How a Microscopic Crack Erased 73 Blocks of Cleveland

The East Ohio Gas Company stored an ocean of liquefied natural gas at negative 250 degrees directly next to a dense Cleveland neighborhood in 1944. Early spherical tanks contained the extreme temperatures perfectly. But heavy supply shortages forced draftsmen to design an entirely unproven cylindrical silo for their massive cryogenic expansion. The chosen metal alloy hid an unseen structural flaw. Massive hydrostatic pressure gripped the freezing steel. A microscopic mechanical shift began. _________ If you found this story compelling, please consider leaving a like and subscribing to channel. It helps the channel grow and allows me to keep digging into these archives. Have a suggestion for a future episode? Drop it in the comments — I read all of them.