The youngsters of North Finish, Boston, play within the shadow of an unlimited metal tank of molasses. The thick, sticky sugar syrup is getting used to make munitions for the First World Struggle. When a employee notices darkish molasses seeping from the tank, hewarns the firm that there could possibly be a leak. However the man in cost, Arthur Jell, has extra vital issues to fret about: schedules to fulfill and income to make. Moreover, it’s solely sugar. How harmful might or not it’s?
This episode is out there completely to members of the Cautionary Membership, and Pushkin+ subscribers.
Additional Studying
The important thing supply for this episode was Darkish Tide: The Nice Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 (2019) by Stephen Puleo. This episode additionally drew on numerous up to date information experiences revealed between 1914 and 1931 in The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The New York Every day Information.
Different sources included:
“Brittle Fracture: The Nice Molasses Flood”, Epic Engineering Failures and the Classes They Educate, by Stephen Ressler and The Nice Programs Plus
The North Finish: A Transient Historical past of Boston’s Oldest Neighborhood (2009) by Alex R. Goldfeld
Massachusetts Disasters: True Tales of Tragedy and Survival (2018) by Larry Pletcher, with further tales by David J. Krajicek
“A sticky drawback — a brand new mild shone on Boston’s nice molasses spillage” by Tony Fishwick, Loss Prevention Bulletin 264, Institute of Chemical Engineers,December 2018.
“Fixing a thriller behind a lethal ‘Tsunami of Molasses’ of 1919” by Erin McCann, The New York Occasions, 26 November 2016.
“Transfer Quick And Break Issues: Execs and Cons of the Idea“, MasterClass, 21 June 2022.
