North End VII
North End VII
On January 15, 1919, a thundorous cracking sound signaled the bursting of
a four-story molasses storage tank on Commercial Street. The explosion
sent over 2.2 million gallons of molasses flooding over the North End in waves
moving at speeds of 15-30 miles per hour. People were unable to outrun the
molasses as they were swept out into the harbor or smothered as the
molasses swallowed them.
