Dark Tide

11 tracks Explicit

On January 15, 1919, a poorly-built molasses tank in Boston's North End exploded, unleashing 2.3 million gallons of molasses in a 35 mph wave that kil

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On January 15, 1919, a poorly-built molasses tank in Boston’s North End exploded, unleashing 2.3 million gallons of molasses in a 35 mph wave that killed 21 people and injured 150 more. The victims were mostly Irish and Italian immigrants - the working class who lived in the shadow of a monster that the company knew was dangerous.

This album tells the story of that disaster: the corporate greed that built the tank too fast and too thin, the workers who warned them and were ignored, the chaos and heroism of the rescue, and the six-year legal battle that finally held Big Business accountable for the first time in American history.

It’s a story about class, about immigrants, about justice delayed but not denied. Perfect for Irish punk - because this is Boston, and these were our people.

Structure:

Three Acts:

Act I: The Monster (Tracks 1-4)

Setup: The neighborhood, the tank, the warnings ignored. Building dread.

Act II: The Wave (Tracks 5-8)

The disaster itself. Horror, chaos, death, heroism. The emotional core.

Act III: The Reckoning (Tracks 9-11)

The aftermath. The lies, the trial, the verdict. Defiance and remembrance.

Themes:

Corporate greed vs. working class lives - Profit over safety, deadlines over lives
Immigrant experience - Powerless before the disaster, empowered after
Warnings ignored - Isaac Gonzales’s nightmares, the groaning tank
Justice delayed - Six years to hold the powerful accountable
Community and resilience - The neighborhood that rebuilt
Boston identity - This is a Boston story, told in Boston’s voice

