Great Molasses Flood

Great Molasses Flood
The wreckage of the collapsed tank is visible in background, center, next to the light-colored warehouse
DateJanuary 15, 1919; 105 years ago (1919-01-15)
TimeApproximately 12:30 pm
LocationBoston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Coordinates42°22′06.6″N 71°03′21.2″W / 42.368500°N 71.055889°W / 42.368500; -71.055889
CauseCylinder stress failure
Deaths21
Non-fatal injuries150 injured

The Great Molasses Flood, also known as the Boston Molasses Disaster,[1][2][a] was a disaster that occurred on Wednesday, January 15, 1919, in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.

A large storage tank filled with 2.3 million U.S. gallons (8,700 cubic meters)[4] of molasses, weighing approximately[b] 13,000 short tons (12,000 metric tons), burst, and the resultant wave of molasses rushed through the streets at an estimated 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour), killing 21 people and injuring 150.[5] The event entered local folklore and residents reported for decades afterwards that the area still smelled of molasses on hot summer days.[5][6]

  1. ^ Hinrichsen, Erik (September 8, 2010). "The Boston Molasses Disaster: Causes of the Molasses Tank Explosion". Bright Hub. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  2. ^ "'Molasses Disaster' Featured at Evening at 74". Beacon Hill Times. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  3. ^ Kelly, Kate (January 8, 2012). "The 'Boston Molassacre'". America Comes Alive. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  4. ^ "Great Molasses Flood: US marks 100 years since deadly wave of treacle trashed part of Boston". South China Morning Post. Associated Press. January 14, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Sohn, Emily (January 15, 2019). "Why the Great Molasses Flood Was So Deadly". The History Channel. A&E Television Networks. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Smithsonian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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