The “Big Dig” Tunnel Collapse
Late at night on July 10th, 2006, a car was driving eastbound on Boston’s Interstate 90 connector tunnel, part of a large tunnel expressway system called ...
The Great Boston Molasses Flood
Around 12:30 pm on January 15th, 1919, a noise like machine-gun fire erupted near downtown Boston. The jarring sound was followed by a muffled roar, and then 2.3 million gallons were released suddenly from a ruptured tank. A 15-foot wave of molasses flowed, at 35 miles per hour ...
The Eschede Derailment
It had never happened before. In seven years of service, no one had ever been killed on an ICE train. The super-fast, state-of-the-art Inter City Express ...
The Bhopal Disaster
Just after midnight on December 3, 1984, chemical gas began leaking from a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The gas was toxic and heavier than air, and it crept along the ground and easily infiltrated the shacks and huts of the crowded shantytown surrounding the plant.
The Thresher Submarine Accident
The newest and most advanced nuclear submarine of the U.S. Navy at the time, the USS Thresher, was continuing with sea trials on April 10, 1963. After commencing a scheduled dive to test depth, the Thresher reported "minor difficulties" to its escort. Shortly after that, sonar recorded the sounds of ...
The Tay Bridge Disaster
In the late 1800s, when railroads were beginning to connect every corner of the United Kingdom, the National Board of Railroads commissioned a bridge over the Firth of Tay. This bridge was to have a high span so that sailing ships plying between the UK and Australia...