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Slow as Molasses in January Trivia Quiz

Have you ever heard of Boston's Great Molasses Flood? It was quite a unique disaster! Take this quiz to learn all about it.

A multiple-choice quiz by Eraucci. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
Eraucci

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
374,138

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
247

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The Great Molasses Flood in Boston occurred in the same year that the Treaty of Versailles was signed. What year was that? Hint

1889

1909

1899

1919

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. In which Boston neighborhood, known for its Italian population, did the Great Molasses Flood occur? Hint

North End

Back Bay

South End

Fenway Kenmore

3. Before the Great Molasses Flood, the molasses tank was built without oversight, and basic safety tests were not done. It was never inspected. After it was filled with molasses, it leaked terribly. What did the Purity Distilling Company do about the leaks? Hint

They covered the leaking areas with duct tape

Nothing

They welded the leaks closed

They painted the tank brown to hide the leaks

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. One possible explanation for the Great Molasses Flood was the change in the weather. The day before had been very cold, but the day of the disaster was unseasonably warm. How high did the temperature rise in such a short time? Hint

29 degrees F

44 degrees F

34 degrees F

40 degrees F

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. During Boston's Great Molasses Flood, when the molasses tank exploded, what did the witnesses say it sounded like? Hint

One big loud bang, as the tank blew all at once

A machine gun, as rivets shot out of the tank

A slow creaking sound, as the tank slowly fell to the ground

It was very quiet; the molasses seemed to come out of nowhere

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Two million gallons of hot molasses were let loose on Boston in a giant sticky wave. At its highest, the wave was about 25 feet (7.6 m) tall, and moving fast. (Although one source says the wave was 40 feet high!)
Just how fast did molasses move in January? Hint

About 50 mph

About 5 mph

About 35 mph

About 20 mph

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. What kind of property damage did the giant wave of molasses do in the Great Molasses Flood? Hint

Buildings were knocked off their foundations and collapsed.

All of these

Girders of the elevated railway were damaged and a train tipped over

A truck went airborne and flew into Boston Harbor

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Once the Great Molasses Flood settled, about how deep was the molasses in the Boston neighborhoods closest to the tank? Hint

1 foot deep

2-3 feet deep

4-5 feet deep

6-7 feet deep

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Question 9 of 10

9. After the Great Molasses Flood, what/who did the company that owned the molasses tank try to blame the explosion on? Hint

immigrants' sabotage

fermenting molasses

anarchists with a bomb

an act of God

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. For decades after the Great Molasses Flood, citizens of the area affected did what? Hint

held a parade on the anniversary of the flood

swore they could still smell molasses on hot days

held a pageant that re-enacted the story of the flood

dubbed January 15 Molasses Day, and ate as much molasses as they could

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The Great Molasses Flood in Boston occurred in the same year that the Treaty of Versailles was signed. What year was that?

Answer: 1919

The disaster occurred at around 12:30 in the afternoon on January 15, 1919. The day was unseasonably warm, so many people were outside having their lunch.

2. In which Boston neighborhood, known for its Italian population, did the Great Molasses Flood occur?

Answer: North End

A huge tank of molasses was situated on Commercial Street, near Keany Square. It was owned by the Purity Distilling Company. The tank was 50 feet tall, with a diameter of 90 feet, and could hold 2.5 million gallons of molasses.

Answer: They painted the tank brown to hide the leaks

The paint didn't do a very good job of concealing the problem. The fact that the tank leaked was quite well known. Children would go up to the tank with containers and gather free molasses from the leaking areas.

Answer: 40 degrees F

The day before the disaster, it was only 2 degrees F outside (-17 C). The temperature quickly rose to 40 degrees F (5 C). This may have caused a buildup of pressure in the tank that directly led to its explosion.

5. During Boston's Great Molasses Flood, when the molasses tank exploded, what did the witnesses say it sounded like?

Answer: A machine gun, as rivets shot out of the tank

There was a huge roar, just like machine gun fire. As the tank collapsed, the ground shook as if a train was passing by. A great blast of air pushed outward, and then rushed back to fill in the vacuum left by the loss of the tank.

Answer: About 35 mph

35 miles per hour (56 km/h) is the speed that cars drive in many suburban neighborhoods in the US. Imagine a giant wave of molasses coming toward you at that speed! It is no wonder that people couldn't get out of the way, and that horses drowned. About 150 people were injured, and 21 died (ages 10-69).

7. What kind of property damage did the giant wave of molasses do in the Great Molasses Flood?

Answer: All of these

Some of the people who lost their lives were in the buildings that collapsed around them. One woman was on her balcony hanging laundry when the explosion happened. Her house was demolished.

8. Once the Great Molasses Flood settled, about how deep was the molasses in the Boston neighborhoods closest to the tank?

Answer: 2-3 feet deep

That's knee-deep to waist-high. Rescuers waded through the molasses, trying to help people, horses, and dogs they found mired in the goo.
Some of the first rescuers on the scene were cadets from the USS Nantucket, a training ship. They ran several blocks to help. They were soon joined by the Red Cross, Army, Navy, and Boston Police Department personnel. The search for survivors continued for four days.
Cleanup took months - over 80,000 man hours. Crews used saltwater to wash the molasses into Boston Harbor, which remained molasses-brown until summer.

9. After the Great Molasses Flood, what/who did the company that owned the molasses tank try to blame the explosion on?

Answer: anarchists with a bomb

The United States Industrial Alcohol Company owned Purity Distilling, and therefore the molasses tank. They quickly tried to blame anarchists for the explosion, but that theory was disproved. Actually, fermenting molasses may have contributed to the explosion. The main problem, though, was that the tank was too poorly built by people who did not know what they were doing.
One of the first class-action lawsuits in Massachusetts history was filed against the United States Industrial Alcohol Company, who eventually paid out $600,000 in damages (over $10.7 million in 2012 dollars).

10. For decades after the Great Molasses Flood, citizens of the area affected did what?

Answer: swore they could still smell molasses on hot days

In fact, I've heard there are still people who claim to smell molasses on the hottest days of summer. I myself have never met one, though.
Today along Commercial Street in Boston, there is a small green plaque that marks the site of the disaster. It is set low in a stone wall - you probably have to know to look for it. The area that once held the infamous tank is now a recreation area.

Source: Author Eraucci

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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