The Great Molasses Flood occurred in the north end of Boston and caused 2,300,000 million gallons of molasses to rush through the streets at a speed of an estimated thirty-five miles per hour, killing twenty-one and injuring 150. The event entered local folklore and some residents claim that you can still smell molasses on some hot summer days.
The disaster happened at the Purity Distilling Company. Molasses can be fermented to produce ethanol, a prominent ingredient in many alcoholic beverages and a key component in the production of munitions. The tank in which this molasses fermented in was fifty feet tall and ninety feet in diameter and contained the aforementioned 2,300,000 million gallons of molasses.
The aftermath that followed the disaster was worse than you may think. Dead people were so glazed over in molasses that it made them hard to identify when their bodies were pulled from the liquid. So many needed medical attention that a makeshift hospital was set up nearby. While this disaster sounds lighthearted and even a little funny, the amount of deaths make it worse than other tragedies of its time.
Fun Facts:
- The molasses company tried to blame terrorists when the accident happened.
- The molasses was full of deadly junk that hit people as they were swept away.
- Some of the people who were dead as a result of the molasses were found in the Boston Harbor.
A picture of the molasses:
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