// Tracklist

Commercial Street
Down on Commercial Street in nineteen-nineteen The North End was alive with the working man’s dream Italian and Irish, we came off the boats With calloused hands and empty pockets and holes in our coats The teamsters and the laborers, the dockhands on the pier We built this city brick by brick, year after year
Commercial Street! Where the workers break their backs Commercial Street! Living in the cracks They put a monster in our neighborhood Said it was for the greater good But we couldn’t vote, we had no say On Commercial Street, we’d learn to pay
The children played in alleys where the clotheslines hung While their fathers hauled the cargo and their mothers’ hymns were sung We didn’t own the buildings, we just paid the rent To men in suits who never knew the way our bodies bent And towering above us, painted brown to hide the stains A tank of death was waiting, groaning in the rain
Commercial Street! Where the workers break their backs Commercial Street! Living in the cracks They put a monster in our neighborhood Said it was for the greater good But we couldn’t vote, we had no say On Commercial Street, we’d learn to pay
Fifty feet of steel and rust Holding two million gallons They told us we should trust But the tank kept on groaning And the leaks kept on showing And nobody was listening To the warnings we were throwing
Commercial Street! Where the workers break their backs Commercial Street! Living in the cracks They put a monster in our neighborhood Said it was for the greater good But we couldn’t vote, we had no say On Commercial Street, we’d learn to pay On Commercial Street… we’d learn to pay
Deadline on the WaterfrontE
Arthur Jell was a company man Never read a blueprint, couldn’t understand They made him treasurer, gave him the keys Said “Build us a tank and do it with speed” December thirty-first, that’s your deadline, son Get it done by New Year’s or your career is done A vice-presidency waiting if you make the date So cut every corner, don’t make them wait
Deadline on the waterfront! Deadline on the waterfront! No engineers, no architects, no goddamn oversight Just get it built and get it filled, we’ll make it right Deadline on the waterfront! They didn’t give a damn about the working man’s life
The steel came in thinner than the specs had said But Jell didn’t check it, full steam ahead A worker fell forty feet and died They didn’t stop the job, they swept him aside No water test, just six inches deep Cut every corner, make the deadline keep Paint it brown to hide the leaks and rust In profit we trust, in profit we trust
Deadline on the waterfront! Deadline on the waterfront! No engineers, no architects, no goddamn oversight Just get it built and get it filled, we’ll make it right Deadline on the waterfront! They didn’t give a damn about the working man’s life
December twenty-ninth, they stamped it done December thirty-first, the molasses run Seven hundred thousand gallons from Cuba came And nobody tested nothing, what a shame The tank was groaning from the very start But the suits in their offices didn’t have a heart
Deadline on the waterfront! Deadline on the waterfront! No engineers, no architects, no goddamn oversight Just get it built and get it filled, we’ll make it right Deadline on the waterfront! They didn’t give a damn about the working man’s life No, they didn’t give a damn about the working man’s life!
The Tank Still Stands
Isaac Gon-zah-les worked the tank each day Puerto Rican seaman who had found his way To Boston’s waterfront in nineteen-sixteen The worst job on the worst death trap he’d ever seen He heard it growling like a hungry beast The rivets straining, the groaning never ceased He saw the rust, he saw the leaks run down They painted over everything with a coat of brown
He had nightmares, woke up screaming in the night Ran through Boston streets to check if things were right He brought the rust flakes to the boss man’s desk And Jell looked up and said—
“The tank still stands!” The tank still stands, so what’s the fuss? The tank still stands, don’t bother us I don’t know what you want me to do The tank still stands, now get back to Your post, your job, your place in line The tank still stands, and that’s just fine The tank still stands!
The summer came and Isaac couldn’t sleep The nightmares came, the visions dark and deep He’d wake at midnight, terror in his chest And run down to the waterfront, he couldn’t rest The children scraped the leaking from the ground The sticky sweetness pooling all around But management just caulked it one more time And told him everything was fine, everything was fine
He tried to warn them, tried to make them see The monster waiting for the killing spree He brought the evidence to Jell again And Jell just shrugged and said—
“The tank still stands!” The tank still stands, so what’s the fuss? The tank still stands, don’t bother us I don’t know what you want me to do The tank still stands, now get back to Your post, your job, your place in line The tank still stands, and that’s just fine The tank still stands!
Isaac saw it coming, saw it in his dreams The wave of death, the chaos, and the screams But who believes the worker? Who believes the man With calloused hands against the company’s plan? They’ll believe him now… they’ll believe him now!
The tank still stands! (Not for long!) The tank still stands! (They were wrong!) They didn’t know what they should do The tank still stands—until it’s through Your lies, your greed, your bottom line The tank WON’T stand the test of time! The tank won’t stand!
The tank won’t stand…
January 15th
January fifteenth, nineteen-nineteen The warmest winter morning Boston’d ever seen Forty degrees in the middle of January The North End came alive, nothing ordinary The sun was shining on Commercial Street The workers took their lunches, took a load off their feet
At Engine Thirty-One the firefighters played their cards Bill Connor dealt the hand while George Lay-hee stood guard The children gathered firewood by the railroad tracks Maria, Pas-qual-ay, little sticks in their sacks Martin Claw-er-tee was sleeping in his bed Nobody knew the horror waiting just ahead
Twelve-forty in the afternoon The clock was ticking, and coming soon A sound like thunder, a metallic roar And nothing would be the same anymore
JANUARY FIFTEENTH! The day the monster broke its chains JANUARY FIFTEENTH! The day the blood ran with the stains Twenty-five feet high and thirty-five miles fast A wave of death, and nothing’s gonna last JANUARY FIFTEENTH! The day the North End paid the cost JANUARY FIFTEENTH! The day that twenty-one were lost!
The tank exploded outward, rivets flying like rounds The wave of molasses tore the buildings to the ground The firehouse was lifted, thrown toward the bay The children disappeared, swept away, swept away Midday turned to midnight, darkness swallowed the street Thirteen thousand tons of death, no escape, no retreat
