My teacher in my Advanced Placement American history class starts out every day by explaining what famous things transpired on that day. It is informative and entertaining, and where I was reminded of an event I had heard of before. Last Wednesday, we sat down for another lesson, and our teacher mentioned the Halifax Explosion during his daily historical recap, albeit vaguely. I was curious, and felt a strong sense of familiarity with the topic, despite not knowing the details. However, I was able to recall why I felt so connected to the topic- due to the fact that I had read a book about it during middle school. I researched about the explosion out of curiosity to understand it better, and I hope to convey that to you today.
The Halifax explosion occurred when at 9:05 A.M, in the Canadian harbor of Halifax, the Mont Blanc, a French freighter, exploded after slamming into another ship 20 minutes prior. That other ship, the Imo, which was leaving the harbor, found itself on a collision course with the Mont Blanc. which was entering. Both ships attempted maneuvers in order to evade contact, and both gave warning signals, but to no avail. They collided, an unlucky turn of events that would spurn disaster. Crew on the Mont Blanc evacuated swiftly, and would attempt to alert those around the harbor to the imminent danger they faced. They knew that unbeknownst to all of those at the harbor that day, the Mont Blanc had 2,925 metric tons of explosives on board.
Among those explosives were around 62 metric tons of guncotton, 246 metric tons of benzol, 250 metric tons of TNT, and around 2,367 metric tons of picric acid. All of these materials were meant for the French war effort. However, it was the benzol which spelled devastation by splattering onto the deck and igniting. This was worrisome, considering benzol is highly combustible, and the fire was given leeway to spread quickly since multiple drums full of the substance had spilled over. It brushed by a nearby harbor pier, and set it afire. The Halifax Fire Department, meanwhile, had responded quickly. Seeking to stop the flames from spreading further, but mostly unaware of the explosives on board, they rushed with their fire engine towards the nearest hydrant they could use. As people began to flock to the surrounding area, drawn in by the smoke, and first responders tried to deal with damage control, the Mont Blanc exploded in a blinding and menacing manner.
Spurring forth a tsunami estimated to have been 60 feet above the high water mark, the explosion left its mark three blocks into the city, with waste traveling several miles away. The force of the explosion caused the Imo to get shoved towards the shore and ultimately become grounded. The wave claimed over 1,600 buildings, alongside more then 1,800 people. It wrecked the north end of Halifax almost in its entirety. It resulted in the injuring of over 9,000 more people, with 200 becoming blind. Hospitals, flooded by the influx of patients, and morgues, tasked with identifying the countless dead bodies, struggled to keep up with the pace and the scale of the disaster. Aid was soon to arrive, both from other parts of Canada and from the US.
The explosion was devastating, and just like the sound of the explosion, heard from hundreds of miles away, it caused damage to much more then just Halifax. Firstly, it had influence into later laws being passed, specifically centered around topics such as cargo identification and traffic control in harbors. Next, it had disturbed roadways, telegraph and telephone lines, and submarine cables. All of which, in tandem, helped prevent communications between North America, Nova Scotia, and the rest of the world. Lastly, it had produced the destruction of rail links to the piers in the harbor, alongside many of the piers themselves.
Overall, revisiting the explosion as a high schooler helped me gain more comprehension into it, and aided my understanding of how it had an impact. I enjoyed reading up on the topic. It was a tragic and unforeseen event which would shake a community to its core, but it did, at the end of the day, bring people together in a massive relief effort and rebuilding process, which created a community strong as can be in the present day. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a good day!
Citations:
“Halifax Explosion.” Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2023, maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion.
“Halifax Explosion.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 29 Dec. 2023, www.britannica.com/event/Halifax-explosion.
“The Great Halifax Explosion.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-great-halifax-explosion. Accessed 30 Dec. 2023.
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