New-York tribune., 1919-01-16
9 Die, 50 Hurt
In Explosion
OF Molasse<
Boston Buildings Wrecked
Rescuers Glued to Croun,
by Flow of Syrup in Stree,
100000 Gallons Los,
Traffic Is Halted, Vehicles
Are Overturned and Sew.
eral Horses Are Killed

BOSTON. Jan. 15.-Nine persons 49,
known 20 have been killed and ah0ut
fifty injured by the explosion Of :
huge tank Of molasses on the wass,
front off Commercial Street, ne.,
Keany Square, day.
Eight bodies were removed from NJ.
wreckage, and one man died at ths
Relief Hospital. Most of those iniurea
suffered only from bruises.
The Only body not yet identified !,
that of girl about twelve years old
Cause Not Determined
The cause of the explosion had not
been definitely determined tonight
Walter l.. Wedger explosives expert q,
the state police. said he was not pra.
pared to give final opinion, but it
seemed probable to him that it result.
eds from gas fumes generated by fer.
men ing molasses within the tank
which was not full. The molasses had
been kept warm by steam heat from
plant at some distance from the tank
A dull, muffied roar gave but an in.
tank was blown into the air The cir.
cular wall broke into two great seq.
ments of sheet iron. which were i'm.
PEELED in opposite directions. Two
million gallons of molasscs rushed in
mighty stream over the streets and
converted into sticky mass the wreck.
age of several small buildings which
lad been smashed by the force of the
explosion.
City Employees Killed
The tank was located a short dis.
tarce from the Chare stown Bridge.
where the Charles River empties into
the harbor On one side was a troll
ley freight yard With long shed. On
the other was city storage yard, In
which stood two frame buildings. Just
beyond the yard is The North End
Playground. tror which a pier nro-
iects into the harbor. and next to that
are several whafves. Across Commer-
cial Street there is tenement house
district. Near the tank stood the fire.
house of a fireboat known as Engine 81.
The greatest mortality apparently
occurred in one of the city buildings,
where a score of municipal employees
were eating their lunch
The building was demolished and the
wrcchage was hurled fifty yards to the
playground. The other city building
which had an Office on the ground noor
and tenement above. was similarly
torn from its foundations and landed
Oh the play ground. In this there were
two women who were severely injured.
One OF the sections of the tank wall
1ell on the irehcuse. crushing it.
Firemen Buried in Ruins
Three firemcn, two of whom had been
engaged in a card game on the second
floor, were buried in the ruins. One,
George Leany, was killed and the other
two were injured. fourth fireman
was thrown through the window into
the water. but was picked up. One Of
the hremen was vedged under the tank
wall. Retaining consciousness. he d.
rected his own rescue. 1t was neceS-
sary to cut hole in the iron with 3
gas torch before he could be removed.
The other naif of the tank wall
crashed against the elevated ssrgctufe
of the Boston Elevated Railway in
Commercial Street, damaging three
spans. The elevated railway undoubt-
edly prev"nted further destruction on
tuS OppuslLe Slue o. tne street, Wnefe
there IS row OF crowded tenement
houses
Wagons, carts and motor trucks were
overturned. A number of horses we're
killed. The street was strewn with
debris, intermixed with molasses, and
all traffic was stopped. AS Commercial
Street is one of the main arteries for
trucking between the freight stations
on TIL north and south sides Of the
city and the Atlantic Avenue wharves,
there was serious interruption Of
business
The work of the rescuers was greatly
hampered by the oozing food of mo-
lasses. 1t covered the stree; and the
surrounding district to a depth of sev-
eral inches and very slowly draired
down into the harbor. 70 hasten this
process the firemen turned on several
streams OF water. If worker stood
still for a minute he found himself
glued to the ground. Superintendent
of Police Michael II. Crowley directed
the work of his men from the top of a
sand pile.