JANUARY FIFTEENTH! The day the monster broke its chains JANUARY FIFTEENTH! The day the blood ran with the stains Twenty-five feet high and thirty-five miles fast A wave of death, and nothing’s gonna last JANUARY FIFTEENTH! The day the North End paid the cost JANUARY FIFTEENTH! The day that twenty-one were lost!
January fifteenth… nineteen-nineteen The darkest day that Boston’s ever seen January fifteenth… we won’t forget The debt of blood that hasn’t been paid yet
Dark TideE
The steel gave way at twelve-forty-five Two million gallons came alive A wall of brown, twenty-five feet high A hundred sixty feet wide and the devil’s eye Thirty-five miles an hour through the street The sound of hell and the stench of sweet Rivets flying like a firing squad This is the moment, this is the wrath of God!
DARK TIDE! DARK TIDE! There’s nowhere to run, there’s nowhere to hide! DARK TIDE! DARK TIDE! Thirteen thousand tons of death and pride! The monster’s loose, the tank has died Here comes the DARK TIDE!
The firehouse lifted off its base Thrown like nothing, erased, erased The elevated railway bent and broke Steel through columns, the trestle choked Buildings crumbled into kindling wood The wave took everything it could Horses screaming, trapped in the flood Molasses mixing with the working man’s blood!
DARK TIDE! DARK TIDE! There’s nowhere to run, there’s nowhere to hide! DARK TIDE! DARK TIDE! Thirteen thousand tons of death and pride! The monster’s loose, the tank has died Here comes the DARK TIDE!
Four directions, four walls of death Stealing the light and stealing the breath Quicksand sticky, you can’t break free The dark tide takes what the dark tide sees Midday turned to midnight black! The neighborhood ain’t coming back! Everything they built is gone! The dark tide rolls on and on and ON!
DARK TIDE! DARK TIDE! There’s nowhere to run, there’s nowhere to hide! DARK TIDE! DARK TIDE! Thirteen thousand tons of death and pride! The monster’s loose, the tank has died Here comes the DARK TIDE! HERE COMES THE DARK TIDE! HERE COMES THE DARK TIDE!
Engine 31
At Engine Thirty-One they played their cards at noon Bill Connor dealt the hand that warm and quiet noon George Lay-hee watched the game, a smile upon his face A firefighter’s lunchtime in that ordinary place The window showed the tank across the way Nobody knew that this would be the day
Engine Thirty-One, the house that fell Engine Thirty-One, a firefighter’s hell Two hours in the dark, fighting for air George Lay-hee dying, and nobody could get there Engine Thirty-One
The wave hit like a freight train, lifted up the floor The building moved ten feet, they’d never seen before Trapped beneath the rubble in an eighteen-inch space The molasses rising up around Bill Connor’s face “We bumped our heads against the floor above Trying to keep breathing, trying to keep above”
Engine Thirty-One, the house that fell Engine Thirty-One, a firefighter’s hell Two hours in the dark, fighting for air George Lay-hee dying, and nobody could get there Engine Thirty-One
George was pinned beneath the pool table and the keys Of the piano crushing down upon his knees For two long hours he fought to keep his head up high But the molasses kept on rising, and a good man had to die They pulled his body out at five PM His brothers couldn’t save him, couldn’t get to him
Engine Thirty-One, the house that fell Engine Thirty-One, a firefighter’s hell Two hours in the dark, fighting for air George Lay-hee dying, and nobody could get there He left a wife behind, he left three children too Engine Thirty-One… we remember you
Engine Thirty-One… we remember you
Bed Frame Raft
Martin Claw-er-tee was sleeping on the third floor of his home Across from the tank on Copps Hill, he never thought he’d be alone The rumble didn’t wake him, just a noise inside his dream But when he opened up his eyes, he heard his sister scream He woke up drowning in the dark, the molasses all around He thought that he had fallen overboard, he thought that he had drowned
But he grabbed onto his bed frame, held on with all his might His bed became a raft that day, his only chance to fight The bed frame raft, the bed frame raft Floating through the ruins of his life The bed frame raft, the bed frame raft He’d lose his mother, brother, everything that night
The house had flown into the air, the neighbors saw it go Crushed against the elevated tracks in the undertow He found Teresa in the wreckage, pulled her to the shore But Bridget, his dear mother, he would never see no more They pulled her from the rubble, she died within the hour At sixty-five years old, she met the dark tide’s power
He grabbed onto his bed frame, held on with all his might His bed became a raft that day, his only chance to fight The bed frame raft, the bed frame raft Floating through the ruins of his life The bed frame raft, the bed frame raft He’d lose his mother, brother, everything that night
And Stephen, Martin’s brother, his mind began to break The trauma of that January was more than he could take December came and Stephen died inside the hospital walls Another victim of the flood, though nobody recalls The Pen and Pencil bar was gone, the home where he grew up And Martin Claw-er-tee just had to pick the pieces up
He grabbed onto his bed frame, held on with all his might His bed became a raft that day, his only chance to fight The bed frame raft! The bed frame raft! Floating through the ruins of his life! The bed frame raft! The bed frame raft! He survived, but he lost everything that night!
He grabbed onto his bed frame… And he held on… And he held on…
116 Cadets
The U-S-S Nantucket was docked at the pier A hundred six-teen cadets, young men without fear When the wave hit Commercial Street and chaos ruled the day Their commander gave the order and they ran into the fray They didn’t stop to wonder, they didn’t stop to think They ran into the molasses, knee-deep in the drink
A hundred six-teen cadets! A hundred six-teen brave! Running through the darkness, running lives to save! A hundred six-teen cadets! They heard the people cry! Young sailors in molasses, they weren’t afraid to die! SAILORS SAVED THE DAY! That’s what the papers said! A hundred six-teen cadets pulled the living from the dead!
They ran for several blocks through the sticky, deadly flood Their uniforms were covered in molasses and in blood They pulled the victims from the muck, they kept the curious away They worked until the darkness fell on that horrific day Boston Police and Fire came, the Red Cross came through But the first ones in the chaos were the boys in Navy blue
A hundred six-teen cadets! A hundred six-teen brave! Running through the darkness, running lives to save! A hundred six-teen cadets! They heard the people cry! Young sailors in molasses, they weren’t afraid to die! SAILORS SAVED THE DAY! That’s what the papers said! A hundred six-teen cadets pulled the living from the dead!
