On This Day: 17th October

On October 17, 1814, London experienced one of the strangest disasters in its history - the Great Beer Flood. This peculiar incident occurred when a massive vat at the Meux and Company Brewery on Tottenham Court Road burst, unleashing a tidal wave of beer onto the surrounding streets.

Key points:

1. The ruptured vat contained 323,000 gallons (1.47 million liters) of beer, equivalent to about 3.5 million pints.

2. The force of the beer explosion destroyed several other vats, releasing a total of about 1.5 million liters of beer into the streets.

3. The flood primarily affected the poor St. Giles parish area, where many people lived in crowded basement dwellings.

4. Tragically, eight people lost their lives in the incident - some drowned, others were killed by collapsing walls and debris.

5. Surprisingly, the brewery was not held legally responsible for the deaths, as the incident was ruled an "Act of God" by an inquest jury.

Interesting facts:

1. There were rumors of people rushing to drink the free-flowing beer, though these are likely exaggerated.

2. The brewery suffered significant financial losses but avoided bankruptcy thanks to a special act of Parliament.

3. This event contributed to the eventual regulation of beer-making equipment in London.