Boston Molasses Tragedy. My grandfather witnessed this.

http://members.tripod.com/~earthdude1/molasses/molasses.html
<snip>
"A sudden thunderous cracking sound was heard. The tank exploded and all the molasses began to flow down the city streets.

The actual wall of molasses was estimated to be from 15 - 30 feet high and moved at 25-35 miles per hour in the area around the tank. The depth was only (only?!!) several feet in the surrounding area. You could not outrun this thing."

<snip>

"The flood killed twenty-one people and injured an additional 150. Some were suffocated, some cooked, and others were swept by the wave into the harbor. I guess you could say that these unfortunate people were molassassed to death. Not exactly how I wish to go."

My grandfather was helping deliver textiles from Lawrence MA that day and always spoke of this in horror.

amazed me.

I'd never heard of this before. Wow, what an awful thing... the image seems almost like something out of science fiction.

There's more information and a picture here for any others who, like me, had never heard of this before: http://edp.org/molasses.htm

People and horses, dead and injured, stuck in hot molasses.

What a terrifying, life-scarring experience that must have been for him. All those witnesses, completely helpless to give aid....

Sorry, couldn't resist.
;-)

(Sorry)

He had stories about molasses bubbling out of the cracks in the road on hot summer days. The kids would use their fingers and eat the stuff. Hey the Depression was tough on everyone.

Woof

I think it was in "The Atlantic", and I couldn't figure out if it was meant to be satire or not.

mentioned it too. Really weird in a region that has lots of weird stories.