Today is the 210th Anniversary of the London Beer Flood

[Alex H]

The London Beer Flood was an accident at Meux & Co's Horse Shoe Brewery, London, on 17 October 1814. It took place when one of the 22-foot-tall (6.7 m) wooden vats of fermenting porter burst. The escaping liquid dislodged the valve of another vessel and destroyed several large barrels: between 128,000 and 323,000 imperial gallons (580,000–1,470,000 L; 154,000–388,000 US gal) of beer were released in total.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Beer_Flood


(it's also our wedding anniversary, but for some reason that's not in Wikipedia)

 

[wiggydiggy]

"A wave of porter some 15 feet (4.6 m) high swept into New Street"

I wouldn't know whether to run or brace and open my mouth

 

[Beebo]

8 people died!
It’s a large scale industrial accident, hopefully lessons were learnt and safety improved.

 

[DRM]

Apparently several hundred had to swim to the edge and get out to go the loo, before jumping back in

 

[Dogtrousers]

It happened roughly where Tottenham Court Rd and New Oxford Street meet.

If it happened today it would all have gurgled down the tube, with Tottenham Court Rd station a big plughole