The Sticky Cost of Skipping Inspection

Why inspect tanks? Why indeed. On January 15, 1919, a crowded section of this city was rocked by a massive tidal wave, not of water but of molasses. The spill occurred when a holding tank lost structural integrity and burst.

Over two-million gallons of sticky, brown syrup inundated the city’s streets, killed citizens and horses, and ruined buildings, vehicles, and an elevated train platform.

Twenty-one people lost their lives, and one-hundred and fifty more were injured. The cause of the disaster was determined years after the incident following a drawn-out court case.

In response to the flood, the city instituted a policy regulating aboveground storage tanks (AST’s) that held more than 10,000 gallons of liquids other than water.

Which city suffered from an abundance of molasses?