When disaster strikes and chaos reigns When the streets run dark with death Some men run away but some run IN And fight with every breath! They didn’t know the victims, didn’t know the neighborhood But they ran into hell that day because that’s what heroes would!
A hundred six-teen cadets! A hundred six-teen brave! Running through the darkness, running lives to save! A hundred six-teen cadets! They heard the people cry! Young sailors in molasses, they weren’t afraid to die! SAILORS SAVED THE DAY! That’s what the papers said! A hundred six-teen cadets pulled the living from the dead! A HUNDRED SIXTEEN CADETS!
Blame the AnarchistsE
When the bodies were still warm and the molasses still ran U-S-I-A pointed fingers at the immigrant man “It wasn’t our fault, it wasn’t our greed It was Italian anarchists, that’s what you need to believe” Charles Choate the lawyer with his lying silver tongue Fabricated fairy tales while the grieving mothers sung
Blame the anarchists! Blame the anarchists! When the rich men kill the poor, just clench your fists Blame the anarchists! Blame the anarchists! Point the finger at the foreigners on your list! They killed your children, they destroyed your home But blame the goddamn anarchists and leave the suits alone!
The Salutation Street bomb, yeah that was real But that don’t mean you get to steal The truth from twenty-one who died that day Blame the workers for the company’s decay And when they arrested Sacco and Vanzetti in the spring Choate smiled and said “You see? Those Italians do this thing!”
Blame the anarchists! Blame the anarchists! When the rich men kill the poor, just clench your fists Blame the anarchists! Blame the anarchists! Point the finger at the foreigners on your list! They killed your children, they destroyed your home But blame the goddamn anarchists and leave the suits alone!
You couldn’t read a blueprint! You couldn’t test the steel! You painted over every crack To hide the truth concealed! Your tank was half as thick as it should be! Your rivets were defective! Your greed killed twenty-one But you blame the ones you’re paid to protect? PATHETIC!
Blame the anarchists! BULLSHIT! Blame the anarchists! BULLSHIT! We see through your lies, you corporate shits! Blame the anarchists! NOT THIS TIME! The blood is on YOUR hands, and that’s the bottom line! You killed those people! You let them die! DON’T BLAME THE ANARCHISTS FOR YOUR CRIMES!
Your fault! Your fault! Your fault! YOUR FAULT!
Damon Hall
When the dust had settled and the dead were in the ground The immigrants of Boston looked for justice to be found A hundred nineteen plaintiffs, poor and powerless and small Against the corporation came a lawyer named Damon Hall A street fighter from Belmont with fire in his eyes Who looked at U-S-I-A and saw through all their lies
Six years in the courtroom, six years in the fight Nine hundred twenty witnesses to bring the truth to light Fifteen hundred exhibits, document by document He proved that every death was caused by criminal intent
DAMON HALL! DAMON HALL! He stood up for the people when nobody would at all! DAMON HALL! DAMON HALL! David slew Goliath, and the giant had to fall! When the rich kill the poor and try to walk away Damon Hall made sure that they would pay! DAMON HALL!
Choate said it was anarchists, said it was a bomb But Hall showed all the negligence, showed where it came from The steel was thin, the rivets weak, the warnings all ignored He built his case piece by piece and took it to the Lord When the auditor agreed and the verdict came around Hall said “That’s not enough” and he doubled down
He threatened a jury trial, he wouldn’t let it go Made them pay six hundred thousand, struck a mighty blow The biggest case in Massachusetts history that day When David beat Goliath and the workers had their say
DAMON HALL! DAMON HALL! He stood up for the people when nobody would at all! DAMON HALL! DAMON HALL! David slew Goliath, and the giant had to fall! When the rich kill the poor and try to walk away Damon Hall made sure that they would pay! DAMON HALL!
For the workers! (DAMON HALL!) For the children! (DAMON HALL!) For the families! (DAMON HALL!) For the fallen! (DAMON HALL!) Against the liars! (DAMON HALL!) Against the greed! (DAMON HALL!) One lawyer stood and fought for what we need!
DAMON HALL! DAMON HALL! He stood up for the people when nobody would at all! DAMON HALL! DAMON HALL! David slew Goliath, and the giant had to fall! When the rich kill the poor and try to walk away Damon Hall made sure that they would pay! DAMON HALL! DAMON HALL! DAMON HALL!
DAMON HALL!
The Verdict
April twenty-eighth, nineteen twenty-five Six long years but justice stayed alive Hugh Awg-den stood before the court that day And read the verdict that would make the bastards pay “Structural failure,” that’s what the record shows “No evidence of sabotage,” everybody knows The tank was weak, the steel was thin U-S-I-A was guilty of this sin
Six hundred twenty-eight thousand dollars paid A landmark decision, the workers’ crusade The workers won this fight against the company men They knew they’d have to fight and fight again!
THE VERDICT! GUILTY AS CHARGED! The corporation thought they were too large! THE VERDICT! JUSTICE IS DONE! For the twenty-one who died, we finally won! No more lies! No more deceit! The working class will not accept defeat! THE VERDICT!
They said the engineer must sign his name They said the architect must stake his claim They said the inspector has to check the work No more corporations hiding in the murk From Boston to the nation, the laws began to change Professional standards, nothing out of range The dark tide gave us something in the end A legacy that corporate greed could not defend
The immigrants who died on Commercial Street Did not die in vain, they made us complete The fight goes on, the memory stays We carry their names through all of our days
THE VERDICT! GUILTY AS CHARGED! The corporation thought they were too large! THE VERDICT! JUSTICE IS DONE! For the twenty-one who died, we finally won! No more lies! No more deceit! The working class will not accept defeat! THE VERDICT!
For Isaac who saw it coming in his dreams For George who died fighting in the seams For Martin on his bed frame in the dark For the children gathering firewood in the park For everyone who lived on Commercial Street Who felt the dark tide crashing at their feet You are not forgotten! You will not be erased! Your sacrifice brought justice to this place!
THE VERDICT! (GUILTY!) THE VERDICT! (GUILTY!) THE VERDICT! JUSTICE IS DONE! For the twenty-one who died, WE FINALLY WON! January fifteenth, nineteen-nineteen The darkest day that Boston’s ever seen But from the darkness came the light of change THE VERDICT! REMEMBER THE NAMES!
Commercial Street… we won’t forget Commercial Street… we’re not done yet Commercial Street… remember the names COMMERCIAL STREET!

