Although beer is enjoyed all over the world, too much of a good thing can be harmful.
Consider the London Beer Flood, an industrial catastrophe in October 1814 that resulted from a massive porter vat at the Horse Shoe Brewery breaking, sending a 15-foot high tsunami of beer sweeping through the streets. Thankfully, there has never been another beer flood like it. This is what truly happened.
The presence of such a sizable single vat of beer can be attributed to the fact that London breweries were drawn to having large porter vats. According to author Ian S. Hornsey in his book A History of Beer and Brewing, “it is thought that one of the most spectacular sights, certainly at the major London porter breweries, was the sheer size of the storage vats, with much kudos being attached to the brewer in possession of the largest example.” Breweries in London began using vats with a capacity of 1,500 barrels each in 1763, and the size of the vats only increased until the beer flood.
The Horse Shoe Brewery’s broken beer vat wasn’t even the largest one there, as noted by beer historian Martyn Cornell. Although historians disagree about the exact volume the broken vat held (between 3,500 and 7,500 barrels), a modern author Cornell cites claims that the brewery’s largest vat held 18,000 barrels and was held together by eighty tons of iron.
The broken vat contained enough beer to cause mayhem, that much is certain. The brewery’s back wall collapsed, allowing the dark liquid to spill out onto New Street and the surrounding area.
One anonymous American described the experience in a piece that appeared in The Knickerbocker some 20 years later. “All of a sudden, I found myself borne onward with great velocity by a torrent which burst upon me so suddenly as almost to deprive me of breath,” the author wrote. When the flood subsided, he was rescued while exploring the city; other residents weren’t as fortunate.
St. Giles Rookery, a poor neighborhood where many of the city’s most vulnerable people lived in crammed cellars below ground, was where the Horse Shoe Brewery was located. According to History.com, because it occurred on a Monday afternoon, men and boys of working age were away from the scene at their jobs, leaving only women and children as victims.
Some of the residents managed to stay alive by climbing up furniture. Others were less fortunate, according to Rory Tingle’s article in The Independent. Hannah Banfield, a young child, and her mother Mary were having tea at their New Street home when the downpour began. A child’s body was being surrounded by victims in a cellar when five of them perished. Both were swept away in the current and died. Sarah Bates, a three-year-old girl, was the final victim.
According to History.com, “Soaked in poverty, the St. Giles neighborhood was now saturated with beer.” In search of people trapped by the devastation, neighbors waded through beer and wreckage. According to newspaper accounts, everyone kept quiet in order to hear the cries of those who were trapped.
The CBC reports that “contemporary descriptions suggest that residents reacted with commendable calm.” Beer expert Martyn Cornell told Carol Off of the CBC that reports of eager beer drinkers swarming the scene were merely rumors. According to the historical newspaper reports, he claimed, nothing similar occurred. Newspapers at the time “wouldn’t have been friends of the immigrant Irish,” he claimed, so the fact that they don’t mention a mob descending on the beer flood suggests that it didn’t happen. St. Giles Rookery was crowded with Irish immigrants.
In fact, he said, “the accounts of what happened in the immediate aftermath of the disaster say that everyone was very calm and they were urged to be as quiet as they could so that any survivors could be heard under the rubble.” Later, he claimed, the rumors started.
After all the beer had been consumed, the brewery’s owner had no problems. According to History.com, it “received a waiver from the British Parliament for excise taxes it had already paid on the thousands of barrels of beer it lost”; this meant that it was exempt from paying taxes on future batches of beer that were the same size. According to Tingle, the beer flood was deemed a “unavoidable act of God” by the jury. The government or the company gave nothing to those whose homes were destroyed and who lost loved ones.
Nearest Green, America's first known Black master distiller
Nathan "Nearest" Green was an African-American head stiller who is now more frequently referred to as a master distiller. He was renowned for imparting his distilling knowledge to Jack Daniel, the creator of Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey distiller, after Jack Daniel was freed from slavery following the American Civil War.
Remembering the 1945 Empire State Building Disaster: When a Plane Met Skyscraper
An airplane crashed into the Empire State Building in 1945. Among other damage, plane parts severed the cables of an elevator and the woman inside fell over 70 stories. She lived and holds the world record for the longest survived elevator fall.
The youngest person executed, George Stinney Jr was proven innocent
In 1944, George Stinney Jr. was 14 years old when he was executed in South Carolina. It took only ten minutes to convict him — and 70 years to exonerate him.
Man's Blood Helped Save Millions of Babies
Australian blood donor James Harrison has been one of our most impressive and valued donors, having donated for 60 years. Know his story, how he was a pioneer of our Anti-D program, and why this matters.
How Dmitri Mendeleev Developed the periodic table of the elements
1850 Dmitri Mendeleev walked almost a thousand miles to Moscow so he could apply for the University of Moscow. Although he was not accepted, he walked to St. Petersburg where he was accepted, And with that education, he developed the the periodic table of the elements
Franz Ferdinand’s Assassination that sparked World War I
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie are shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. The killings sparked a chain of events that led to the eruption of World War I by early August.
How European Rabbits Took over Australia
In 1859, wealthy settler Thomas Austin released 13 wild rabbits on his Australian estate. By 1920, their population grew to 10 billion.
The Horrific story of Ariel Castro and the Cleveland abduction
Cleveland abduction victims Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight, and Amanda Berry were forced to live in Ariel Castro's house of horrors for 10 years. He raped and beat them until they escaped in 2013.
History of Treadmill, punishment for prisoners
Treadmills were originally a punishment used to harness human power on a giant wheel used to grind grains, hence the name "treadmill." The History of Treadmill
What is the story behind Wrigley chewing gum?
Wrigley's was originally a soap company that gifted baking powder with their soap. The baking powder became more popular than the soap so they switched to selling baking powder with chewing gum as a gift. The gum became more popular than the baking powder so the company switched to selling gum.
The story of Bill Haast, who lived to be 100 despite his extensive snake venom injections
Bill Haast immunized himself by injecting snake venom into his blood for several years. He holds the Guinness World Record for surviving the most lethal snake bites, having been bitten over 172 times. Bill became known as "Snake Man" around the world and lived for over 100 years.
How a Total Lunar Eclipse Saved Christopher Columbus in 1504
In 1504, Christopher Columbus was stranded in Jamaica with natives who refused to give him food. But he knew the date and time of an upcoming lunar eclipse. So he told the natives that his gods were angry at their treatment of him, and would provide a clear sign. Once the eclipse started, the natives raced to give him food and begged for mercy.
Remembering the miracles of the 1985 Mexico earthquake (unbelievable stories)
In 1985, after an 8.0 magnitude earthquake hit Mexico City, nearly all newborn babies survived a collapsed hospital. They are known as “Miracle Babies” for surviving 7 days without nourishment, water, warmth or human contact.
The story of a man who spent 72 hours with 72 venomous snakes to prove they only bite when provoked
In the 1980s, an Indian man spent 72 hours in a glass cabin with 72 snakes, some of which were extremely venomous. His aim was to prove that snakes only attack when provoked. Remarkably, he was not bitten once in those 72 hours and even set a Guinness World Record in the process.
The Bizarre (And Magical) Duel Between Chung Ling Soo And Ching Ling Foo
Ching Ling Foo and Chung Ling Soo were two magicians from the early 20th century who were bitter rivals. While Ching Ling Foo was genuinely Chinese, Chung Ling Soo was actually a New Yorker named William Robinson.
Mother who spent entire life savings for daughter’s cancer treatment won the lottery
A mother won $2 million from a $10 scratch-off lottery ticket after she spent all of her entire life savings to pay her daughter’s cancer treatment. She bought the winning ticket after her daughter’s last cancer treatment.
Inside The Mysterious Death Of The Famed Gothic Writer Edgar Allan Poe
Hours before his death Edgar Allen Poe was found on the streets of Baltimore. He was incoherent, wearing another man’s clothes, and unable to explain how he got there. The cause of his death is an unsolved mystery.
Why the Word ‘Pen’ Comes from the Latin ‘Penna’ Meaning Feather
The humble word “pen” carries a rich history rooted in ancient times, derived from the Latin word penna, meaning “feather.” Long before modern pens revolutionized writing, feather quills—especially from geese—were the essential tools of scribes, scholars, and artists. This article journeys through the origins of the pen, its evolution, and fascinating trivia about the timeless connection between feathers and writing.
The 440-pound bear named Wojtek and his World War II battle against the Nazis
Polish troops raised an orphaned bear cub during WWII. He enjoyed drinking beer, and was trained to salute. He became officially enlisted as a member of the forces, and helped carry artillery during battle.
The true story of Josephine Myrtle Corbin, the lady born with four legs and two private parts
Josephine Myrtle Corbin, an American sideshow performer born in 1868, had a rare condition known as dipygus, which caused her to have four legs, each smaller inner leg paired with one of her outer legs. Corbin joined the sideshow circuit, captivating audiences as the "Four-Legged Girl from Texas."
George Dantzig solved two famous “unsolved” problems in statistics mistakenly as assignment
In 1939, George Dantzig arrived late to his statistics class. On the board were two famous “unsolved” problems in statistics written as an example by his professor. Dantzig mistook the examples for homework assignments. He solved the “unsolved” problems and submitted the homework to his professor a few days later. His solutions earned him a doctorate.
The touching story of David Vetter (bubble boy), the 'boy who lived in a bubble
David Vetter lived his whole 12 years in sterile “bubble”. He was “outside” for 20 second after being removed from his mother’s womb. He never touched any human.
The worst blizzard in recorded history: the 1972 Iran blizzard
The deadliest snowstorm ever recorded occurred in Iran in 1972. It lasted for a week, burying areas in 26 feet of snow and killing over 4,000 people, including the entire populations of three villages.
The unbroken seal on King Tutankhamun's tomb until 1922
The unbroken seal of Tutankhamun's tomb before it was opened in 1923, it was unbroken for over 3000 years.
Atomic Tourism: In the 1950s, nuclear tests in Las Vegas served as a draw for tourists
Between 1950 and 1960, Las Vegas offered “Atomic Tourism” in which guests could watch atomic bombs being tested in the desert as a form of entertainment.
