SNAFU with Ed Helms: S4E10

"Dan Taberski and the Great Molasses Flood"

Date: December 10, 2025
Host: Ed Helms
Guest: Dan Taberski

Episode Overview

Ed Helms is joined by acclaimed documentarian and former Daily Show colleague Dan Taberski to unravel one of American history’s strangest disasters: the 1919 Great Molasses Flood in Boston. The duo blends their comic sensibilities with deep research, discussing not just the physical aftermath of this sticky catastrophe but the cultural, industrial, and legal ripple effects that ensued. Along the way, Helms and Taberski reflect on the nature of historical screw-ups, corporate accountability, and a uniquely tragic chapter in Boston’s—and America’s—past.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reuniting Old Colleagues

• Reminiscing on The Daily Show:
  • Helms and Taberski reveal their history working together, reminiscing about satirical segments like “Guns for Tots” (03:06).
  • Quote: “We collaborated on a number of segments, and one I’m most proud of is, in fact, a Dan Tabersky segment, a delightful little number called Guns for Tots.” (03:17, Helms)

2. Setting the Scene: Boston, 1919

• Atmosphere of the North End:
  • Boston’s “Little Italy,” bustling with 400,000 people, horse-drawn carriages, early cars, and, crucially, a looming industrial molasses tank (05:35–07:36).

3. Why Molasses Mattered

• Industrial Demand:
  • Molasses, imported from the Caribbean, was a vital commodity for rum, industrial alcohol, and even explosives, especially with the onset of World War I. (08:33–10:08)
  • Quote: “It can be distilled into industrial alcohol and then even broken down into its chemical components for use in explosives.” (09:04, Helms)

4. The Giant Molasses Tank: A Disaster Waiting to Happen

• Construction Shortcuts:
  • USIA (United States Industrial Alcohol Company) rushes to build an enormous, 3-million-gallon tank under the supervision of Arthur P. Gel—who had zero engineering background (11:12).
  • The tank leaked constantly; kids scooped up drippings for snacks (12:39).
  • Rather than fix leaks, the company just painted the tank brown to disguise them (15:58).
  • Quote: “People do not do the right thing. Just trying to cover their tracks or put band aids on terrible situations is, like, the norm.” (16:00, Helms)

5. The Catastrophe Unfolds

• Chain Reaction:
  • On January 15, 1919, hot molasses is added to a tank half-full of cold molasses, causing thermal stress (17:17).
  • The tank ruptures during lunch hour; residents hear a “machine gun-like” popping—actually fasteners blowing out—before a 25-foot-tall wall of syrup bursts out at 35 mph (20:06–21:15).
  • New York Times description: “A dull muffled roar gave but an instant’s warning…wagons, carts and motor trucks were overturned…a number of horses were killed. The street was strewn with debris intermixed with molasses. And all traffic was stopped.” (20:53, read by Helms)

6. Human and Animal Toll

• Tragedy Details:
  • 21 people killed, 150 injured.
  • Rescuers struggled with the thickening syrup; “horses died like so many flies on sticky flypaper. The more they struggled, the deeper in the mess they were ensnared. Human beings, men and women, suffered likewise.” (22:00, Boston Post via Helms)
  • Whole buildings were demolished; cleanup was an epic challenge (22:47–24:46).

7. The Cleanup: Seawater to the Rescue

• Ingenious Clean-up:
  • Seawater from Boston Harbor, effective in dissolving molasses, floods the streets to finally clear the goo (25:36).
  • Local lore: Harbor water was brown for weeks; on hot days decades later, it still supposedly smells like molasses (41:48).

8. Legal Aftermath: Corporate Accountability

• Groundbreaking Lawsuit:
  • 119 residents file a class action against USIA (31:17).
  • The company blames “Italian anarchists,” targeting minority residents who lacked social power—a common historical pattern (31:49–33:15).
  • Judge Ogden surprisingly rules for the plaintiffs after a 5-year case; USIA pays $628,000 (over $11 million today) (34:07–34:46).
  • This case sets a precedent for holding corporations legally and financially responsible for negligence (38:08–41:04).
  • Quote: “They proved that a corporation could be held accountable for negligence, putting a pin in the era of unquestioned support for big business.” (38:08, Helms)

9. Aftermath and Legacy

• Molasses Industry’s Collapse:
  • Investigations find structural failures in tank design and poor material choices (41:06).
  • USIA shutters Boston operations; the disaster changes the city and industry regulations forever.

