The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-16
ELEVEN ARE DEAD
 AND SCORES HURT
 IN TANK EXPLOSION
Eight Bodies R e nov e d From Wreckage and One Man Dies at Relief
 Hospital
By Associated Press

Boston, January 15-Elevcn per
 sons are known to have been killed
 and about 90 injured by the explo-
 sion of n huge tank of mOlasses on
 the water front off Commercial
 street, near Keany square today.
 Eight bodies were removed from
 the wreckage and one man died mt
 the relief hospital. Two laborers
 died late tonight from injuries re-
 ceived in the explosion. Most of
 those injured suffered only from
 bruises.
 -,s Walter. l.. W.edger.s explosives expert of the state police, said that he was not prepared to give final opinion. but that it seemed probable to him that it resulted from gas fumes generated by fermenting molasses within the tank, which was not full. The molasses had been kept warm by steam heat from a splant at some distance from the tank.
 OWNED BY ALCOHOL FIRM
 The tank was owned by the Purity Distilling company. a subsidiary of the United States Industrial Alcohol com pany, with plant in Cambridge.
 A dull muffled roar gave but an instants warning before the top of the tank was blown into the air. The cir- cular wall broke into two great seg- ments of sheet iron which were inn pelled in opposite directions. Two mill lion gallons of molasses rushed in a mighty stream over the streets and converted into sticky mass the wreckage of several small buildings which had been smashed by the force of the explOsion.
 The tank was located short dis tance from the Charlestown bridge, where the Charles river empties into the harbor. On one side was trolley freight yard, with long shed. On the other was city storage yard, in which stood two frame buildings. Near the tank stood the fire house of f1re- boat known as Engine 31.
 CITY EMPLOYES KILLED
 The greatest mortality apparently occurred in one of the city buildings where score of municipal employees were eating their lunch. The building was demolished. The other city build ing, which had an office on the ground floor and tenement above, was simi- larly torn from it's foundations In this there were two women who were se- verely injured.
 One of the sections of the tank wall fell on the fire house, crushing it. Three firemeh, two of whom had been engaged in a card game on the sec ond floor, were buried in the ruins One was killed and the other two were injured. The other half of the tank YAli crashed against the structure of Etke 7Ae41n Elevated railway in Com fsSfSial Htreet. damaging three spans k <tltn hed passed over the spot but a Opme<E before and another short |3diGtaDee behind was stopped by the |1lock signal
 |f IA small dwelling on Copps Hills Ter ssee slid into the street. apparently slcksd down by the receding tide oi n llasses, aQa 2 woman was thrown l |thlough : wjAdux end killed. Nthe trolldr shc WAs damaged. but |An persons in N are believed to have escaped. A trolls freight car on the street was blown from the tracks.
 VEHICLES OVERTURNED
 Wagons carts and motor trucks were overturned. A number of horses were killed. The street was strewn witf debris, intermixed with molasses, ant all traffic was stopped.
 Scores of ambulances-army, navy police and Red Cross-were quickly on the scene. The bodies recovered wer, taken to the Northern mortuary ana the injured were hurried to the Re lief hospital.
 A large number of firemen wer, summoned and with city employees be gan the difficult task of clearini away the wreckage.
 The work was greatly hampered b, the oozing flood of molasses whicl covered the street and the surrounding district to a depth of several inche and slowly drained down into the har bor To hasten this process the fire men turned on several streams of wa ter. If a worker stood still for minut he found himself glued to the ground A large party of Red Cross workers women and girls, braved the tangled sticky mass to bring relief to thesmen Wearing short skirts and puttees. the. waded through the molasses and dis 1 tributed hot coffee and dnughnuts t Hremen, policemen. soldiers And sail ors. By nightfali all of the in Nred ha, been cared for and nine bs@dies hal 1 been taken to the moreue. Through out the night the search fot llditiona
 bodfon in tho WFeckaRA Wna A$pt up.