How big was the molasses flood?
How big was the molasses flood?
Great Molasses Flood, disaster in Boston that occurred after a storage tank collapsed on January 15, 1919, sending more than two million gallons (eight million litres) of molasses flowing through the city’s North End. The deluge caused extensive damage and killed 21 people.
How many gallons were in the molasses flood?
2.3 million gallons
Sugary-sweet molasses turned deadly on January 15, 1919, when a holding tank burst and sent 2.3 million gallons of the sticky liquid sweeping through the streets of Boston.
How much molasses was in the Great Molasses Flood?
The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 unleashed 2.3 million gallons of molasses, most of which ended up in Boston Harbor, says Stephen Puleo, author of “Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919.” There was reportedly so much molasses in the harbor that the water turned brown.
How fast was the molasses in the Great Molasses Flood?
A large storage tank filled with 2.3 million US gal (8,700 m3) of molasses, weighing approximately 13,000 short tons (12,000 t), burst, and the resultant wave of molasses rushed through the streets at an estimated 35 mph (56 km/h), killing 21 and injuring 150.
Can you swim in molasses?
Viscosity is affected by temperature: things become slurpier at higher temperatures and stiffer at lower, which is why “slower than molasses in January” means painfully poky. Caught in a molasses flood, could you swim in the stuff? Probably not, according to an article in Scientific American.
How many horses died in the Great Molasses Flood?
12 horses
On January 15, 1919, the North End of Boston experienced an odd incident in which 2.3 million gallons of molasses exploded out of a tank and into the city. It knocked out some buildings and even led to a number of deaths. 21 people and 12 horses died.
Can you still smell molasses in Boston?
Structural defects in the tank combined with unseasonably warm temperatures contributed to the disaster. Local legend has it that on particularly warm days, you can still smell the faint aroma of molasses seeping up from the streets of the old North End.
Does Boston still smell like molasses today?
It really did smell like molasses in the North End—for decades. Although it’s been exaggerated a bit in folklore, it’s not an urban legend. The sweet smell of molasses lingered in parts of the North End for years after the tragedy.
Why did the molasses tank explode?
Did molasses almost destroy Boston?
On January 15th, 1919, in what was probably the most bizarre disaster in United States’ history, a storage tank burst on Boston’s waterfront releasing two million gallons of molasses in a 15 ft-high, 160 ft-wide wave that raced through the city’s north end at 35mph destroying everything it touched.
How long did it take to clean up the Great Molasses Flood?
It took weeks to clean the molasses from the streets of Boston. This disaster also produced an epic court battle, as more than 100 lawsuits were filed against the United States Industrial Alcohol Company.
Can you still smell the molasses in Boston?