The Great Molasses Flood: The Day Boston Drowned in Syrup
Episode notes
On January 15, 1919, a giant storage tank in Boston's North End split open and released more than two million gallons of molasses into the streets. A wave of syrup swept through the neighbourhood, flattening buildings, overturning wagons and trapping people and horses. Twenty-one people were killed and around 150 injured.
The tank had leaked from the day it was filled. This episode follows the people who lived beside it, the company that built it in a hurry, and the long court case that changed how engineers in America prove their work is safe. We also sort the record from the legend, including the old story that the North End still smells of molasses on a hot day.
Created with the assistance of AI, using an AI model of the host's voice, and checked against the historical record.