The City of Sorrow: Halifax Explosion

Halifax in WW1

The city of Halifax in Nova Scotia was a bus transportation hub during WW1

Businesses and Industries

Business and Industry were booming as factories foundries and mills met the demands of a watime economy

What happened in Halifax Harbour?

Most of the activity in the city revolved the harbour. In 1917, naval yards were busy equipping Trans-Atlantic convoys with troops and materials heading to Europe. There were very few cntrols and regulations governing ship traffic in harbour and collisions between ships were frequent.

Catastrophe Background

A week before the explosion, a French boat named the Month Blanc was loaded with munitions in new York City. It sailed to Halifax in order to join a convoy and deliver its supplies to Europe. It arrived in the late afternoon andhad to spend the night outside of the harbour.

How did the ships clash?

On December 6th, the navy resumed the movmeent of ships within the harbour and a ship called the IMO was waiting to sail out. Both the Mont-Blanc and the IMO made their way towards an area of the harbour called The Narrows. After a series of miscommunications between the ships, a collision took place.

What happened when the ships collided?

Sparks ignited fuel on board the Mont-Blanc. The crew abandoned ship and the unmanned vessel drifted towards the shore and the fire and ensuing explosions drew large crowds of spectators. No one new the danger they were in.

What happened during the Explosion?

Extreme force-red ho pieces of wreckage rained down and part of the anchor landed 4km away while a gun barrel was thrown over 5km from the site. The explosion threw up a dust cloud measuring 20,000 feet and everything within a 2km radius was destroyed.

What damage did the blast do?

The blast was felt approx 200 kms away in Cape Breton and P.E.I. It also caused a tsunami with waves as high as 60 ft. Huge infernos raged across the city and 400 acres of Halifax were completey obliterated, 12,000 buildings damaged, and 6000 homeless.

Victims of The Explosion

Approx 1500 people were filled instantly and 9000 more were injured. Eye injuries were common such as people being blinded by flying shards of glass. This led to funeral going on for weeks.

Legacy

Had the distinction of being the largest human-made explosion ever. It was studied extensively by American scientists during WW2 (they used data to develop atomic bomb). This still holds the notoriety of being the single deadliest disaster held on Canadian soil.