Buildings Were Crushed And 21 People Were Killed After Two Million Gallons Of Sticky And Thick Molasses Flooded The Streets Of Boston In 1919
On a seemingly ordinary day in January 1919, a giant steel tank full of molasses burst open, flooding the streets of Boston. More than two million gallons of sweet, sticky, thick liquid poured out, reaching astounding speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.
The tidal wave of molasses surged through the city, leaving tragedy and destruction in its wake. It crushed buildings, killed 21 people, and injured 150 more.
This disastrous incident became known as the Great Molasses Flood. It remains one of the most catastrophic events in American history.
The landscape of Boston’s North End was changed forever, with the smell of molasses lingering for decades. A century later, experts figured out what factors contributed to the molasses mess.
Right after the whole fiasco, there was speculation about how fermentation caused too much pressure in the tank. Some people thought anarchists had set off a bomb. Later on, investigations revealed that the structure of the tank had several issues.
Measuring 50 feet tall and 90 feet in diameter, it was designed to hold 2.5 million gallons of liquid. However, the steel walls were too thin to bear the weight of a full tank of molasses.
In addition, there were design flaws with the rivets. Too much stress was being placed on the rivet holes, leading to cracks in the tank. At the time, structural engineers were aware of the problems but ignored them because the demand for industrial alcohol was rising steadily, so they needed to keep up with molasses production.
The steel the tank was made from had not been mixed with enough manganese, which engineers didn’t know back then. So, when the metal cooled below 59 degrees Fahrenheit, it would become extremely brittle. On the day of the Great Molasses Flood, the metal had cooled to about 40 degrees.
Once the wave of molasses was unleashed, the principles of fluid dynamics exacerbated the problem. Molasses is 1.5 times thicker than water and usually pours out very slowly. But during the flood, the molasses moved similarly to a mudslide or an avalanche.
SeanPavonePhoto – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
The mild weather that day also likely contributed to the spread of the sticky substance. Streams of molasses filled the area for two blocks.
As temperatures dropped in the evening, the conditions worsened since the molasses grew thicker.
Buildings collapsed, the wreckage pinning people down. Others got stuck in the molasses. Hours after the accident, at least one person died of asphyxiation.
One man even died after being admitted into an asylum, with the family claiming that his death was caused by trauma from the molasses accident. That fateful day highlights the consequences of overlooking safety in favor of profit.
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