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Great Molasses Flood

Updated: Wikipedia source

Great Molasses Flood

The Great Molasses Flood, also known as the Boston Molasses Disaster, 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) 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. The event entered local folklore and residents reported for decades afterwards that the area still smelled of molasses on hot summer days.

Infobox

Date
January 15, 1919; 106 years ago (1919-01-15)
Time
Approximately 12:30 pm
Location
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Coordinates
mw- 42°22′06.6″N 71°03′21.2″W / 42.368500°N 71.055889°W / 42.368500; -71.055889
Cause
Cylinder stress failure
Deaths
21
Non-fatal injuries
150 injured

Tables

· Aftermath › Fatalities
Patrick Breen
Patrick Breen
Name
Patrick Breen
Age
44
Occupation
Laborer (North End Paving Yard)
William Brogan
William Brogan
Name
William Brogan
Age
61
Occupation
Teamster
Bridget Clougherty
Bridget Clougherty
Name
Bridget Clougherty
Age
65
Occupation
Homemaker
Stephen Clougherty
Stephen Clougherty
Name
Stephen Clougherty
Age
34
Occupation
Unemployed
John Callahan
John Callahan
Name
John Callahan
Age
43
Occupation
Paver (North End Paving Yard)
Maria Di Stasio
Maria Di Stasio
Name
Maria Di Stasio
Age
10
Occupation
Child
William Duffy
William Duffy
Name
William Duffy
Age
58
Occupation
Laborer (North End Paving Yard)
Peter Francis
Peter Francis
Name
Peter Francis
Age
64
Occupation
Blacksmith (North End Paving Yard)
Flaminio Gallerani
Flaminio Gallerani
Name
Flaminio Gallerani
Age
37
Occupation
Driver
Pasquale Iantosca
Pasquale Iantosca
Name
Pasquale Iantosca
Age
10
Occupation
Child
James J. Kenneally
James J. Kenneally
Name
James J. Kenneally
Age
48
Occupation
Laborer (North End Paving Yard)
Eric Laird
Eric Laird
Name
Eric Laird
Age
17
Occupation
Teamster
George Layhe
George Layhe
Name
George Layhe
Age
38
Occupation
Firefighter (Engine 31)
James Lennon
James Lennon
Name
James Lennon
Age
64
Occupation
Teamster/Motorman
Ralph Martin
Ralph Martin
Name
Ralph Martin
Age
21
Occupation
Driver
James McMullen
James McMullen
Name
James McMullen
Age
46
Occupation
Foreman, Bay State Express
Cesar Nicolo
Cesar Nicolo
Name
Cesar Nicolo
Age
32
Occupation
Expressman
Thomas Noonan
Thomas Noonan
Name
Thomas Noonan
Age
43
Occupation
Longshoreman
Peter Shaughnessy
Peter Shaughnessy
Name
Peter Shaughnessy
Age
18
Occupation
Teamster
John M. Seiberlich
John M. Seiberlich
Name
John M. Seiberlich
Age
69
Occupation
Blacksmith (North End Paving Yard)
Michael Sinnott
Michael Sinnott
Name
Michael Sinnott
Age
78
Occupation
Messenger
Name
Age
Occupation
Patrick Breen
44
Laborer (North End Paving Yard)
William Brogan
61
Teamster
Bridget Clougherty
65
Homemaker
Stephen Clougherty
34
Unemployed
John Callahan
43
Paver (North End Paving Yard)
Maria Di Stasio
10
Child
William Duffy
58
Laborer (North End Paving Yard)
Peter Francis
64
Blacksmith (North End Paving Yard)
Flaminio Gallerani
37
Driver
Pasquale Iantosca
10
Child
James J. Kenneally
48
Laborer (North End Paving Yard)
Eric Laird
17
Teamster
George Layhe
38
Firefighter (Engine 31)
James Lennon
64
Teamster/Motorman
Ralph Martin
21
Driver
James McMullen
46
Foreman, Bay State Express
Cesar Nicolo
32
Expressman
Thomas Noonan
43
Longshoreman
Peter Shaughnessy
18
Teamster
John M. Seiberlich
69
Blacksmith (North End Paving Yard)
Michael Sinnott
78
Messenger

