On January 15, 1919, a massive storage tank ruptured in Boston’s North End, sending molasses through nearby streets and yards. The Great Molasses Flood killed 21 people, injured about 150, and damaged homes, businesses, and the elevated railway.Why did the tank fail? This episode follows the disaster from the first reports and rescue efforts to the years of testimony and engineering analysis that examined its design, construction, and safety. We explore what the civil inquiry concluded, what modern engineers have proposed about the failure, and why the exact mechanical sequence remains uncertain.The tragedy was more than an extraordinary flood. It was a deadly industrial failure that raised lasting questions about engineering responsibility and public safety. Discover how Boston’s molasses disaster unfolded—and what the evidence can, and cannot, tell us about the tank that burst.
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