THE BOSTON MOLASSES DISASTER

On January 15, 1919, a storage tank in Boston containing 2.3 million gallons of molasses ruptured and created the Great Boston Molasses Flood (no, I don't know if there were lesser Boston molasses floods). The 8-foot to 40-foot high (depending which source you believe) tidal wave of brown sugary goodness rolled out at 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour), exerted a force of 2 tons (1.8 metric tons) per square inch, and destroyed buildings, railroad platforms, and trains. The blast created by the displaced air was enough to hurl a truck into Boston harbor. Numerous horses and 21 people were smothered in the goo like bugs in flypaper and died, and another 150 people were injured.

Many factors probably contributed to the disaster, including an unusually fast rise in the outside temperature, carbon dioxide buildup from fermentation, and the filling of the tank to the top in anticipation of making a lot of rum before Prohibition took effect. However, the fact that the tank was made of brittle metal and was only half as thick as it should have been (even by 1919 standards) was most likely the primary cause of the failure.

By the time all of the litigation was resolved, the company owning the tank (Purity Distilling Company) paid out a total of $600,000. This sum, even though the equivalent of $10.9 million today, was quite the bargain for Purity considering the extent of carnage involved.

Purportedly, on hot summer days, the aroma of molasses still seeps up from the pavement.