I meant to write about the anniversary of the London Beer Flood that happened close by what is now the Dominion Theatre in London's West End, on the 17th of October 1814 (though some reports record this tragedy to have been on the 16th, the evidence to support the 17th looks to be stronger), but I forgot to, so...
In those days, London drinkers were supplied by dozens of competing breweries, and competition saw some of the breweries build enormous vats in which to ferment and condition their ales. The enormous porter vat of the Maux & Company had a capacity of over a million pints! At about 6pm, on the 17th of October, 204 years ago, one of the steel restraining bands that enveloped the vat broke and released the contents!. Together with the million plus pints of porter released, other vessels in the brewery released more beer into the flood as well. The resulting deluge damaged the brewery and a nearby pub, the Tavistock Arms, and flooded the basements of nearby homes.
Sadly, depending on which reports you read, between 7 and 9 people died as a direct result of the flood, most drowning in their own basements, and many more were seriously injured, including some of those who came to help rescue survivors.
Some may joke "what a way to go" but I say R.I.P. to those who sadly died in their own homes...
No comments:
Post a Comment