THE GREAT MOLASSES FLOOD OF BOSTON 1919
Published: March 11, 2026
Duration: 7:37
DROWNING IN MOLASSES — SHOW NOTES
Overview
On January 15, 1919, Boston's North End was shattered by one of the strangest and most devastating industrial disasters in American history: the Great Molasses Flood. A massive steel tank—poorly built, poorly maintained, and filled to the brim with fermenting molasses—exploded without warning. A tidal wave of sticky, suffocating syrup tore through the neighborhood at nearly 35 miles per hour, killing 21 people, injuring more than 150, and leaving a path of destruction that took years to fully repair.
Key Themes
• Corporate negligence — The tank's owners ignored repeated warnings, comp...