In the News: speed a factor in traffic deaths; molasses wasn't slow in 1919

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Speed remains a factor in nearly one-third of all traffic deaths in the U.S., with Massachusetts ranking 23rd among the states in speed-related deaths, according to a new report. 

The Governor’s Highway Safety Association, a nonprofit organization that studies traffic safety around the country, released the report, “Speeding Away from Zero: Rethinking a Forgotten Traffic Challenge,” on Tuesday and found that in Massachusetts, 28 percent of motor vehicle deaths in 2017 were speed-related. 

The report said speeding “remains a publicly-accepted driving behavior that is reinforced among motorists, policymakers and transportation stakeholders” and concluded that “overall progress on the issue of speeding has been limited at best.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190115/in-massachusetts-speed-kills

The Great Molasses Flood

"Slow as molasses? This treacle didn’t trickle. It was a sticky, deadly tsunami that flattened an entire Boston neighborhood within seconds. 

On Tuesday, the city marks the 100th anniversary of its most peculiar disaster — the Great Molasses Flood. 

It struck without warning at midday on Jan. 15, 1919, when a giant storage tank containing more than 2.3 million gallons (8.7 million liters) of molasses suddenly ruptured, sending a giant wave of goop crashing through the cobblestone streets of the bustling North End. 

The initial wave rose at least 25 feet high (7.6 meters high) — nearly as tall as an NFL goalpost — and it obliterated everything in its path, killing 21 people and injuring 150 others. Rivets popped like machine-gun fire. Elevated railway tracks buckled. Warehouses and firehouses were pushed around like game pieces on a Monopoly board. Tenements were reduced to kindling."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190115/100-years-ago-in-boston-day-molasses-was-deadly-fast

Dark Tide, Stephen Puleo's book on the Molasses Flood

Have you read Dark Tide, Stephen Puleo's book on the Molasses Flood? The library has a number of copies available as part of the program this year (2008) "On the Same Page".

The Senior Center is offering a talk by Dr. Gary Hylander on "The 100th Anniversary of Boston's Great Molasses Flood." This is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan 23 at 10:00 AM. Please call the Senior Center to sign up.
https://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-senior-center/events/191104