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Without Warning, Molasses Surged Over Boston 100 Years Ago

Smithsonian Magazine

Cross-File evidence ledger

Where this source supports the record

Each entry separates the File’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.

  1. Engineering failures · 15 January 1919

    The Great Boston Molasses Flood

    Former Purity Distilling tank site on Commercial Street · United States

    Open File evidence →
    Why editors use it here

    Narrative history of the tank failure, victims, rescue, and litigation.

    1. Quick read

      A steel storage tank holding about 2.3 million gallons of molasses failed in Boston’s North End, sending a fast-moving wave through streets, buildings, and an elevated railway.

      Reviewed 24 July 2026
    2. Trigger and conditions

      Soon after a fresh delivery, the tank ruptured near midday.

      Reviewed 24 July 2026
    3. Uncertainty

      Contemporary accounts differ on the wave’s exact maximum height and speed.

      Reviewed 24 July 2026
    4. Why it matters

      The flood is remembered for its surreal material, but the historical lesson is ordinary and durable: warning signs, weak oversight, rushed construction, and an owner’s incentives can turn an industrial container into neighborhood-scale infrastructure risk.

      Reviewed 24 July 2026