// Sources & Research

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The Great Molasses Flood - Research Document

Overview

Event: The Great Molasses Flood (also known as the Boston Molasses Disaster) Date: January 15, 1919, approximately 12:40-12:45 PM Location: Commercial Street, North End, Boston, Massachusetts Casualties: 21 dead, 150+ injured Cause: Structural failure of a 2.3 million gallon molasses storage tank Owner: Purity Distilling Company (subsidiary of United States Industrial Alcohol - USIA)

Part 1: The Tank and Its Construction

The Company

United States Industrial Alcohol (USIA)

Major industrial alcohol producer
Parent company of Purity Distilling Company
Produced industrial alcohol from molasses for:
- Munitions manufacturing (smokeless powder/cordite for WWI)
- Alcoholic beverages (rum, beer, brandy)
Customers included du Pont, Hercules Powder, Aetna Explosives
Supplied British, French, and Canadian governments during WWI
Business boomed after August 1914 (WWI outbreak in Europe)

Why Build the Tank?

Strategic Reasons:

WWI created massive demand for industrial alcohol (munitions)
Boston’s waterfront location allowed direct offloading from molasses ships
Pipeline connected to Purity’s Cambridge distillery
Tank served as buffer inventory to meet fluctuating demand
Prohibition was coming (ratified January 16, 1919 - THE DAY AFTER the disaster)

The Rush:

USIA needed tank operational by December 31, 1915
Lucrative war contracts at stake
Company vice-presidency promised to Arthur Jell if successful

Tank Specifications

Attribute	Measurement
Height	50 feet
Diameter	90 feet
Circumference	240 feet
Capacity	2.3-2.5 million gallons
Weight when full	~13,000 short tons
Cost	$30,000 (contracted)
Location	529 Commercial Street, near Keany Square

Construction Timeline

Date	Event
Late 1914	Hammond Iron Works commissioned
April 1915	Blueprints completed
May-Sept 1915	Lease negotiations with Boston Elevated Railway
September 24, 1915	Twenty-year lease signed ($5,000/year)
November 1915	Foundation construction began
December 1, 1915	Steel plates shipped to Boston
December 8, 1915	Worker Thomas DeFratus died falling 40 feet
December 13-14, 1915	Superstorm caused two-day delay
December 26, 1915	Sleet storm delay
December 29, 1915	Final invoice issued; only 6-inch water test performed
December 31, 1915	First molasses cargo arrived (700,000 gallons from Cuba)

Arthur P. Jell - The Man in Charge

Background:

USIA Treasurer (promoted 1911)
Career began at age 14 as office boy at Hiram Walker & Sons
Moved to Boston in 1909
NO technical experience
NO architectural experience
NO engineering experience
Could not read blueprints or determine safe steel specifications

His Role:

Tasked with completing tank by December 31, 1915
Vice-presidency promised as reward for success
Prioritized deadline over safety at every turn

Key Negligent Decisions:

No engineers or architects consulted during construction
Authorized only 6-inch water test instead of full tank test (saved time/money)
Never had steel inspected by anyone outside Hammond Iron Works
No metallurgical testing of delivered steel
Ignored worker warnings about tank condition
Painted tank brown to hide leaking molasses

Damning Quote (to Isaac Gonzales):

“I don’t know what you want me to do. The tank still stands.”

Part 2: Engineering Failures

Steel Deficiencies

Original Design Specifications:

Ring (from bottom)	Specified Thickness
First (base)	0.67 inches
Seventh (top)	0.312 inches

Actual Delivered Steel:

Every steel plate was THINNER than specification
Top ring: 0.284 inches (vs 0.312 specified)
Modern analysis (2014): Steel was half as thick as it should have been

Metallurgical Problems:

Steel lacked manganese (made it more brittle)
Rivets were flawed
First cracks formed at rivet holes

No Testing or Oversight

No building codes required testing or inspection
No engineer certification required for tank design
No permit required to build the tank (only foundation permit needed)
No water test performed (contract specified full tank test)
No post-construction inspection

Warning Signs Ignored

Tank Behavior:

“Groaned” ominously when filled
Vibrated during loading
Visible leaks around sides (pooled at base)
Children collected leaked molasses in pails

USIA’s Response:

Re-caulked multiple times
Painted tank brown to camouflage leaking molasses
Dismissed worker concerns
Continued operations

Isaac Gonzales - The Man Who Saw It Coming

Background:

Puerto Rican-born
Four years as seaman
Previously worked in Washington, D.C. (attorney’s offices, U.S. Attorney General’s office)
Settled in Boston 1910
Hired as tank maintenance man, February 1916
Living at Boston YMCA when hired

His Warnings:

Trained by William White (his supervisor)
Heard tank “growling” - described it as “alive… the low growl of a hungry animal”
Saw rust, leaks, structural deterioration
Had nightmares about the tank collapsing
During summer 1918, ran through Boston streets at night to check if tank still stood
Brought rust flakes directly to Arthur Jell’s desk
Was dismissed with: “I don’t know what you want me to do. The tank still stands.”

