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Great Boston Molasses Tragedy

That is just nuts.  I'm surprised this event isn't referenced in Boston slang in any way that I know of.
 
The biggest beer disaster must be the London Beer Flood of 1814 which happened at the Meux and Company Brewery on Tottenham Court Road.

A huge vat containing over 135,000 imperial gallons (610,000 L) of porter ruptured, causing other vats in the same building to succumb in a domino effect. More than 323,000 imperial gallons (388 US Gallons or 1,470,000 L) of beer burst out and gushed into the streets.

The wave of beer burst through the 24 ft high brewery wall, destroyed two homes and crumbled the wall of the Tavistock Arms Pub, trapping and killing 14 year old barmaid Eleanor Cooper under the rubble.

The brewery was located among the poor houses and tenements of the St Giles Rookery, where whole families lived in basement rooms that quickly filled with beer.

Eight people drowned in the flood.

One brave man died from alcohol poisoning the next day after trying to stem the flood by drinking as much as he could.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Beer_Flood

1813.jpg

 
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