In the harbor of Halifax in 1917, the biggest manmade pre-atomic explosion occurred. It happened because two ships, one named the Mont Blanc and another named the Imo collided with each other, sending sparks into the air and igniting the deadly explosives carries aboard the Mont Blanc. This would later become known as "The Great Halifax Explosion."
One of the main causes of the explosion was the sheer volume of ships going through the harbor. This was mainly because of World War I that was raging in Europe at the time. On the morning of December 6th, the Imo left its moorings, heading for New York City. At the same time, the Mont Blanc, with its hull packed with TNT, gasoline and tons of gun cotton, departed to join a military convoy that would lead it across the Atlantic.
At 8:45, the two ships collided, setting the picric acid ablaze. The Mont Blanc was shot towards the shore by the collision with the Imo and with the crew swiftly abandoning the ship and trying to alert the onlookers on the shore of the danger that would ensue if they stayed nearby, the ship exploded.
The massive explosion killed more than 1,800 people and injured 9,000, blinding 200 and destroyed the entire northern part of Halifax, consisting of more than 1,600 homes. The resulting shock wave shattered windows up to fifty miles away and could be heard from hundreds more.
Picture of Halifax after the explosion:
Fun Facts:
- The Halifax explosion happened 21 minutes after the collision.
- The explosion destroyed almost all of the window panes in Halifax
- To thank Boston for sending help and supplies to Halifax right after the explosion, they send a Christmas tree to Boston as a token of thanks. This didn't start until 1971.
Now I know where Halifax is and about the explosion. Cool post!
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