Boston History

The Great Molasses Flood: Boston’s Sticky, Deadly Disaster

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The Great Molasses Flood: Boston's Sticky, Deadly Disaster of 1919

The winter of 1919 in Boston was already a harsh mistress, with the nation still reeling from the Great War and grappling with the impending Prohibition. Yet, on January 15th, a day of unseasonable warmth, Boston was to face a disaster of truly sticky, and horrifying, proportions. A colossal tank, holding over 2.3 million gallons … Read more

The Great Molasses Flood: Boston’s Sticky, Deadly Disaster

by
The Great Molasses Flood of 1919: Boston's Sticky, Deadly Disaster

The air in Boston’s North End on January 15, 1919, was unusually warm for a mid-January day. Temperatures had climbed rapidly, reaching a balmy 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This unseasonable warmth, however, was about to unleash a disaster of sticky, suffocating proportions. For years, the Purity Distilling Company had operated a massive storage tank, towering 50 … Read more