Halifax Explosion1917

December 6, 1917

• Belgian relief ship Imo is leaving Halifax harbour as French ship Mont Blanc is entering the harbour – not an uncommon sight as the port city was busy due to the shipping of troops, weapons and relief supplies.

• Mont Blanc was carrying a full cargo of explosives – incl. 300 rounds of ammunition, 2300 tonnes of picric acid, and 400,000lbs of TNT.

Mont Blanc

What Went Wrong?

• Due to miscommunication between the ships, the desire to not change course, and the difficulty of quickly moving large ships, Imo and Mont Blanc collided.

• Aware of the explosives on board the Mont Blanc crew quickly boarded lifeboats and screamed warnings to those watching as the ship set aflame.

Fires• Mont Blanc was on fire.• As it drifted passed

Halifax pier it was set ablaze.

• The Fire Department rushed to the pier to control the fire.

• They were their for mere moments when the ship exploded.

Explosion• The blast killed ~1900

immediately and as days passed bodies found and deaths from wounds rose this number to greater than 2000.

• Around 9000 more were injured – many permanently. More than 250 eyes needed to be removed, 38 were left completely blind, and 25 limbs were amputated.

• ~250 bodied were so badly disfigured they could not be identified and many more simply went missing.

• Small shards of glass flew at such a speed during the explosion that some 20 years later people had glass come to the surface of their skin.

Why so many casualties?

• Explosion occurred 20 minutes after collision, allowing thousands to gather at the port, and stand watch at their windows.

• Curiosity drove people close to the scene – What happened? Did the Germans attack?

• People did not realize boat was full of explosives.

• ~1000 people sustained eye injuries from looking out their window at the explosion.

Physical Destruction

• 325 acres of Halifax was destroyed.• Winter stockpiles of coal burned down many homes.• Parts of the ship were found several miles away from

the site of explosion.• The shock wave was felt as far as 270 miles away.

Physical Destruction

• 13,000 homes and businesses were damaged or completely wrecked.

• Resulting in 6000 homeless.

• Windows in a 50 mile radius were shattered.

And then came the water and snow

• Within minutes the dazed survivors were awash in water. The blast provoked a tsunami that washed up as high as 18 meters above the harbour's high-water mark on the Halifax side.

• The next day Halifax was covered in ~16 inches of snow as a blizzard hit.

• This slowed all rescue efforts.• People trapped in fallen buildings froze to death before they

could be saved.

To the Rescue• Money came in from all

over the world – as far away as New Zealand and China.

• CAN gov’t gave 18 mill• BRIT gov’t gave 5 mill• State of Massachusetts

donated $750,000 and goods.

• To this day Halifax sends Boston a Christmas tree as a thanks for their assistance.

Back on their feet

• Within 7 weeks 3000 homes were repaired.

• Temporary apts. were being built at a rate of 1 per hr.

• 328 “hydrostone” homes quickly put up.