Death by Molasses
By: Ella Figg
Tags: History, Disaster, Culture, Work, American History

Death by Molasses

Image public domain, 1919, depicting the damage from Molasses Flood

There are many terrible ways to die. Being boiled alive or drowning in thick, molasses is somewhere at the top of that list. Luckily for most of us, this fate is something that could only happen in our nightmares. This wasn’t the case for twenty-one people on January 15, 1919, in Boston.

Purity Distilling was a local Boston institution. The plant made and stored molasses, which was then enjoyed by many Americans. While we know it primarily as a sweetener, in 1919 molasses was used to make alcohol.

Then congress passed the prohibition.

Manufacturers raced to make as much alcohol as they could before the restrictions came into effect. Purity Distilling as well since the the factories could still legally produce the liqueur were using their premium product more quickly. This meant that their containers were filled more often, and to higher levels that they’d before been unused to.

There were plenty of red flags the company ignored. These flags were so crimson and egregious that it’s hard to imagine them being ignored today. Yet to those who study industrial disasters the song is very familiar. The need for speed and greed overcame any calls to slow down and focus on safety.

First, the tank meant to house the molasses were not built by an engineer with a proper background. Flaws were noted from the first day of their use, like groaning sounds whenever molasses was poured in. Many nearby claimed that in the weeks prior to the disaster they could hear the strange sounds increasing, as well as creaks, whenever molasses got added to the already very full tank.

The dam, or in this case tank, broke on January 15, 1919. According to witnesses, there was a crash like thunder and then those within the splash zone saw a giant forty-foot wave of molasses. Its destructive powers from both heat and speed broke houses, railway lines, and people. It annihilated those close, while causing serious injuries as it swept through the town.

Image public domain, 1919, showing damage from Molasses Flood

Before long, several blocks were covered in a sticky thick tar-like substance. Because it was winter, the molasses thickened, making breaking free from its viscous hold difficult. The railway it hit looked like it had been put through a washing machine and was rendered unusable for months afterward. Several residents were trapped in collapsed buildings and cried out for help.

The yard workers who were closer to the tanks when they exploded died relatively quickly. Everyone else suffered in the disastrous fallout. One man is recorded to have actually suffocated because he could not escape from his pinned position as the molasses rose. Others suffered broken bones, concussions, and serious injuries. The burns from initial contact peeled away the skin, leaving it open to infections, since these people couldn’t get help fast enough.

The rescuers came in would be unable to describe what they saw in detail to those who asked afterward. According to them it was a syrupy hell, full of screaming from those buried in rubble and syrup. The nurses who were on the scene from the start were covered in sticky dark molasses and blood belonging to those unfortunate souls who’d been in the tide’s path. To make matters worse, the molasses was nearly impossible to break through with normal hoses, and industrial ones had to be brought in, extending the crucial rescue time.

When they managed to remove enough molasses, welders began to cut through the metal from the tanks to free those trapped underneath… or to free the bodies so families could have some peace.

In the end, twenty-one people died, and 150 people were injured. Though it is said that no one of importance was harmed since the area was primarily the workplace and home to immigrants.

What about the company whose irresponsible behavior led to this disaster? At first, Purity Distilling claimed that they were blameless. Instead, they insisted it was, in fact, an enemy with a bomb who had caused the explosion and the resulting disaster. Six years passed with witnesses, experts in floods, and experts in explosive materials, all testifying. Justice was eventually served and the courts forced the company to pay out a substantial sum.

Perhaps more important than the money was the resulting legislation. As is the case for many of the stringent laws in the country, disasters like this paved the way for common sense rulings. Now, companies couldn’t hire just anyone to build their industrial equipment. They needed trained engineers with certifications. This increased safety drastically.

There is no doubt, though tragic, that the Molasses Flood helped save future lives. Though the tragedy left its mark on the city, the laws it inspired remained long after the syrupy smell left Boston.