New England By the Numbers: The Great Molasses Flood

1/15/1919
day a giant molasses tank in Boston’s North End exploded, gushing more than 2 million gallons of the stuff into city streets

35
mph: speed at which the molasses initially rolled through the North End

$3K
amount the DiStasio family was compensated for the death of their 10-year-old daughter, Maria

119
number of separate claims filed against United States Industrial Alcohol, owner of the molasses tank, before lawsuit consolidation

79
years before a plaque honoring the victims was finally installed at Langone Park, former site of the molasses tank

21
total number of deaths caused by the flood

ONE
firehouse ripped from its foundation, causing the second floor to crash down on the first

30
feet: height at which the flood crested

$628k
total amount in claims paid by USIA

$1,000,000
worth of property damage, equivalent to $12.5 million in 2012