![]() Though these problems compile, the final cause of the failure was thought to be the sudden, unseasonable temperature spike that created a large pressure differential between the atmospheric air and a build-up of fermented molasses, which resulted in a force too great for the rivets to hold the sheets of metal. There were plenty of warning signs that the design was insufficient, including molasses leaks at the rivets resulting in a pool of molasses at the base of the tank, noticeable undulating waves in the tank walls, and groaning noises echoing around the tank. In addition to the lack of engineering reviews, negligence was a key factor. Jell only pumped enough water into the tank to a depth of six inches. Even the final check, filling the tank with water to verify it would hold a liquid volume, was ignored Mr. ![]() The tank was to be finished by the time the ship arrived on December 31, 2015, so when severe winter weather caused delays, construction was rushed with spot-checks being missed. The design also claimed to have a factor of safety of 3. Hammond Iron Works set about designing a tank fifty-foot high with a radius of forty-five feet that was, in theory, designed to withstand an explosion possibility, a requirement due to the in-progress World War I. Without a permit, there would be no engineering review by the city (The Engineering News-Record, however, claims a permit was filed, but the city approved it blindly because a civil engineer had stamped the submitted plans). Arthur Jell, the man overseeing the project, reportedly did not file a permit for the tank, just the concrete slab upon which the tank would sit. The cause of the failure was disputed at first, with the Purity Distilling Company and the United Sates Industrial Alcohol Company claiming radical anarchist activists planted a bomb to protest the production of alcohol and push their prohibition agenda, however after a lengthy trial and in depth reviews, the true cause of the explosion was discovered to be poor design and negligence that resulted in a class action payout to all victims.Ĭause In 1915, the Purity Distilling Company contracted Hammond Iron Works to construct a massive tank to hold molasses that was already en route from the Caribbean. Less than four years after the tank was completed, it failed and flooded Boston with millions of gallons of molasses, killing or injuring over one hundred people and causing extensive damage to the surrounding community. In Boston, Massachusetts, the Purity Distilling Company set up shop as a subsidiary of the United States Industrial Alcohol Company, and commissioned a steel tank to hold the imported molasses until it could be fermented and processed for alcohol to be used in overseas in the war. ![]() In the United States, even after the abolishment of slavery, the importation of molasses from the Caribbean continued. At one point in time, the United States and Europe favored molasses as the sweetener of choice and its demand for its sweet properties, as well as its use in rum production, helped fuel the slave trade known as the infamous “triangular trade”. Introduction One of the major debates of modern times is waged by dietitians and nutritionists over which sweetener is the best for human consumption should it be an all natural, straight from the plant sap or a semi-refined product thereof? Should it be sugar in its purest form or a chemically perfect, lab created substitute? Throughout history, people of various regions have taken one side over another, most often out of convenience. This paper builds upon this by analyzing the basic component of the storage tank: a thin-walled cylindrical structure. The courts and subsequent scholastic researchers have proven the fatalities sustained could have been prevented with proper engineering ethics and review. This paper is a brief overview and simple analysis of the mechanical failure of a commercially used cylindrical tank. ![]()
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