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Dark Tide
Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 | Stephen Puleo
The compelling story of a man-made disaster amid the tensions of the early twentieth century. Shortly after noon on January 15, 1919, a fifty-foot-tall steel tank filled with 2.3 million gallons of molasses collapsed on Boston's waterfront, disgorging its contents as a fifteen-foot-high wave of molasses that briefly traveled at thirty-five miles per hour. When the tide receded, a section of the city's North End had been transformed into a war zone. The Great Boston Molasses Flood claimed the lives of twenty-one people and scores of animals, injured 150, and caused widespread destruction.But the molasses flood was more than an isolated event. Its story overlays America's story during a tumultuous decade in our history. Tracing the era from the tank's construction in 1915 through the multiyear lawsuit that followed the tragedy, Dark Tide uses the drama of the flood to examine the sweeping changes brought about by World War I, Prohibition, the Anarchist movement, the Red Scare, immigration, and the role of big business in society.
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LibraryCin
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Pickpick

I found the parts about the families, the people involved, the flood itself, and the trial after to be quite interesting. Where I lost interest was in the political discussion and the anarchists. I read the ebook, which apparently came from the slightly later paperback edition, which included an additional afterword. This was interesting, as the author described letters he received from descendants of many of the people involved

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Reviewsbylola
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I‘m sure a lot of people were sorry after the great molasses flood in Boston. 21 people were killed, not to mention plenty of animals (apparently the poor horses in the area had an impossible time escaping the molasses. 😢)

Apparently it was pretty obvious that the containers were overfilled and not well built. Such a tragedy that didn‘t have to happen.

#illmakeyousorry #nofemmeber

Cinfhen Did u read this because of Head Full of Ghosts???? 6y
Reviewsbylola I haven‘t read it yet but that‘s why I checked it out! It was actually already on my TBR but that book was the catalyst that made me reserve it. 😆 @Cinfhen 6y
cathipink I just heard about this event from My Favorite Murder 🙂 6y
See All 10 Comments
mreads Never heard of this and doesn't even seem like it could be real. Added to my TBR 😀 6y
IamIamIam You're always reminding me about cool shit I haven't read yet!!! 🤗😘🤗😘 6y
Tamra Wow, really? What a tragic sticky situation. (edited) 6y
LeahBergen @Cinfhen That book was the first time I‘d heard of this! 6y
Cinfhen So funny! @LeahBergen I‘m surprised you haven‘t checked out the book yet?!? 6y
mrp27 When I walked the freedom trail in Boston I got to see the pathway of the molasses flood but I don't know all the details. Going to stack this so I can learn more! 6y
Billypar Very weird- I feel like I'd read it just to get a better idea of how high the molasses got! 6y
93 likes4 stack adds10 comments
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Miss_Shush
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#reread. Holds up. The centennial of this terrible event is coming up. My mom got my copy signed a few years ago at a reading.

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TeaRainBook
Pickpick

4/5 stars. Damon Hall was a real life Atticus Finch.

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TeaRainBook

Starting this today

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rabbitprincess
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A well-written account of a disaster that sounds unbelievable but must have been horrific to go through. Engineering nerds may find this especially interesting because of the talk about the tank's structural integrity. The judge's report is probably an interesting read as well.

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rabbitprincess
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Ha!