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The Great Molasses Flood, also known as the Boston Molasses Disaster, was a disaster that occurred on 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) of molasses, weighing approximately 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 and injuring 150 people. Following a two-week long cleanup effort, the event entered local folklore and residents reported for decades afterwards that the area still smelled of molasses on hot summer days.

The disaster occurred in Boston's North End at the Purity Distilling Company facility at 529 Commercial Street near Keany Square. A considerable amount of molasses had been stored there by the company, which used the Commercial Street tank, located adjacent to Boston Harbor, to offload molasses from ships and store it for later transfer by pipeline to the Purity ethanol plant situated between Willow Street and Evereteze Way in nearby Cambridge. The molasses tank stood 50 feet (15 meters) tall and 90 ft (27 m) in diameter, and contained as much as 2.3 million US gal (8,700 m3).

On January 15, 1919, temperatures in Boston had risen above 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius), climbing rapidly from the frigid temperatures of the preceding days. On the previous day, a ship had delivered a fresh load of molasses, which had been warmed to decrease its viscosity for transfer. Possibly due to the thermal expansion of the older, colder molasses already inside the tank, the tank burst open and collapsed at approximately 12:30 p.m. The density of molasses is about 1.4 metric tons per cubic meter (12 pounds per US gallon), 40% denser than water, resulting in the molasses having a great deal of potential energy. "A wave of molasses does not behave like a wave of water. After the initial wave, the molasses became viscous, exacerbated by the cold temperatures, trapping those caught in the wave and making it even more difficult to rescue them.

The cadets ran several blocks toward the accident and entered into the knee-deep flood of molasses to pull out the survivors, while others worked to keep curious onlookers from getting in the way of the rescuers.

Cleanup crews used salt water from a fireboat to wash away the molasses and sand to absorb it, and the harbor was brown with molasses until summer.

Two days before the disaster, warmer molasses had been added to the tank, reducing the viscosity of the fluid.

The property formerly occupied by the molasses tank and the North End Paving Company became a yard for the Boston Elevated Railway (predecessor to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority). On January 15, 1919, a molasses tank at 529 Commercial Street exploded under pressure, killing 21 people. The accident has since become a staple of local culture, not only for the damage the flood brought, but also for the sweet smell that filled the North End for decades after the disaster.

The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets' song "Great Molasses Disaster" is about the flood, and their official music video includes many pictures of the aftermath. The I Survived children's book series by Lauren Tarshis includes I Survived The Great Molasses Flood, 1919, a story written from the perspective of a 12 year-old girl in Boston. Bostonian comedian and actress Ayo Edebiri, on Late Night with Seth Meyers, passionately spoke about the Great Molasses Flood where she mentions that she was "reduced to tears" talking about the tragedy, where people outside of Boston are far less aware of the event.

The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 was Boston's strangest disaster (story with more photos) City marks 100th anniversary of Great Molasses Flood (video from WCVB-TV)

Quick Facts

• The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 was Boston's strangest disaster (story with more photos)
• The I Survived children's book series by Lauren Tarshis includes I Survived The Great Molasses Flood, 1919, a story written from the perspective of a 12 year-old girl in Boston.
• The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets' song "Great Molasses Disaster" is about the flood, and their official music video includes many pictures of the aftermath.
• Following a two-week long cleanup effort, the event entered local folklore and residents reported for decades afterwards that the area still smelled of molasses on hot summer days.
• City marks 100th anniversary of Great Molasses Flood (video from WCVB-TV)

Source material: Wikipedia - "Great Molasses Flood". Adapted and summarized for DiscoverScroll. Original contributors are credited through the linked Wikipedia article. Read original on Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes were made from the original.