Death By Molasses

A roaring wave of syrup swept through the North End of Boston on 15th January, 1919, in an event that claimed 21 lives, including 2 children, and came to be known as the “Great Molasses Flood”. At the heart of the disaster was a rushed, badly built industrial tank: the steel was too thin, the materials were faulty, leaks were ignored (and literally painted over), and warning signs were dismissed. The explosion hurled molasses at around 35 miles an hour, piling up in waves as high as eight meters. People were knocked off their feet, buildings were crushed, and one man famously woke up on the top floor of his house submerged in syrup. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how the tragedy led to a raft of health and safety laws, and America’s first class action lawsuit; reveal how emergency workers finally found a way to clean up after the destruction; and consider how Bostonians felt the aftermath of the explosion for decades to come… Further Reading: • ‘What Was the Great Molasses Flood?’ (Food and Wine, 2025): https://www.foodandwine.com/great-molasses-flood-boston-8773840 • ‘Boston's Great Molasses Flood Resurfaces’ (Italian Sons and Daughters of America, 2024): https://orderisda.org/culture/stories/a-most-unusual-disaster-bostons-great-molasses-flood-resurfaces/ • ‘Great Molasses Flood: animated retelling of Boston’s molasses tank catastrophe of 1919’ (TomoNews, 2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLXPD6OlwzI #Macabre #1910s #US #Mistakes #Business Love the show? Support us! Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY… … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content. Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices