occurred on October 17, 1814 in London, England.
The Meux and Company Brewery on Tottenham Court Road had several huge vats
to hold the product of their enterprise. A vat containing 135,000 imperial
gallons of beer ruptured, causing several other vats to burst releasing a total
of over 300,000 gallons. The beer ran into the streets. Two houses were
destroyed and a wall of a nearby pub succumbed. Worse, in this poor
neighborhood many families lived in basement rooms that filled with beer. Eight people lost their lives in the torrent. A ninth person succumbed to alcohol poisoning. Yes,
the survivors literally drank ale in their cupped hands from the muddy puddles
in the streets, or recovered vessels in which to take and partake of the boon.
Waste not, want not.
The foul odor remained for weeks.
Ultimately the company who owned the brewery was sued in court, but the
court ruled that the accident was “an act of God.” No responsibility was
imputed to the proprietors.*
The company itself, though, was facing extreme difficulty because of the
financial loss due to the loss of product and sales; and that was exacerbated by the
fact that they had already paid the duty on the beer. But, Government to the rescue! Parliament allowed the management to
recover the duty, which allowed them to continue operations.
The brewery no longer exists. Meux was eventually bought out by
others.
*I think it might have been an act of fermentation within the confines of an inadequately banded wooden vat. Or it might have been an act of God.
*I think it might have been an act of fermentation within the confines of an inadequately banded wooden vat. Or it might have been an act of God.
6 comments:
Death by beer- good grief!
Beer smells bad enough, but that much stale beer must have been dreadful.
I'm always amazed that people can put that foul smelling stuff under their noses and drink. At a Royals game one evening someone behind our group (who had obviously had too much) spilled a cup of the stuff on my friend. Ruined the game for her!
I trust it wasn't pumpkin flavored beer...
Shelly, it is my guess that those are not the only beer-related deaths in history.
Chuck, it does that; “dreadful” is probably and understatement.
Vee, I should think that that would spoil an evening!
Grace, I’m guessing here that 19th century Londoners had better sense than that. Maybe.
Almost as good as the story of the attack of the kegs in the Rev War.
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