MOLASSES EXPLOSION KILLS 11.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 March 1919, Page 1

MOLASSES EXPLOSION KILLS 11.

BOSTON, February One of the most peculiar explosions in the annuls of tne L lilted States has occurred in Boston when 11 persons were killed, outright by the explosion of a storage tank ol’ molasses in a freight yard near Cutts wharf. The explosion blew away two of the supporting pillars of the Atlantic Avenue Elevated itailway structure demolishing several buildings, blew an electric freight car olf th o track, overturned a number of heavily loaded trucks and killed about a dozen horses. The men who were killed were teamsters and employees of Boston City Council and were at work for the city street departmentin the yard adjoining the freight yard where the catastrophe occurred. The molasses spread over the street to a depth of two or three inches. Most of j those killed and the large number injured were covered with molasses, and could not be identified at the time. The tank contained 2,000,000 gallons of molasses. There was not the usual detonation accompanying finch a bla. but rather a low rumbling sound, more like an earthquake. Fragments of the great tank were thrown into the air, buildings in the neighbourhood crumbled up as though the under-pnm-I ings had been pulled away from them, ; and scores of people m the various buildings were buried in the ruins, some ! dead and others badly injured. The top of the tank first shot into the air. and tin'll the walls collapsed. The force of the explosion knocked over the fire house of the engine company No. 4(. One of the firemen was blown into the harbour. Two others were pinned m the ruins. A nearby rone-vent house fell in. Two women and a man were ■ wore taken from the house ruins, all : injured.