References

  1. The flood has more recently been known as the "Boston Molassacre".
  2. With a density of 1.4 kg/L (12 lb/US gal), 8,700 m3 (310,000 cu ft) of molasses weighs 12,180 tonnes (11,990 long tons;
  3. Bright Hub
    https://www.brighthub.com/education/homework-tips/articles/86176.aspx
  4. Beacon Hill Times
    http://beaconhilltimes.com/2018/04/06/molasses-disaster-featured-at-evening-at-74/
  5. America Comes Alive
    https://americacomesalive.com/the-boston-molassacre/
  6. South China Morning Post
    https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2182032/great-molasses-flood-us-marks-100-years-deadly-wave
  7. "Why the Great Molasses Flood Was So Deadly"
    https://www.history.com/news/great-molasses-flood-science
  8. Smithsonian
    http://edp.org/molpark.htm
  9. Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919
    https://archive.org/details/darktide00step
  10. www.wbur.org
    https://www.wbur.org/radioboston/2019/01/15/1919-molasses-flood
  11. NBC News
    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/great-boston-molasses-flood-1919-killed-21-after-2-million-n958326
  12. Scientific American
    https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/molasses-flood-physics-science/
  13. edp.org
    https://edp.org/molpark.htm
  14. Scientific American
    https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/molasses-flood-physics-science/
  15. Boston Magazine
    https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2019/01/12/great-boston-molasses-flood-things-you-didnt-know/
  16. The New York Times
    https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1919/01/16/97058317.pdf
  17. HISTORY
    https://www.history.com/news/the-great-molasses-flood-of-1919
  18. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/13/the-great-boston-molasses-flood-why-it-matters-modern-regulation
  19. How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda
    https://www.americanantiquarian.org/proceedings/44525121.pdf
  20. The Hour
    https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=s6s0AAAAIBAJ&pg=949%2C3011666
  21. The History Channel
    http://www.history.com/news/the-great-molasses-flood-of-1919
  22. Yankee
    https://archive.today/20120710192737/http://edp.org/molyank.htm
  23. Boston.com
    https://www.boston.com/news/history/2019/01/13/victims-great-boston-molasses-flood-1919
  24. Controvertibles
    https://doi.org/10.2307%2Fj.ctt5vkg3w
  25. Birnbaum, Amy. (2019). The Great Molasses Flood: A bizarre disaster struck one of America's biggest cities 100 years ago
  26. Dark Tide: The Great Molasses Flood of 1919
    https://books.google.com/books?id=yWtJGLG0aEcC&pg=PA263
  27. Yankee
  28. Einstein's Refrigerator: And Other Stories from the Flip Side of History
    https://books.google.com/books?id=yWVddZqyqggC&pg=PA37
  29. The Roaring Twenties
    https://books.google.com/books?id=FtbnIe103p4C&pg=PA13
  30. The Straight Dope
    http://www.straightdope.com/columns/041231.html
  31. The Boston Globe
    https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/01/14/nearly-century-later-new-insight-into-cause-great-molasses-flood/CNqLYc0T58kNo3MxP872iM/story.html
  32. Boston.com
    https://www.boston.com/news/history/2016/11/24/slow-as-molasses-sweet-but-deadly-1919-disaster-explained
  33. The New York Times
    https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/26/science/boston-molasses-flood-science.html
  34. "Molasses Creates a Sticky Situation"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20161126004525/http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=170069&CultureCode=en
  35. Bulletin of the American Physical Society
    http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DFD16/Session/L27.8
  36. Boston: a Guide to Unique Places
  37. "Places to go: Downtown/North End"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20130913150554/http://www.bostonharborwalk.com/placestogo/location.php?nid=3&sid=21
  38. The New England Grimpendium
  39. The Fiske Center Blog
    https://blogs.umb.edu/fiskecenter/2019/01/14/results-of-geophysical-survey-at-langone-park-100-years-since-the-great-molasses-flood/
  40. The Boston Globe
    https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/01/15/remembering-great-molasses-flood-years-later/zNqJPoyHTuuSWcXKIZv0HM/story.html
  41. "Gathering around the site of the molasses tank to remember its victims"
    https://www.universalhub.com/2019/gathering-around-where-molasses-tank-used
  42. NFPA Journal
    https://web.archive.org/web/20190318124613/https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications/NFPA-Journal/2011/May-June-2011/Features/The-Great-Boston-Molasses-Flood
  43. YouTube
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZnxuPatgH0
  44. genius.com
    https://genius.com/Protest-the-hero-all-hands-lyrics
  45. YouTube
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW77j4AC6Wo
  46. The Boston Globe
    https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/06/27/metro/card-game-about-bostons-molasses-flood-available-in-october/
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