17. In 1919 Boston was flooded by a tank of molasses, spreading across several blocks destroying buildings and drowning residents in its path
The Great Molasses Flood, also known as the Boston Molasses Disaster, occurred when a storage tank burst on January 15, 1919, releasing a wave of molasses through the streets of Boston. The cause of the disaster is unclear, but several engineering factors appear to have collectively contributed to the incident. The tank itself was poorly constructed, with rising temperatures during the previous day believed to have caused the build-up of pressure within the tank and resulted in a fatigue crack. Concurrently, the tank was made from steel less than half as thick as required to withstand the pressure, as well as by the inclusion of brittle manganese to save costs
At approximately 12:30 pm the tank suddenly collapsed, unleashing a 25-foot wave of molasses that raced down the streets of Boston at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. Eyewitnesses reported buildings being swept from their foundations and crushed, whilst several blocks of the city were flooded under more than 3 feet of molasses. People “were picked up by the rush”, ensnared in a sticky goop that suffocated them. A total of 21 people and several horses were killed by the flood, with at least 150 injured, and the residents of the North End have claimed ever since that on hot days the streets still smell.