10. Reflection: What Makes a Good Documentary (and a Life Philosophy)

• Dan Taberski on Narrative Uncertainty:
  • He prepares 3–4 possible endings to any story, loving documentaries that take surprising left turns (39:20).
  • Helms praises Taberski’s interviewing for revealing unexpected truths amid complex situations (39:24–40:54).

11. Broader Themes: Class Actions & Collective Power

• Helms on Legal Rights and Free Speech:
  • He champions class actions as a vital tool for consumer protection and likens them to collective bargaining: “When large groups of people that don't have a voice…work together, [they] can actually have a very powerful voice.” (44:17)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “This is going to win a Peabody. Like this actual episode.” (03:06, Helms)
• “It’s so seemingly random and crazy—it is molasses.” (08:00, Helms)
• “People do not do the right thing. Just trying to cover their tracks or put band aids on terrible situations is, like, the norm.” (16:00, Helms)
• “Horses died like so many flies on sticky flypaper. The more they struggled, the deeper in the mess they were ensnared. Human beings…suffered likewise.” (22:00, Helms quoting Boston Post)
• “After the flood, Boston was tacky for weeks. No winks there—I’m using the word 'tacky' literally.” (41:48, Helms)
• “When large groups of people that don't have a voice…work together, [they] can actually have a very powerful voice.” (44:17, Helms)
• “Usually I’ll go into it with three or four possibilities of what the ending is…But I like complexity. I really do. It’s what makes it interesting.” (39:03, Tabersky)

Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-----------------------------------| | 03:06 | Recalling “Guns for Tots” and old collaboration
| 05:35 | Setting the scene: Boston, 1919
| 08:04 | Molasses as industrial commodity
| 10:53 | The molasses tank’s scale and construction flaws
| 15:58 | Painting tank brown to cover up leakage
| 17:17 | The disaster’s trigger: thermal shock and rupture
| 20:53 | Contemporary news report of the flood
| 22:00 | Boston Post quote—grim fates of people & animals
| 24:46 | Photos and visual aftermath, rescue attempts
| 25:36 | Clean-up with seawater from Boston Harbor
| 31:17 | Class action lawsuit and scapegoating of Italian anarchists
| 34:07 | Judgment against USIA and financial damages
| 38:08 | Legal precedent: accountability and regulation
| 41:48 | “Boston was tacky for weeks”—lasting impact
| 44:17 | Discussion of class action, unions, collective power
| 39:03 | Tabersky’s philosophy on doc-making complexity

Tone & Style

Ed Helms and Dan Tabersky approach the story with the irreverence and humor characteristic of both SNAFU and their Daily Show roots, but never undermine the gravity of the disaster. Their dialogue is lively and candid, with personal anecdotes, sharp wit, and moments of poignant reflection. The show is structured as an accessible historical group therapy session—a blend of comedy, industry skepticism, and a respect for unexpected human endurance.

Further Listening & Reading

• Books & More: Ed Helms plugs his book "SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History’s Greatest Screw-Ups."
• Upcoming Work: Dan Tabersky teases two new podcast projects—one tangentially related to Italian anarchists in the 1920s.
• Theme: The episode underscores the enduring relevance of corporate accountability, communal voice, and investigating the unlikely "apocalypses" that shape our legal and social fabric.

Summary

This episode is a deep-dive into how a single disastrous engineering shortcut turned sweet into deadly, reshaped regulatory law, exposed structural inequalities, and left an enduring mark—literal and symbolic—on Boston and the nation. Blending darkly comic narrative with historical detail and personal insights, Helms and Tabersky transform the Great Molasses Flood from quirky trivia into a multi-layered lesson on human error and progress.