For Canadian history buffs, today is the 95th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion. For those unfamiliar with this event, here's a recap from Wikipedia:
Quote:
The Halifax Explosion occurred on December 6, 1917, when the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, was devastated by the detonation of the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship that was fully loaded with wartime explosives. The Mont-Blanc detonated after colliding with the Norwegian SS Imo in a part of Halifax Harbour called "The Narrows". About 2,000 people were killed by debris, fires, and collapsed buildings, and it is estimated that around 9,000 were injured.[2] Until the Trinity test explosions of atomic bombs, it was the largest man-made explosion in recorded history.
At 8:40 in the morning, the SS Mont-Blanc, chartered by the French government to carry munitions to Europe, collided with the unloaded Norwegian ship Imo, chartered by the Commission for Relief in Belgium to carry relief supplies. Mont-Blanc caught fire ten minutes after the collision and exploded about twenty-five minutes later (at 9:04:35 AM).[4] All buildings and structures covering nearly 2 square kilometres (500 acres) along the adjacent shore were obliterated, including those in the neighbouring communities of Richmond and Dartmouth.[2] The explosion caused a tsunami in the harbour and a pressure wave of air that snapped trees, bent iron rails, demolished buildings, grounded vessels, and carried fragments of the Mont-Blanc for kilometres.
The Heritage series is the first thing I think of when someones says Halifax Explosion. I wish they still had new ones running on tv. I also like the one with the "American" coming up to the Yukon and being all perturbed that the mountie didn't have a gun.
Going to grade school in Halifx, this explosion was always covered. IIRC, many of the deaths were from exposure after the explosion. The weather turned crap and no one had any shelter.
Biggest man made explosion in the world, until The Bomb came along.
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
The Heritage series is the first thing I think of when someones says Halifax Explosion. I wish they still had new ones running on tv. I also like the one with the "American" coming up to the Yukon and being all perturbed that the mountie didn't have a gun.
I wonder if he had been to the stampede yet?
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My then teenaged Grandmother lived in a town called Truro when this happened and a 20lb rope ratchet determined to be from from the Mont Blanc landed in her best friends backyard...Truro is about 100 km from Halifax.
Just a fantastic piece of history. One of the most intriguing events of the early 20th century.
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Just seeing this thread now. The old stories around here is that the explosion broke windows on the Mira River (about 300kms north).
For those that don't know after the explotion, Boston sent up doctors and medical supplies to help the survivors. As a result the Boston Christmas Tree is a donated by Nova Scotia every year as a thank you for the support and supplies that Boston sent after the explosion.
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95th Anniversary of the Halifax Explosion
