Heroic dispatcher keyed warning, perished in cataclysmic halifax explosion back to video vincent colemans last words, tapped out in the dots and dashes of morse code, raced. The montblanc was on its way to europe with six million pounds of high explosives, its cargo intended for the battlefields of world war i. Nov 09, 2017 as onlookers watched in amazement, flames reached the explosives in the mont blanc s hold, triggering an explosion that destroyed large parts of halifax and, across the harbour, dartmouth. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism. Ablaze, and with explosions on her deck filling the sky, the mont blanc grounded. Mont blanc anchor site halifax all you need to know. The halifax explosions untold story of mikmaw communities lost. A cargo ship accident that occurred between a french ship carrying explosives and a norwegian vessel carrying provisions for wartime relieving provisions, the halifax disaster in 1917 happened just towards the fagend of the first world war. On thursday morning, 6 december 1917, she entered halifax harbour in nova scotia, canada laden with a full cargo of highly volatile explosives. Dec 06, 2017 100 years after the great halifax explosion steve inskeep talks with author john u. Halifax harbour was crowded with wartime shipping on december 6, 1917. The halifax explosion still reverberates the globe and mail. An armchair believed to have been constructed with a piece of anchor from the halifax explosion is. Heroic dispatcher keyed warning, perished in cataclysmic halifax explosion back to video vincent colemans last words, tapped.
Visit mont blanc anchor site on your trip to halifax or canada. Mac donald read 22 may 2017 this book tells of the explosion caused by a collision of two ships, the mont blanc and the imo, in the harbor at halifax, nova scotia, on 6 dec 1917. The montblanc detonated after colliding with the norwegian ss imo in a part of halifax. Franceamerique line, out of marseilles, which had arrived from gravesend bay, new york. One ship which arrived to the halifax harbor was the mont blanc. Bacon about a ship collision and explosion during world war i thats been called the worlds first weapon of. Dec 06, 2017 the explosion was ignited after the french ship mont blanc, carrying 2,500 tons of high explosives and a deckload of monochlorobenzene, collided with the imo, a norwegian vessel, in what is known as the narrows, a strait that connects the halifax harbour to bedford basin. The halifax explosion and the road to recovery by janet f. The mont blanc was instantly fragmented, with much of it vaporising in the giant fireball that rose over a mile into the air. The halifax explosion was the explosion of the mont blanc that destoryed a good. The halifax explosion was the explosion of the mont blanc that destoryed a good section of the city. It had been sent to halifax by the british, because it was too slow for the american convoys. Mont blanc and imo and the halifax explosion of 1917. The resulting massive explosion destroyed halifaxs north end and left at least two thousand people dead, including pilot william hayes aboard.
The montblanc was vapourized, and part of its anchor flew nearly 4km away. The roots of bostons christmas tree go back 100 years to. Deadly blast and shock waves headed for halifax and nearby dartmouth. The mont blanc was a french munitions ship owned by cie. Bacons the great halifax explosion trace the reverberations of the deadly disaster.
View the wreck of the mont blanc and learn about the history of. Members of the halifax fire department responded quickly, and were positioning their engine up to the nearest hydrant when ss montblanc disintegrated in a blinding white flash, creating the. The disastrous 1917 explosion of a munitions ship in halifax harbor, nova scotia, forms the backdrop to this rich, abundantly humane love story chicago tribunea powerful piece of work washington post book world that marks an auspicious fiction debut for an already accomplished author and awardwinning journalist chicago suntimes. The blast took its greatest toll in the richmond district of halifax. The hms highflyer was involved in halifax and the ss high flyer was involved in texas city. The montblanc in halifax and the grand camp in texas city were both french registered.
I made it a point to walk from the harbouurfront to the anchor site in order to appreciate the magnitude of the distance this anchor traveled. Hidden history is a diary series that explores forgotten and littleknown areas of. The explosion was so violent that a one of the mont blanc s guns flew over 3. Halifax explosion memorial halifax, nova scotia atlas. The roots of bostons christmas tree go back 100 years to a. A shock wave was followed by a tsunami that washed over both sides of the harbour, and 2.
