The Science and Stumbles Behind the Great Molasses Flood
On an unusually warm winter afternoon on January 15, 1919, the residents of Boston's North End neighborhood heard a sound resembling the rapid firing of a machine gun, followed by a tremendous roar. Seconds later, a massive steel storage tank collapsed, unleashing a deadly, dark brown tsunami. Over two million gallons of thick molasses surged through the streets in a wave fifteen to twenty-five feet high, traveling at an estimated thirty-five miles per hour. The disaster flattened buildings, damaged the elevated railway, and claimed twenty-one lives while injuring more than a hundred others. While the event sounds like an improbable legend, modern investigations have revealed that a catastrophic combination of poor engineering, thermal physics, and chemical reactions caused the disaster.
- viscous:
- Having a thick, sticky consistency between a solid and a liquid.
- ferments:
- Undergoes a chemical change where microorganisms like yeast break down sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
- rivets:
- Short metal pins or bolts used to hold together two or more metal plates.
- substandard:
- Below the usual, required, or acceptable quality or level.
- metallurgists:
- Scientists or engineers who study the properties, behavior, and processing of metals.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What specific sounds signaled the collapse of the molasses tank on January 15, 1919?
- 2Why was the storage tank built in extreme haste in 1915?
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About this informational passage for Middle School
āThe Science and Stumbles Behind the Great Molasses Floodā is a informational reading passage about Great Molasses Flood, written for Middle School. It takes about 4 minutes to read (532 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.