Death by Molasses

We're a couple of months late with this one: sorry! The 90th anniversary of the Great Boston Molasses Flood, which killed 21 people.

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Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

Posted By: Paul - Wed Apr 01, 2009
Category: Death | Destruction | Food | 1910s | North America

Comments

Now there's a sticky situation. So did this prove just how slow molasses moves in winter? 40' wave of molasses. And not a surfboard to be found!

😊

Posted by DownCrisis on 04/01/09 at 11:46 AM

And no cornbread for a thousand miles!

Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 04/01/09 at 11:56 AM

Read some more on Wikipedia. This stuff was on its way to be turned into industrial alcohol. So, sing it with me if you know it...

"On a wave of fermentation
A wave of fermentation
A wave..."

(My apologies to The Pixies) 😉

Posted by DownCrisis on 04/01/09 at 11:59 AM

How slow were the people that died?

Posted by KW in Dallas, TX on 04/01/09 at 08:53 PM

:lol: patty, I had the same thought. I have this image in my head of a bunch of people running in slow motion.

Posted by Nethie on 04/01/09 at 11:25 PM

maybe they over-ate pancakes trying to clean up the mess?

Posted by jswolf19 in Japan on 04/02/09 at 07:21 AM

I missed a syrup article??? I am so ashamed, I will go sit in the corner. :red: (just for those who would point it out, I know it is molasses and not syrup and I know there is a difference 😛

Posted by Silbakor in an altered state on 04/02/09 at 12:41 PM

They really could have used our pancake cult back then!

Posted by Jules in Connecticut on 04/02/09 at 12:42 PM

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