This is the unbelievable (but true) tale of the night that Dublin's streets were filled with blazing whiskey - and 13 people died, not from the fire, but from alcohol poisoning. The incident took place on July 18, 1875, when a malt house and a warehouse caught fire in Ireland's capital city. According to reports, the fire ignited over 5000 barrels of whiskey which exploded and left the contents pouring into the streets. In a matter of minutes, the city was plunged into chaos as a six-inch-deep river of whiskey ran through its streets.
The blaze spread quickly and burned down buildings - but that did not deter the people of Dublin. Locals used everything from utensils to their own hats and boots to scoop up the alcohol and drink it. As per a London Times report from that time: "Crowds of people assembled, and took off their hats and boots to collect the whisky, which ran in streams along the streets... Two corn-porters, named Healy and M'Nulty, were found in a lane off Cork-street, lying insensible, with their boots off, which they had evidently used to collect the liquor. There are many other persons in the hospital who are suffering from the same cause."
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The fire was eventually contained by the Dublin fire brigade by making a large wall of horse manure in the street. Though nobody died from the fire or smoke inhalation, alcohol poisoning did cause the death of 13 people.
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