On October 17, 1814, over 100 years before the Boston Molasses Flood, a very unfortunate beer-related incident occurred in London. A huge vat which held over 135,000 gallons of fermenting beer succumbed to the wounds of age, and let its bounty loose with explosive force. The impact caused several other vats in the same building to rupture, and almost instantly the combined 323,000+ gallons of ale crashed through the brick structure and poured into the London parish of St. Giles, a slum area.
The impact of this massive wave of beer was disastrous. Men and women were caught in the wave, tossed against walls and buried in debris. The beer completely destroyed two homes, and flooded many others. A wall at a nearby pub crumbled under the force, burying a barmaid there for several hours. Nine people were killed by the drink that day, all but one due to drowning. The ninth died of alcohol poisoning. Most of the victims were poor individuals who either lost their lives, or everything they owned.
Soon after the flood, survivors rushed in to save what they could of the precious ale, collecting it in pots, cans, and kettles. Some simply used their cupped hands to lap up the tepid pools of dirty beer.
It took weeks for the stink of beer to completely fade from the area. The brewery was later taken to court over the accident, but the entire event was determined to be an “Act of God” by the judge and jury, leaving no one responsible.
I guess this could happen, is this based on fact or hearsay?
I would definitely call 300 000 gallons of free beer an Act of God too.
buckyboy314 said: “I would definitely call 300 000 gallons of free beer an Act of God too.”
a merciful god – full of love and joy.
As tragic as the deaths are it’s hard not be bemused by this. I’m imagining someone who subscribes to buckyboy314 and Stead311′s view going “Yippee!” and just lying in the street lapping the beer up and not moving from there until they pass out and don’t wake up.
what a way to go.
i’ll give my left nut to drown in beer!
All I can say is “PARTY FOUL!” I bet nobody even threw beads and such. To bad it wasn’t around a “college town.” It would have been business as usual.
Alan cited Snopes.com, who in turn cite 2 sources of their own. I’m pretty confident Snopes looked at this in detail before declaring it true.
Oorah! “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy” [Benjamin Franklin]
1 guy died from alcohol poisoning? He tried to drink his way out of the flood?
Nine people were killed by the drink that day, all but one due to drowning. The ninth died of alcohol poisoning….
I hate to laugh at death but this set up was too perfect
Enter your reply text here. OK
Snopes.com is reliable. And you guys prefer Wiki???????
It occurs, but why do people have to drown. Why can’t they just swim. Common sence answer but I don’t like it. I would calmy fight like an Isreali commando to reach safety.
It was 1814, Dan. Nobody swam. But would you all actually drink warm street beer with the body of a neighbor floating in it? Doesn’t it strike anyone as a little gross? …. No?….
At the funeral the preist said…he drank like a fish…
There’s nothing mentioned in the inquest report about someone drinking themselves to death, but it only mentions eight dead, and he may have taken longer to do himself in. You can read the original reports from The Times of 1814 at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/archiveblog
Such huge amount of liquid has a lot of speed(probably chaneled trough the street),swimming just wouldnt cut it,the force would smack you in to a wall,or the debris would finish you off…try swimming against a tsunami,not a easy task…
You can always depend on Snopes.com to tell the difference between fact and fiction.
A direct quote from Benjamin Franklin: “Beer is proof that God loves us, and wants us to be happy.”
Hmm.. I can think of worse ways to die I suppose..
Dropbear: the alcohol would’ve killed all the germs anyway :P