Unusual Events in History
#1
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: East Oklahoma - pining for Massachusetts
Posts: 10,477
Do you know of anything that happened in the place where you were born that would stand out from regular historical events?
I once had a book out from the library that described a great flood in Boston, Massachusetts. BUT what stands out is that it was a flood of molasses. A tank holding 2.3 million gallons, gave way on January 15, 1919.
People living in the area said that the popping rivets on the tank sounded like a machine gun. As it started flowing through the streets, the level was between 8 and 15 feet deep. The force threw a truck into Boston Harbor, and pulled a train off of its tracks. Before it was finished flowing, the thick liquid killed 21, and injured about 150 people. I have read that it eventually found its way into the sewer system giving the city's rats a nearly un-ending source of food. The rat population exploded.
Sometimes, when I hear about floods of water, it brings this unique event back to my mind.
I once had a book out from the library that described a great flood in Boston, Massachusetts. BUT what stands out is that it was a flood of molasses. A tank holding 2.3 million gallons, gave way on January 15, 1919.
People living in the area said that the popping rivets on the tank sounded like a machine gun. As it started flowing through the streets, the level was between 8 and 15 feet deep. The force threw a truck into Boston Harbor, and pulled a train off of its tracks. Before it was finished flowing, the thick liquid killed 21, and injured about 150 people. I have read that it eventually found its way into the sewer system giving the city's rats a nearly un-ending source of food. The rat population exploded.
Sometimes, when I hear about floods of water, it brings this unique event back to my mind.
#3
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Utah
Posts: 8,847
Do you know of anything that happened in the place where you were born that would stand out from regular historical events?
Not quite as unusual as Boston's but that's my story.
#4
I grew up in the first Garden City in the UK, and it also had the first roundabout in the world. It was invented because it was a junction of three roads crossing each other, i.e. 6 exits from the roundabout.
#5
The town that I live in has a tiny bit of a colorful history. J.C. Hise (a wieghtlifter) lived here. His brother borrowed his wieghtlifting bar to pry a motor out of a car. When he returned it, it was bent. J.C. tried it out and it worked better than it had before--invention of the buffalo bar still used today. J.C. Hise could dead lift 700lbs.
Our first Presbyterian Church was built with wood from the local lumberyard, but it wasn't all paid for. The owner of the lumberyard wasn't the least bit shy about spreading the word to anyone that would listen about how much money that "no-good church" still owed him. One day he was talking about it when a lady (?) of questionable character asked just exactly how much was owed. When he told her, she lifted her skirts and petticoats right on Main Street, pulled a large wad of bills from her garter and paid off the Presbyterian's debt then laughed about how their debt had been payed off with his own money.
Our first Presbyterian Church was built with wood from the local lumberyard, but it wasn't all paid for. The owner of the lumberyard wasn't the least bit shy about spreading the word to anyone that would listen about how much money that "no-good church" still owed him. One day he was talking about it when a lady (?) of questionable character asked just exactly how much was owed. When he told her, she lifted her skirts and petticoats right on Main Street, pulled a large wad of bills from her garter and paid off the Presbyterian's debt then laughed about how their debt had been payed off with his own money.
#6
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Between the dashes of a tombstone
Posts: 12,716
Originally Posted by Boston1954
Do you know of anything that happened in the place where you were born that would stand out from regular historical events?
I once had a book out from the library that described a great flood in Boston, Massachusetts. BUT what stands out is that it was a flood of molasses. A tank holding 2.3 million gallons, gave way on January 15, 1919.
People living in the area said that the popping rivets on the tank sounded like a machine gun. As it started flowing through the streets, the level was between 8 and 15 feet deep. The force threw a truck into Boston Harbor, and pulled a train off of its tracks. Before it was finished flowing, the thick liquid killed 21, and injured about 150 people. I have read that it eventually found its way into the sewer system giving the city's rats a nearly un-ending source of food. The rat population exploded.
Sometimes, when I hear about floods of water, it brings this unique event back to my mind.
I once had a book out from the library that described a great flood in Boston, Massachusetts. BUT what stands out is that it was a flood of molasses. A tank holding 2.3 million gallons, gave way on January 15, 1919.
People living in the area said that the popping rivets on the tank sounded like a machine gun. As it started flowing through the streets, the level was between 8 and 15 feet deep. The force threw a truck into Boston Harbor, and pulled a train off of its tracks. Before it was finished flowing, the thick liquid killed 21, and injured about 150 people. I have read that it eventually found its way into the sewer system giving the city's rats a nearly un-ending source of food. The rat population exploded.
Sometimes, when I hear about floods of water, it brings this unique event back to my mind.
#8
I did a quick google search and did not find out anything "different" about Owosso, Michigan, so I will add something that they did NOT write about.
Once upon a time Owosso was a bustling, growing progressive city in the middle of Michigan and they had cable cars. The only reason I know this is because my great grandfather was struck and killed by one! After my grandfather died and we were cleaning out the memorabilia we found a newspaper article about his father's death, no one in the family had known about this.
Sorry, no molasses floods, but some water ones!
Once upon a time Owosso was a bustling, growing progressive city in the middle of Michigan and they had cable cars. The only reason I know this is because my great grandfather was struck and killed by one! After my grandfather died and we were cleaning out the memorabilia we found a newspaper article about his father's death, no one in the family had known about this.
Sorry, no molasses floods, but some water ones!
#10
The largest pot bust in Wisconsin was just outside of my home town on a crop farm. They planted the pot between the rows of corn!
A couple of years later my girlfriend bought the farm for raising her horses. Every once in a while the her horses would race around their pasture and she figured that they had 'weed' for lunch rather then grass!
A couple of years later my girlfriend bought the farm for raising her horses. Every once in a while the her horses would race around their pasture and she figured that they had 'weed' for lunch rather then grass!
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