[buccaneer81]

The Molasses Flood, the Halifax Explosion and the Galveston Hurricane are three disasters that most folks are unfamiliar with.

Add to that, The Bath School Bombing and Port Chicago, CA Disaster

[bigheadfred]

disasters that most folks are unfamiliar with

Here's another.

Comparatively, being smothered to death by molasses sounds like fun.

[Cold Heart]

Port Chicago explosion was of interest to me. I loaded bombs for Viet Nam there and knew the basic story pretty well. I didn’t know all the details the attached Wikipedia article had though.

The competition to get ships loaded swiftly was not present when I was there but strict safety. The safety part served me well on one voyage where we off loaded a partial load in Korea before heading to Viet Nam. The Korean army practiced unloading the ship at night, trying to set records with regular troops while training them in cargo off loading. They tried breaking most of the safety rules to go faster.
I had a serious face off with the Korean lieutenant.

[Rebelbase]

The 1947 Texas City explosion is noteworthy also.

http://www.local1259iaff.org/texascitydisasterpics.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_Disaster

[Robe]

I would like to add the “ Texas City Disaster”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_Disaster

[gleeaikin]

Wow, the guy who did the Bath School Bombing prefigured the methodology of the Arab terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere. Bomb once, then again when the crowd gathers.

Also, let’s not forget the Peshtigo (sp?) fire that occurred north of Chicago and on the same day as the famous Chicago Fire and killed more than 1,000.