Solving a Mystery Behind the Deadly Tsunami of Molasses of 1919

[Little Star]

For the past 100 years, no one really knew why the spill was so deadly.

But at a meeting of the American Physical Society this month, a team of scientists and students presented what may be a key piece of the century-old puzzle. They concluded that when a shipment of molasses newly arrived from the Caribbean met the cold winter air of Massachusetts, the conditions were ripe for a calamity to descend upon the city.

By studying the effects of cold weather on molasses, the researchers determined that the disaster was more fatal in the winter than it would have been during a warmer season. The syrup moved quickly enough to cover several blocks within seconds and thickened into a harder goo as it cooled, slowing down the wave but also hindering rescue efforts.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/26/science/boston-molasses-flood-science.html?contentCollection=weekendreads

Yikes! The tank’s walls were at least 50 percent too thin and were made of a type of steel that was too brittle. Plus cooler temperature of the outside air raised the viscosity of the molasses.

We humans sure do learn our lessons the hard way.