The Great Boston Molassacre

On January 15, 1919, tragedy struck the North End neighborhood of Boston as a 25ft wave of sugary sweet molasses crashed through the streets. Many were injured in the fast moving flood while others lost their lives due to suffocation. The city took heavy damage but thanks to the brave men and women of Boston many lives were saved.

Greedy Companies to Blame

The cause of this unfortunate disaster was due to a poorly constructed tank that was carrying the molasses and was owned by the Purity Distilling Company. The company used Molasses in their alcohol, and the company was trying to make as much as they could before the new Prohibition laws were firmly established.

Modern investigators have found that the steel used for the container was only half as thick as it needed to be to hold so much liquid. The steel used lacked manganese which is used to strengthen steel without costing its durability. The rivets used during the construction of the tank werealso flawed. Stress leaks started from the rivets and the owners of the tanker instead of fixing the leaks, just painted the truck brown to cover it up.

It was also found that more molasses had been added to existing product in the tanker which reduced its viscosity. Combining the weak tanker with the thin viscosity of the molasses and finishing off with a rapid increase in temperature; the tanker busted open which caused a fast flooding molasses that quickly cooled. The people in the streets hardly stood a chance.

Bostonians to the Rescue

The first to arrive at the scene were 116 cadets from the USS Nantucket. These brave cadets helped pull out survivors struggling in the molasses and helped with crowd control so others could do their jobs. Soon to follow were the Boston police, the Red Cross and personnel from both the Army and Navy. Nurses from the Red Cross helped tend to the injured, fed the tired and even dove into the molasses themselves to help rescue those in need. Due to the many casualties a makeshift hospital had to be set up within the vicinity to attend to the wounded. The search and rescue for those not accounted for lasted for 4 days before it was finally called off.

Someone Call the Maid!

Cleanup crews had to use a combination of salt water from the Fire boat to wash away the molasses and then sand to absorb it. It took several weeks to clean up with hundreds of volunteers just cleaning the immediate area. Workers tended to track the molasses across the city, into the subways/streetcars and back into their homes. It was reported that the Harbor was stained brown till that summer.

Legal Reparation

One of the first class action lawsuits were held against United States Industrial Alcohol Company (USIA) since they had bought Purity Distlling 2 years earlier. There were 21 reported deaths ranging from as old as 65 to as young as 10. This lawsuit helped pave the way for modern corporate regulations and architecture. The company was forced to pay $628,000 in damages. Today that would be an estimated $9,547,560.

In Remembrance

The area that once housed this huge tanker is now home to a community recreational complex. It houses a playground, a Little League baseball field and other fun activities. Just a few years ago, in 2019, the Centennial anniversary of the Boston Molassacre was held. The city used Ground Penetrating Sonar to locate the platform where the tanker once stood. People gathered around the edges of it and read the names of those who had perished during this tragedy. A plaque at the entrance to the park stands for all to read about what happened that fateful day.