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The Boston Molasses DisasterPosted Apr 20th 2006 8:05PM by Nick VagnoniFiled under: East Coast, The History of..., Did you know?, AmericaMaybe 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]
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