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| Halifax Before Picture from Wiki |
On the 6th of December 1917 the SS Mont Blanc, loaded with TNT, Pitric Acid, Benzole and Gun Cotton, collided with the SS Emo at the narrowest part of Halifax harbour. The resulting explosion was the largest man made explosion prior to Hiroshima
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| After. (Picture from Wiki article) |
Nature with its usual sense of humour dumped 40 cm of snow on the city the next day as relief efforts were getting into high gear.
I must confess I had not heard of this tragedy, it is almost unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteIt was just something in the Colonies...
DeleteWell I've never heard of this disaster , shows how limited our popular knowledge is .
ReplyDeleteCambrai was just wrapping up, news from France probably had precedence.
DeleteMade the Dec 7th papers in Honalulu but by Dec 7 '41 they'd forgotten all about it.
By that first night, Massachusetts dispatched a train with supplies and a medical unit to aid in the City's relief. It arrived on the 8th, after being held up by a snowstorm. To this day, Nova Scotia sends Boston a Christmas tree in gratitude for Massachusetts quick response. One act that makes me proud to be from Massachusetts.
ReplyDeleteand rightly so Mind you I've been reminded that the free trees only started in '71. Hopefully a late thank you is better than none.
DeleteI've been to Halifax at least thee times, and recall seeing photos and accounts of this disaster in the museum there. Horrific!
ReplyDeleteThe stories about how well the people handled it and how quickly they turned their efforts towards "getting on" with things are what amaze me most.
DeleteI'd never heard of this until visiting Halifax a few years ago. A nice city with nice people, which made learning about it even more sad.
ReplyDeleteWar has long arms and a hundred years wasn't as long ago as it seems these days. There are still a few living survivors though they were very young at the time.
DeleteI'd never heard of this either but I guess you're right it would have been buried somewhat in the UK under news from the western front.
ReplyDeleteActually I was teasing, my undertstanding is that it was well reported at the time but it was a long tome ago and far away. Even growing up as close as Montreal I wasn't really aware of it though it was probably mentioned in passing in a history or somewhere. Its remembered here though!
DeleteI'd never heard of this either. Who needs enemy action with incidents like this?
ReplyDeleteIndeed, "A French ship, a Norwegian ship and a Canadian harbour pilot meet in a harbour..."
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