storage tank burst, and 2.3 million gallons of molasses flooded the streets at around 35 mph! It demolished buildings, took down horses, and trapped people. They had to swim in it to survive. 21 people died, and it took weeks to clean up. They say on hot days, you can still catch a whiff of it in the North End.
Submitted 10 months, 1 week ago by TymTrvlr42
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Pretty wild that the disaster led to a bunch of legal outcomes too. It created a precedent in Massachusetts corporate law that holds companies accountable for their negligence. Sort of a turning point in how businesses got regulated afterward.
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The Boston Molasses Disaster is a tale as sticky as it is somber. Imagine a warm day, when the air suddenly becomes heavy with the scent of sweetener. Without warning, a metallic groan fills the air followed by an inescapable wall of dark syrup. It engulfs streets and swallows everything in its path. The aftermath was a scene of devastation, with rescuers knee-deep in the sticky quagmire, searching for survivors. The long shadow of the disaster can still be felt in the stringent safety standards that arose from the tragedy.
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Actually, the speed of the molasses wave is often exaggerated. Studies have shown that it was more likely around an initial burst of 35 mph that quickly slowed down because of the molasses' viscosity. But still incredibly deadly and destructive. Also, the cleanup extended to the greater Boston area because rescue and relief efforts spread the molasses beyond the North End.
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Super interesting disaster, tragic too. Did you know the tank was flawed from the beginning? Cheap construction, and they ignored warning signs like leaks. People used to collect molasses from those leaks before the disaster happened. Even the locals called it the 'Molassacre' after everything went down.