Slower than molasses in January

[debgeisler]

Ninety-four years ago, the city of Boston found out how slow molasses was in January: about 35 mph...barreling down the streets in a wave between 8 and 15 feet high.

There are few pieces of history as amusingly frightening as the Great Molasses Flood of 1919. Twenty-one people and several horses were overcome by the molasses wave and were killed.

According to the best book on the subject (it may be the only book on the subject), people claimed that molasses could be smelled down in that area of the city for decades afterward, if the sun was high and the day was warm.

Yesterday's sunny, 60+°F January day was perfect for liquifying molasses.

Comments

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

That was a very good book.