The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-16
MOLASSES TANK
BLAST KILLS
Huge Container in Boston
Bursts. Injuring Fifty and
Wrccking Buildings.
LIQUID BLOCKS TRAFFIC
Blast Hurls 100000 Gallons
Into Streets-.Accident
Caused by Gas.

BusroN. Jan. l5.--Nine persons are
known 20 have been killed and about
fifty injured by the explosion Of
huge tank OF molasses on the water
front off Commercial street near
keany Square. to-day. Eight bodies
were removed from the wreckage and
one man died at the Relief Hospital.
Most OF those injured suffered only
from bruises.
Among the identified dead are:
James Lennon. motorman; George
Leahy, city fireman, ana william 4.
Duffee.
The police tonight were still
searching the district for possible ad
ditional victims
The cause of the explosion had not
been definitely determined tonight. II
may have resulted from gas fumes
generated by fermenting molssses.
, Tho liquid had been kept warm by
steam heat from another plant. It
had been the custom tO unload mo-
!asses into tho tank from steamers
| for removal 70 the Cambridge plant of
the owners, the Purity Distilling Com
pany, a subsidiary OF the United States
| Industrial Alcohol Company.
! A mufYed roar gave but an ,nsta,rt's
warning before the top of the tank was
| blown into tho air. The circulsr wall
, broke into two great sagments o! sheet
| iron. which were impelled in opposite
directions. Two million gallons OF mo-
lasses rushed in mighty stream over
the streets and converted into sticky
mass the wreckage OF several small
buildings which had been smashed.
GUY buildings Shattered.
The tank was located a short distance
from tho Charlestown bridge, where the
! Charles River emptes into the harbor
On one side was trolley freight yard
with i ions shed. On ;.:e e;he- T'as Q
city storage yard. il which STOOD two
| frame buildings Across Commerciai
street there is Il tenement house district
Near the tank stood the fire house o. a
fireboat known as Engine 81.
The greatest mortality apparently oc-
Cured in one OF the city buildings wneTs
a score OF municipal employees were
eating lunch. The building was DO
molished and the wreckage was hurled
nifty yards. The other city building
which had an Office on the ground i!ooi
and tenement above. was similar
torn from It's foundations. In this tnof;
were two women, who were severely in
Jured.
Ono of the sections OF tLe lanl Nal
fell on the fire house, crushing it, Tare,
firemen were buried; one. George Jeahy
WAS killed and the two others We're in
Ijured. One OF the flremen was wedseC
under the tank wall. Retaining conscious
ness, he directed his own rescae.
station Ira nc Tied Up.
The other half of the tank wall crashe,
against the elevated structure OF tn
boston Elevated Railway In CONNER
cial street, damaging three spans Al
traffic on tho line which connects tn
: north and south stations was suspended
A small dwelling on Copps Hills Ter
= | race slid into the street, apparentl.
sucked down by the receding tide Of mo
iasses 4 woman was thrown througl
, a window ard killed.
A trolley freight car on the street wa
blown from the tracks. Several person
on the street were knocked down.
Wagons, carts and motor trucks wer
overturned. A number of horses wer
: killed.
Rescue work was greatly hampsred b.
the oozing food OF molasses. II a worke
. stood still for a minute he found him
= self glued to the ground.