Can you still smell molasses in Boston?
Structural defects in the tank combined with unseasonably warm temperatures contributed to the disaster. Local legend has it that on particularly warm days, you can still smell the faint aroma of molasses seeping up from the streets of the old North End.
Where was the molasses tank in Boston?
Commercial Street
The tank was built in 1915 along Boston’s waterfront on Commercial Street, opposite Copp’s Hill. It was operated by the Purity Distilling Company, a subsidiary of United States Industrial Alcohol (USIA).
How did they clean up the molasses flood?
It took months to clean up after the disaster. The main method of clean-up was to wash the molasses in the Boston Harbor. After the bulk had been washed out to sea salt and sand were poured across the affected area to soak up the molasses. For years to come, locals described the streets and surfaces as being sticky.
How many horses died in the molasses flood?
12 horses
On January 15, 1919, the North End of Boston experienced an odd incident in which 2.3 million gallons of molasses exploded out of a tank and into the city. It knocked out some buildings and even led to a number of deaths. 21 people and 12 horses died.
Has anyone ever drowned in molasses?
About 150 people were injured, and 21 people and several horses were killed. Some were crushed and drowned by the molasses or by the debris that it carried within. The wounded included people, horses, and dogs; coughing fits became one of the most common ailments after the initial blast.
How many people were injured in the molasses flood?
The Great Molasses Flood was a completely avoidable tragedy. The incident could almost sound silly, but it led to 21 deaths, 150 injuries, trapped horses, and crushed buildings. On Wednesday, Jan. 15, 1919, 2.3 million gallons of molasses flooded the north end neighbourhood of Boston, Mass.
What caused the molasses tank to burst?
Structural defects in the tank combined with unseasonably warm temperatures contributed to the disaster. 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.
Can you swim in molasses?
Viscosity is affected by temperature: things become slurpier at higher temperatures and stiffer at lower, which is why “slower than molasses in January” means painfully poky. Caught in a molasses flood, could you swim in the stuff? Probably not, according to an article in Scientific American.
How hot was the molasses flood?
The air temperature on the day of the disaster was about 40°F. Its brittleness might have been a final straw. “There were a lot of culprits,” Rossow says.
Why did the molasses tank burst?
A 40-foot wave of molasses buckled the elevated railroad tracks, crushed buildings and inundated the neighborhood. Structural defects in the tank combined with unseasonably warm temperatures contributed to the disaster.
Who was blamed for the Great Molasses Flood?
Over 1,500 exhibits were introduced and some 1,000 witnesses testified including explosives experts, flood survivors and USIA employees. The closing arguments alone took 11 weeks, but in April 1925, state auditor Hugh W. Ogden finally ruled that United States Industrial Alcohol was to blame for the disaster.
What happened in the Boston Molasses Disaster?
Boston Molasses Disaster. Aftermath of the disaster. The Great Molasses Flood, also known as the Boston Molasses Disaster or the Great Boston Molasses Flood, occurred on January 15, 1919 in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.
How many gallons of molasses are in a tank?
The molasses tank stood 50 ft (15 m) tall and 90 ft (27 m) in diameter, and contained as much as 2.3 million US gal (8.7 million L). Modern downtown Boston with molasses flood area circled
How big was the molasses tank in the north end?
The tank, 50 feet high and 90 feet in diameter, contained 2.3 million gallons of molasses originally destined for use in a munitions plant. The tank, though only a few years old, seemed shaky. People who lived and worked in the North End said the tank shuddered and groaned when the company filled it.
What happened to the molasses tank in San Francisco?
At around 12:40 p.m., the mid-afternoon calm was broken by the sound of a metallic roar. Before residents had time to register what was happening, the recently refilled molasses tank ripped wide open and unleashed 2.3 million gallons of dark-brown sludge.