The Unbelievable History of the Great Molasses Flood

2.3 million gallons of molasses flooding a city? It sounds like something out of a high stakes action movie!

As unbelievable as it sounds, such an event really happened right in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts!

January 15, 1919

Boston, Massachusetts:

It started out as any other day. People went to work, school, shopping, etc. The weather was quite pleasant for January. But any calm and monotony would change in an instant leaving Boston, Massachusetts changed forever!

No one thought a thing out of the ordinary of the rumbling in the distance. It was probably just the daily train passing through.

Once the rumbling approached closer, to the horror of the residents, it was realized that it was no train!

It was 2.3 million gallons of molasses coming straight towards the northern part of the city and there was absolutely no time to react!

Can you imagine!

Now the big question.

Where did all that molasses even come from?

2.3 million gallons of molasses just doesn't come from nowhere!

The 2.3 million gallons of molasses originated from a 50 feet tall molasses tank built just several years prior. The molasses tank settled on the railroad tracks in Boston and was used for the distilleries on train cars.

There was just one problem.

The tank had a leak.

The company responsible for the tank, Purity Distilling Company, only continued to put off properly repairing the tank even when residents complained. To save themselves cost and labor, they painted the tank the same color as molasses, brown, so that when the molasses leaked out, it was less noticeable.

Amusingly, there were even incidences of children who would catch the dripping molasses into their pails as it leaked from the tank. I must admit, this sounds like something I very well might have done as a kid!

We all know what happens when we keep putting off repairs. The problem only gets worse.

And that’s exactly what happened to the molasses tank!

The tank’s thin and now damaged walls were no longer strong enough to hold the 2.3 million gallons of molasses.

On January 15, 1919, a new shipment of molasses was delivered. This new shipment, unseasonably warm temperatures, and a poor quality tank that was in desperate need of repair was a recipe for disaster.

The new shipment of molasses caused the tank’s walls to bust open and 2.3 million gallons of molasses gushed out like a tsunami at 35 mph flooding Boston.

The molasses had so much force, it knocked buildings off their foundation. The force of the molasses was so powerful, it even knocked over a train. Tragically, people and animals were not spared. With the crowded north end of Boston, only 21 people (but nonetheless tragic) were killed and 150 were injured.

The idea of people losing their lives and property being demolished is devastating because of two reasons:

No one had a chance to react and save themselves and others. Unlike a natural disaster such as a hurricane, there was no warning.

And the worst part about it? The Great Molasses Flood could have well been prevented but those in charge of the molasses tanks decided to take the more convenient route by taking short cuts instead of properly addressing the leak.

The Clean Up

If you've ever had to clean molasses or any syrupy substance up, then you know how messy and difficult that can be. Now imagine trying to clean up a city that had just been flooded with molasses! The molasses that knocked buildings off their foundation and coated them made it near impossible to even begin the clean up of debris!

Fortunately, a solution was found!

Salt water!

Salt water which was pumped from the nearby harbor effectively thinned and broke down the molasses making the long road to clean up possible.

The Great Molasses Flood or the Boston Molasses disaster happened just over 100 years ago yet it is still of relevance today as it was then.

This unbelievable tragedy in United States history was a tragedy that could have been prevented and a lesson learned!

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