New London School Blast 1937

In 1937, tragedy struck the small town of New London, Texas, when a natural gas leak in the school's basement triggered a massive explosion. Nearly 300 children and teachers died in the deadliest school disaster in U.S. history.

The catastrophe happened because someone had tapped into an untreated natural gas line to save money. The blast shocked the world so much that even Adolf Hitler sent condolences by telegram. As a direct result, the United States began adding mercaptans to natural gas so people could smell leaks before disaster struck.

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