Today in History

October 17, 1814

The London Beer Flood

They say too much beer is bad for you. Meux's Brewery Co Ltd was a London brewery located at Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street, one of the city's poorer districts at the time. On October 18, 1814 a vat of beer 22 feet high and containing approximately 135,000 gallons ruptured. The beer pouring out toppled other beer vats in the brewery. A flood of beer rushed out of the building into the streets slamming other structures in the vicinity. Two homes and a nearby pub were destroyed, trapping people under the rubble. Nine people died, eight from drowning and one from alcohol poisoning. The Brewery had already paid taxes on the beer and the loss threatened its operations. The owners appealed to parliament and recovered the taxes. A court found the event an "act of God" and the brewery was held not liable.

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