A ruptured molasses storage tank in Boston's North End killed 21 people and injured 150, becoming one of history's most unusual industrial disasters.
Key Facts
- Molasses volume
- 2.3 million US gallons
- Tank weight
- 13,000 short tons
- Wave speed
- 35 mph
- Deaths
- 21 people
- Injuries
- 150 people
- Date
- January 15, 1919
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
A large molasses storage tank in the North End neighborhood of Boston, holding approximately 2.3 million US gallons and weighing around 13,000 short tons, structurally failed and burst on January 15, 1919. The tank's sudden rupture released its entire contents into the surrounding streets.
The collapsing tank sent a wave of molasses surging through the streets of Boston's North End at an estimated 35 miles per hour, engulfing buildings, vehicles, and pedestrians. The flood killed 21 people and injured 150 others, causing widespread destruction to the neighborhood.
Beyond the immediate death toll and injuries, the disaster entered local folklore, with residents reporting the smell of molasses on hot summer days for decades afterward. The event drew attention to industrial storage safety and prompted legal proceedings against the United States Industrial Alcohol Company, which owned the tank.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 21 (flood)