On January 15, 1919, the North End in Boston was the site of a very real and very unusual disaster.  Imagine a massive molasses tank, 50 feet tall and 90 feet wide, containing more than 2 million gallons, collapsing. The tsunami of molasses injured and destroyed everything in its wake in the heavily populated North End. It was reported that 50 people were killed, 150 injured, and buildings leveled.  The lawsuit that followed laid the foundation for workplace safety.

Author Stephen Puleo (“The Boston Italians”) tells the story in his book, “Dark Tide: The Great Molasses Flood.”