• theodewere@kbin.social
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    10 months ago

    In the wake of the accident, 119 residents brought a class-action lawsuit against the United States Industrial Alcohol Company (USIA),[14] which had bought Purity Distilling in 1917. It was one of the first class-action suits in Massachusetts and is considered a milestone in paving the way for modern corporate regulation.[15] The company claimed that the tank had been blown up by anarchists[7]: 165 because some of the alcohol produced was to be used in making munitions, but a court-appointed auditor found USIA responsible after three years of hearings, and the company ultimately paid out $628,000 in damages[15] ($10.6 million in 2022, adjusted for inflation[16]). Relatives of those killed reportedly received around $7,000 per victim (equivalent to $118,000 in 2022).[6]

    owners tried to blame anarchists after destroying several city blocks with negligence… after making 21 candied people, and trying to make a lot more…

  • RagnarokOnline@programming.dev
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    10 months ago

    When I was in elementary school, I read a narrative of this event written from a kid’s perspective. I think about the molasses flood event at least once every 6 months.

    Nice of you all to join me.

    • Chill Dude 69@lemmynsfw.com
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      10 months ago

      Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if the ammo ship that blew up in Halifax (only two years earlier) had blown up in Boston, instead. Like, as close to the huge molasses container as possible. Basically, just combine the two disasters into one.

      Would it have rained molasses all over the city? All over the county? Would the molasses have behaved as a non-Newtonian fluid and been even worse shrapnel than the solid debris in the area? Would it have been boiling/superheated when it fell onto people? Would the molasses tank have made the disaster measurably worse, in any way?

      I’ve had these thoughts a whole bunch of times, ever since I realized the two things happened so close together in time.

    • MeatsOfRage@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Also, according to that wiki, the molasses moved at 35 miles an hour. I think we can call that saying myth busted

      • bdonvr@thelemmy.club
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        10 months ago

        iirc the molasses had been warmed for pumping into the tank

        But when it came out it cooled pretty quickly, trapping whoever was unfortunate enough to be caught in it.

      • ChicoSuave@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        No, we now have a baseline to compare against the other 11 months. Testing must continue. More molasses!

  • PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca
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    10 months ago

    Ever have one of those nightmares where no matter how fast you tried to run, it felt like you were running through molasses?

    😬