Fun facts of the day

[featherynscale]

In 1814, a flood of beer from a burst vat rushed through the streets of London, flooding basements, collapsing houses, and killing nine people. Eight of the deaths were from drowning, the other from alcohol poisoning as a brave soul tried to save the street by drinking up all the beer. No, really. That happened.

Not to be outdone, Boston had its own flood of unlikely substances in 1919, when a molasses tank burst. The molasses reputedly reached speeds of 35 mph, which is pretty fast, considering the reputation of molasses. The molasses killed 21, injured another 150, and caused vast amounts of damage, including lifting a MBTA train off its tracks and carrying it along the street. No, really. That happened, too.

You just don't get that class of disaster anymore.

Comments

[sagamockingbird.livejournal.com]

This just happened last week:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5894040.html

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I stand corrected. That's amazing!

[rfunk.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it seems all the comparable disasters these days are trucks spilling their odd contents on the highway.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I saw a guy lose a load of teddy bears one time. The fluff carnage was unthinkable. And there was a highway patrol cop out there, trying to pick up some of the more intact bears off the road, basically standing there with an armful of teddy bears, looking grim.

Funniest damn thing I've ever seen. This does not say good things about my sense of humor.

an armful of teddy bears, looking grim.

[rfunk.livejournal.com]

Hey, sounds funny to me....

Of course, you had me at your second sentence.