Responsibilities of the People

This summer I learned a lot through reading the selected books. Through the many vast and intriguing topics, the one I would like to focus on is set in Dark Tides. When reading the book, I was confused at the lack of communication between the people of Boston and USIA. I decided that the people should partly be responsible for the explosion for their lack of getting involved, even when the danger of the tank was spelled out for them.

                In the building of the molasses tank, there were clearly some major mistakes. To name a few, Arthur Jell, the man responsible for the construction of the tank, did not have the tank inspected by a professional, only had the tank filled with six inches of water in the water test, and ignored warnings from one of his workers about the leaking of the tank.  This molasses tank was also built in one of Boston’s most congested neighborhoods, that being the North End. Now my question is, if the tank is built in such a busy area, wouldn’t some of the Bostonians have noticed the dangers of the tank?

               

                There were several quotes that I picked up on through the beginning of the book that made it clear that the danger of the molasses tank was noticed by the people, for example when Van Gelder was delivering the molasses to the tank “it was a strange and chilling sight that he and his crew members saw…It was one thing for a tank to leak a bit; he had seen it dozens of times… But the steel tank in Boston… leaked more molasses through its riveted seams than any other he had ever seen” (Puleo, 46 and 47.)  Another example of the tanks danger being noted by people of Boston would be when a stableman commented on what was occurring inside of the molasses tank, stating that it “Sounds like the molasses is bubbling or boiling, or doing something” (Puleo, 70.) There were also other workers who enjoyed leaning against the tank and feeling the vibrations on their backs, claiming that it was almost as if the tank was “bulging in and out” (Puleo, 70.) With all of the danger regarding the tank that was noticed by the people of Boston, only one man spoke out. This man was Isaac Gonzales.

               

Gonzales was a nervous wreck about the molasses tank. He worked there, and often found himself running in the middle of the night to release some of the molasses into the harbor. He made several complaints to his supervisor Mr. White and his boss, Arthur Jell about the major leaks in the tank and also some rusty steel flakes that he had gathered from inside of it. With all of his pleas about the tank not being safe, Gonzales was dismissed by Jell who felt that the tank was safe enough because, well, it was still standing, wasn't it?

Through the entire book, no Bostonian made any comment to authority about how dangerous the tank really was, besides Isaac Gonzales, and they had to pay the consequences.  Imagine how differently things may have ended if more than one person took a stand about the safety of their city in terms of the tank?