On this day, Jan. 15, in 1919, a large molasses tank exploded under pressure in Boston, and a 40-foot wave of molasses rushed through the streets, killing 21 people. People were hurled through the air, buildings were crushed, a truck was thrown into the Boston Harbor. A 2.3 million-gallon tide of sticky sweetener inundated the North End neighborhood, drowning men, women, horses and dogs.
Authorities initially blamed bomb-throwing anarchists, but after four years of investigations, construction manager Arthur Jell emerged as the villain.
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The tank had never been tested for leaks, and workers painted the tank brown to hide the damage. Structural defects combined with unseasonably warm temperatures contributed to the disaster.
Today, residents claim that on hot summer days, the area still smells of molasses.
-Scott McCabe
