94. Blackstrap Surge: The Great Molasses Flood of 1919

Macabrium

It began with a sound—low, then rising. A groan like steel bending under a terrible weight. Then came the rush. Not of water, but something thicker. Darker. A wall of molasses, fifteen feet high, traveling at the speed of a freight train. It shattered buildings, snapped beams like twigs, and swept horses, wagons, and people into its syrupy current. In mere moments, a neighborhood was drowned in sweetness… and death.

They called it the Great Molasses Flood. Some said on hot summer days, the scent still lingers in the air, clinging to the city like a ghost. But what really caused a tank to explode with such fury? Was it poor engineering—or a corporate cover-up? And why does this sticky disaster still seep into Boston’s memory more than a century later?

* This episode's audio has been updated to reflect the correct timeline of the Cold War and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Thank you for your understanding as we strive for historical accuracy!

Macabrium is produced by Macabrium Creative and hosted by Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown, with writing and research by Chloë Kibbe, Megan Alda and Derek Stephen Brown.

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Episode Reference Material

The Great Molasses Flood by Susan Donnelly

Without Warning, Molasses in January Surged Over Boston by Edwards Park

12 Killed When Tank of Molasses Explodes by The New York Times

Anarchists, Horses, Heroes: 12 Things You Didn’t Know about the Great Boston Molasses Flood by Spencer Bull

The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 killed 21 After 2 million gallon tank exploded by Ben Kesslen

100 Years Ago Today: Molasses Crashes Through Boston’sNorth End by Archives and Records Management of the City of Boston

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