Part 3: The North End Community

Demographics (1919)

90% Italian immigrants by 1900
Also significant Irish immigrant population
Working class: laborers, dockhands, drivers, teamsters
Low political participation (many not citizens, couldn’t vote)
Powerless to contest tank construction in their neighborhood

Anti-Immigrant Climate

Political Context:

President Woodrow Wilson (1902): “…now there came multitudes of men of the lowest class from the south of Italy…”
Boston police viewed North End as “headquarters for the leading Italian anarchists in America”
December 1916: Bomb attack on Salutation Street police station (~half mile from tank)
WWI intensified xenophobia

Anarchist Activity:

Real bombings targeting USIA facilities during 1914-1916
Police protection established at tank site
USIA paid for permanent fixed-post police presence
This later gave ammunition to USIA’s blame-the-anarchists defense

Part 4: The Disaster - January 15, 1919

Weather and Setting

Unusually warm for January: over 40°F
Commercial Street busy with laborers, horses, elevated trains
Lunchtime activity

The Moment of Collapse (12:40-12:45 PM)

What People Were Doing:

Engine 31 firefighters playing cards at lunchtime (Bill Connor, Fred McDermott, Nat Bowering, Paddy Driscoll)
George Layhe and stonecutter John Barry watching the card game
Children Maria Di Stasio (10), Antonio Di Stasio (8), and Pasquale Iantosca (10) gathering firewood near tank
Martin Clougherty sleeping in his bedroom (third floor, house across from tank)

The Sound:

“Deep rumble”
“Metallic roar”
“Loud crashing sound”

Martin Clougherty’s Account:

“I was in bed on the third floor of my house when I heard a deep rumble. I was asleep and the rumble did not wake me thoroughly. The first impression I had that something unusual had happened was when I awoke in several feet of molasses.”

The Wave

Characteristic	Measurement
Height	15-40 feet (25 feet at outset)
Width	160 feet
Speed	35 mph
Volume	2.3 million gallons
Weight	~13,000 short tons

Behavior:

Moved in four separate directions after escaping tank
Behaved like four walls of viscous liquid
“Midday turned to darkness”
Thousands of rivets became lethal projectiles

Destruction

Structures Destroyed/Damaged:

North End Paving Yard buildings (torn to kindling)
Engine 31 firehouse (lifted off foundation, moved 10 feet toward harbor)
Clougherty house (crushed, “flew into the air”)
Boston Elevated Railway trestle (buckled)
Freight cars, automobiles, wagons
Bay State Railway freight sheds
Brick tenements and storefronts along Commercial Street

One-ton steel piece sliced through elevated railroad column, nearly collapsing overhead tracks.

Hero: Royal Albert Leeman

Elevated train operator
Stopped his train seconds before collapsing trestle would have derailed it
Sprinted down tracks to halt approaching northbound train
Prevented potential secondary disaster

Part 5: The Victims

The 21 Dead

Name	Age	Occupation	Details
Patrick Breen	44	Laborer	Died of pneumonia and internal injuries after being swept into harbor
William Brogan	61	Teamster	Working at North End Paving Yard
Bridget Clougherty	65	Homemaker	Mother of Martin; house destroyed; died one hour after rescue
Stephen Clougherty	34	—	Mental illness worsened by trauma; died Dec 11, 1919 at Boston State Hospital (counted as indirect victim)
John Callahan	43	Paver	—
Maria Di Stasio	10	Child	Suffocated in molasses while gathering firewood
William Duffy	58	Laborer	—
Peter Francis	64	Blacksmith	—
Flaminio Gallerani	37	Driver	—
Pasquale Iantosca	10	Child	Struck by railroad car; last seen in red sweater
James Kinneally	Unknown	Laborer	—
Eric Laird	17	Teamster	—
George Layhe	37-38	Firefighter (Engine 31)	Drowned after ~2 hours trapped under pool table; left wife and 3 children
James Lennon	64	Teamster	—
Ralph Martin	21	Driver	—
James McMullen	46	Foreman	Compound fractures both legs; severe contamination
Cesare Nicolo	32	Expressman	Last body found; discovered under wharf nearly 4 months later
Thomas Noonan	43	Longshoreman	—
Peter Shaughnessy	18	Teamster	—
John Sieberlich	69	Blacksmith	—
Michael Sinnott	78	—	Oldest victim

Victim Demographics:

Age range: 10 to 78
18 of 21 were men
Mostly Irish laborers
Several Italian Americans
Working class: laborers, drivers, teamsters, dockhands

The Children

Maria Di Stasio (10) and Pasquale Iantosca (10):

Gathering firewood near tank with Antonio Di Stasio (8)
Pasquale’s father watched from apartment window as children disappeared
Antonio survived but suffered severe head injury (flung into light post)
Maria suffocated in molasses
Pasquale killed by railroad car impact

