Boston Molasses Flood

On January 15, 1919, a molasses tank at 529
Commercial Street exploded under pres-
sure, killing 21 people. A 40-foot wave of
molasses bucked the elevated railroad tracks,
crushed buildings, and inundated the neigh-
borhood. Structural defects in the tank com-
bined with unseasonably warm temperatures
contributed to the disaster.