The Great Molasses Flood: When Boston Became Sticky Sweet (and a Little Less Beany)
We've all heard of historical floods – the Great Flood, the Mississippi Floods, Noah and his watery predicament – but have you heard of the time Boston went swimming in, well, molasses? Buckle up, history buffs and sugar fiends, because we're diving headfirst (or should we say, head-flopping?) into the bizarre and sticky true story of the Great Molasses Flood of 1919.
A Tankful of Trouble: The Ingredients for Disaster
Boston's chilly harbor usually held ships and dreams of faraway lands. But in 1919, it played host to a giant vat of molasses, a thick, treacly syrup used for making rum (cue the pirates!). This particular vat wasn't exactly a picture of structural integrity, and on a fateful January day, it decided to follow the molasses motto: "Go with the flow." Boom! With a sound like a disgruntled bumblebee, the tank burst, unleashing a wave of sticky doom.
2.3 Million Gallons of Fury: Boston Gets Sauced
Imagine a tsunami, but instead of churning ocean water, it's a wave of molasses. Now picture that wave barreling through the streets of Boston's North End at 35 miles per hour. That was the Great Molasses Flood. Buildings shuddered, cars were turned into sticky pancakes, and poor unfortunate souls found themselves trapped in a slow-motion molasses bath (not exactly a spa day). The final tally? 21 lives lost and a city left looking like a scene from a Willy Wonka fever dream.
The Cleanup: A Sticky Situation
Cleaning up molasses isn't exactly a walk in the park (especially when the park itself is covered in molasses). It took weeks to remove the gooey mess, and the stench of molasses lingered for years. Imagine trying to explain that one to your laundry guy!
Fun Fact: The force of the molasses wave even knocked an elevated train off its tracks! Guess molasses wasn't such a sweet ride after all.
The Great Molasses Flood: FAQ
How to avoid a molasses flood in your own kitchen? Simple! Store your molasses in sturdy containers and avoid sudden temperature changes (unless you're going for a sticky science experiment, that is).
How much molasses spilled in the Boston Flood? A whopping 2.3 million gallons – enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool... several times over.
How fast did the molasses wave travel? A molasses-y 35 miles per hour. Sticky and speedy!
How many people died in the Great Molasses Flood? Tragically, 21 people lost their lives in this sugary disaster.
How long did the smell of molasses linger in Boston? For years! Bostonians probably weren't too thrilled about their city smelling like a giant rum cake.
So there you have it, the story of the Great Molasses Flood. A sticky reminder that sometimes, history takes a left turn and ends up in a vat of molasses.