The Clougherty Family

Bridget Clougherty (65):

Mother of Martin, Teresa, and Stephen
House on Copps Hill Terrace, directly across from tank
House “flew into the air” per neighbors
Severely injured; died one hour after rescue

Martin Clougherty:

Owner of The Pen and Pencil bar
Was sleeping when disaster struck
Awoke in molasses, thought he was “overboard”
Used his bed frame as a raft to survive
Pulled sister Teresa from the molasses
Could not find mother or brother in debris
Awarded $2,500 for injuries plus $1,800 for destroyed house

Stephen Clougherty (34):

Mental illness magnified by trauma
Died December 11, 1919 at Boston State Hospital for the Insane, Mattapan
Family received nothing for his death (Ogden ruled it not connected to flood)

Firefighter George Layhe

Engine 31, Boston Fire Department Marine Engineer
Age 37-38, wife and three children
Wedged under pool table and piano, legs crushed by timbers
Struggled for ~2 hours to keep head above rising molasses
Finally drowned when stamina gave out
Body pulled from firehouse around 5 PM (4+ hours after collapse)
Family received $1,000 extra due to hours of suffering before death

Part 6: The Rescue

First Responders

USS Nantucket (Massachusetts Nautical School training ship):

Docked at playground pier nearby
116 cadets under Lt. Commander H.J. Copeland
First on scene
Ran several blocks into knee-deep molasses
Pulled survivors while keeping onlookers away

Boston Globe headline (Jan 16, 1919):

“Sailors Do Heroic Work in Aiding Victims”

Other Responders:

Boston Police
Boston Fire Department
Red Cross (nurses dove into molasses)
Army and Navy personnel
Haymarket Relief Station doctors and nurses

Rescue Challenges

Molasses was “quicksand-like”
Firefighters spread ladders over it to avoid falling in
Used ropes, planks, makeshift rafts
Each step required enormous effort
Syrup stuck to uniforms and equipment
Nearly impossible to maintain speed or coordination

Engine 31 Rescue

Survivors:

Bill Connor, Nat Bowering, Paddy Driscoll - freed from 18-inch crawl space
John Barry (stonecutter) - pinned facedown for hours, received multiple morphine injections

Bill Connor’s Testimony:

“I looked out the window and saw a wall of molasses rolling like a wave at the seashore. I put my hand on the doorknob and the molasses surrounded the building; shut out the light, and the next thing I knew I came to under the building.”

“The flood of molasses at times flowed up to our ears. We bumped our heads on the floor above trying to keep our noses and mouths above the fluid.”

Rescue Efforts:

50+ men dug to free trapped firefighters
Used acetylene torches
Took 2+ hours to reach their own
George Layhe found dead around 5 PM

Medical Response

Haymarket Relief Station:

Received 40+ injured victims
Hospital “reeked of molasses” - floors, walls, nurses covered
Staff cleared molasses from breathing passages

Dr. John Breslin:

“The whole hospital reeked of molasses. It was on the floors, on the walls, the nurses were covered with it, even in their hair.”

Cleanup

300+ workers over following days
Saltwater (pumped from harbor) broke down molasses
Took weeks to clear the last residue
Police shot dozens of molasses-trapped horses to end suffering
Final victim (Cesare Nicolo) not found until nearly 4 months later (under a wharf)

Part 7: The Lawsuit

Immediate Response

Mayor Andrew Peters:

Called for “rigid investigation to determine the cause of the explosion”
Language suggested collapse was not accidental

USIA’s Immediate Defense:

Attorney Henry Dolan blamed “outside influences”
Suggested North End anarchists planted a bomb
“Something from the outside opened up the tank”

The Case

Dorr vs. United States Industrial Alcohol

Attribute	Detail
Type	Class action lawsuit
Scale	Largest in Massachusetts history at the time
Claims	119 separate suits combined
Plaintiffs	~150 individuals (mostly poor Italian and Irish immigrants)
Defendant	United States Industrial Alcohol (USIA)
Duration	5-6 years (began August 1920)
Witnesses	920+
Exhibits	1,584
Testimony Days	341
Closing Arguments	4,600 pages; 11 weeks

The Lawyers

Plaintiff’s Attorney: Damon Everett Hall

“Feisty street-fighting type”
Lived in Belmont (moved 1913)
Served as Belmont’s Town Meeting Moderator
Later: granddaughter Sandra Sloan spoke at 100th anniversary events
Strategy: Document pattern of “gross neglect and shoddy craftsmanship”

Defense Attorney: Charles Francis Choate

Represented USIA
Fabricated story blaming Italian anarchists
Exploited Boston-area paranoia about anarchist activity
Defense designed to prey on anti-immigrant sentiment

USIA’s Anarchist Defense

Their Claim:

Italian anarchists blew up the tank to protest Big Business
Pointed to December 1916 Salutation Street police station bombing
Cited real anarchist attacks on USIA facilities 1914-1916

Strengthened (Temporarily) by:

April 15, 1920: Police arrested Sacco and Vanzetti for murder
This made anarchist threat seem more credible

Auditor’s Rejection:

Hugh Ogden found NO evidence of sabotage
Concluded tank collapsed due to structural failure

Hugh W. Ogden - The Auditor

Background:

Lawyer educated at University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Law
“Outstanding Episcopal layman” and authority on canon law
Member of vestry at Old North Church
WWI: Judge Advocate for 42nd Infantry Rainbow Division in France
Served alongside Generals Pershing and MacArthur
Referred to as “Colonel”

His Appointment:

Massachusetts Superior Court appointed him to hold hearings
Recognized that poor, powerless immigrants faced one of nation’s largest corporations

His Ruling (April 28, 1925):

“Special Report on Liability to the Superior Court of Massachusetts”

Key Findings:

Tank collapsed due to structural failure, NOT sabotage
Company showed “no concern for the safety of the people”
Tank designer had no technical training, couldn’t read blueprints
No engineers or architects consulted or inspected work
Tank’s structural integrity was never tested before filling
Company managers ignored employee warnings about tank’s unsound condition

This Was Historic:

“Really the first major decision against a United States corporation” (Stephen Puleo)
Marked “the beginning of the end of an era when big business faced no government restrictions”

Damages

Ogden’s Initial Assessment: $300,000

Final Settlement:

Damon Hall threatened jury trial for damages
USIA negotiated privately
Per USIA’s 1925 financial results: Doubled Ogden’s suggested awards
Total paid: $628,000 (some sources say up to $1 million)
Equivalent to ~$8 million today

Individual Awards (examples):

Clougherty family: $2,500 each for injuries + $1,800 for destroyed house
Layhe family: $1,000 extra due to prolonged suffering before death
Stephen Clougherty’s death: $0 (ruled unconnected to flood)

Part 8: Legacy and Regulatory Changes

Regulatory Reforms

Direct Results:

Engineers required to sign and seal plans
Building inspectors required to examine projects
Architects required to show their work
Professional engineering licensing requirements adopted in Massachusetts
Other states emulated these practices
Major structures required to have plans sealed by professional engineer

National Impact:

“Every state soon passed laws that required all engineers to obtain professional certification”
Engineering certification laws became standard nationwide
Stricter construction codes adopted across the country

The End of the Molasses Trade

Disaster “effectively ended more than 300 years of molasses trade”
Combined with Prohibition (ratified January 16, 1919 - day after disaster)
USIA’s business model collapsed

Community Impact

“Uptick in active citizenship within the Italian community”
Increasing numbers became U.S. citizens
Gained decision-making power over neighborhood’s future

Modern Analysis

2014 Engineering Study:

Applied modern engineering analysis
Confirmed steel was half as thick as needed (even by lax 1915 standards)
Identified manganese deficiency making steel brittle
Confirmed rivet flaws (first cracks formed at rivet holes)

Commemoration

January 15 remains an informal anniversary of remembrance in Boston
Stephen Puleo’s “Dark Tide” (2003) remains definitive account
100th anniversary (2019) saw significant media coverage
Plaque exists at site (Langone Park)

Key Characters for Album

Heroes/Sympathetic Figures

Character	Role	Story Arc Potential
Isaac Gonzales	Tank maintenance worker	The man who warned them; his nightmares came true
Damon Hall	Plaintiff’s attorney	David vs. Goliath lawyer who took on Big Business
Hugh Ogden	Court-appointed auditor	Fair arbiter who saw through the lies
George Layhe	Firefighter	Fought for hours to live; tragic hero
Martin Clougherty	Barkeep/survivor	Lost mother, brother, home; survived on bed frame
The Children	Maria, Pasquale, Antonio	Innocent victims gathering firewood
USS Nantucket Sailors	Rescuers	Ran into the disaster to save strangers
Bill Connor	Firefighter survivor	Lived to tell the tale

Villains/Antagonists

Character	Role	Story Arc Potential
Arthur Jell	USIA Treasurer	Incompetent, profit-driven, ignored warnings
USIA	Corporation	Corporate greed, negligence, lies
Charles Choate	Defense attorney	Fabricated anarchist story, preyed on prejudice

The Community

Italian and Irish immigrants
Working class: laborers, drivers, teamsters, dockhands
Powerless before the disaster, empowered after
North End neighborhood as character

Suggested Narrative Arc for Album

Act I: The Monster (Setup)

Introduction to North End community (immigrants, working class)
The tank arrives (ominous presence, built in haste)
Arthur Jell and corporate pressure
Isaac Gonzales’s warnings ignored
The neighborhood lives in shadow of “the monster”

Act II: The Wave (Disaster)

January 15, 1919 - the day (lunchtime, card games, children playing)
The collapse and wave (horror, destruction)
George Layhe’s death (firefighter trapped, drowning in molasses)
The rescue (sailors, firefighters, chaos)

Act III: Justice (Aftermath)

The blame game (anarchists accused, immigrants scapegoated)
Damon Hall takes the case (David vs. Goliath)
Hugh Ogden’s verdict (truth wins, USIA guilty)
Legacy (regulations, empowerment, remembrance)