A century ago this week, the french munitions ship mont blanc and the norwegian. Mont blanc blew up to cause the halifax explosion, this shank of the anchor of the mont blanc flew 2. At the same time as the mont blanc sailed in, a second ship the imo prepared. Dec 12, 2019 the halifax explosion is regarded an unparalleled chapter in the history of maritime disasters. Ss mont blanc, a french cargo ship laden with high explosives, collided with the norwegian vessel ss imo in the narrows, a strait connecting the upper halifax harbour to bedford basin. Ss mont blanc drifted by a halifax pier, brushing it and setting it ablaze. Dec 06, 2017 on the bright, freezing morning of dec. The place where the anchor shank came to rest on the morning of december 6, 1917. Halifax explosion project gutenberg selfpublishing. Members of the halifax fire department responded quickly, and were positioning their engine up to the nearest hydrant when ss mont blanc disintegrated in a blinding white flash, creating the biggest manmade explosion before the nuclear age. Bacons book, called the great halifax explosion, reconstructs what happened on december 6. What frank baker heard was the biggest explosion of the preatomic age. The great halifax explosion sheds new light on this sad but fascinating event.
Nearly 2,000 people died and some 9,000 were injured in the disaster, which flattened more than 1 square mile 2. Ss montblanc drifted by a halifax pier, brushing it and setting it ablaze. Western alumnus ken cuthbertson grew up hearing the stories. Kitz 4 times halifax explosion by graham metson 3 times too many to mourn by james mahar 3 times burden.
On the morning of december 6th, 1917 in the port city of halifax, nova scotia, an explosion took place that obliterated half of the town in an instant a french munitions ship, the montblanc. I picked this after hearing about the release of a book about the same topic, though written by an american. A newly discovered diary tells the harrowing story of the deadly halifax explosion. Marc wortman has written three history books, including 1941. With roots running deep into nova scotia, the veteran journalist spent countless summers as a boy on the coast visiting his mothers side of the family. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism bacon, john u. New books remember the great halifax explosion the star. An anchor from the mont blanc was found five kilometres from the. Oct 11, 2019 two men on the halifax side who had learned that an explosion was imminent were vincent coleman, a railway dispatcher in the nearby railway yards, and william lovett, chief clerk of the yards, who was warning people in the yards about the mont blanc s deadly cargo. Effort to save chair with possible halifax explosion link. Oct 09, 2015 on december 6, 1917, harbour pilot francis mackey was guiding mont blanc, a french munitions ship, into bedford basin to join a convoy across the atlantic when it was rammed by belgian relief vessel imo. Vessels were loading cargo, awaiting convoys, or under repair.
I made it a point to walk from the harbouurfront to the anchor site in order to appreciate. The halifax explosion of 1917 canada history and mysteries. On december 6th, two of themthe mont blanc and the imocollided in the narrows, a hardtonavigate stretch of the harbor. The explosion occurred after two shipsthe montblanc and imocollided in halifax harbour. Halifax explosion, also called halifax explosion of 1917 or the great halifax explosion, devastating explosion on december 6, 1917, that occurred when a munitions ship blew up in the harbour of halifax, nova scotia, canada. The halifax explosion is regarded an unparalleled chapter in the history of maritime disasters. In early december, 1917, it approached the port city of halifax on the eastern shore of canada. There are some curious similarities between the halifax disaster of 1917 and the texas city texas disaster of 1947. The norwegian vessel ss imo collided with ss montblanc, a french cargo ship laden with high explosives, in the narrows, a strait connecting the upper halifax harbour to bedford basin, causing a large explosion on the french freighter, devastating the richmond district of halifax. On the morning of december 6th, 1917 in the port city of halifax, nova scotia, an explosion took place that obliterated half of the town in an instant a french munitions ship, the mont blanc.
Beyond the halifax explosion, cuthbertson is the author of numerous books. The halifax explosion marking the 100th anniversary of one. The halifax explosion occurred on december 6, 1917, when the city of halifax, nova scotia, canada, was devastated by the detonation of the ss montblanc, a french cargo ship that was fully loaded with wartime explosives. Ss montblanc, a french cargo ship fully loaded with wartime explosives, collided with the norwegian vessel ss imo in the narrows, a strait connecting the upper halifax harbour to. Jul 14, 2017 a newly discovered diary tells the harrowing story of the deadly halifax explosion. Mont blanc anchor site halifax 2020 all you need to. On december 6, 1917, the french freighter montblanc and norwegian ship imo collided in halifax harbour. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism, which launched tuesday with a great event at michigans rackham auditorium. Part of its anchor shaft, weighing over 1100 pounds, flew clear over the city and landed here, more than two miles away. View the wreck of the mont blanc and learn about the history of the halifax explosion. For the 800 or so folks who just about filled the place, thank. Ablaze, and with explosions on her deck filling the sky, the mont blanc grounded against the citys docks. The halifax explosion was the deadliest disaster in canadian history. A french munitions ship, the montblanc, bound for europe and the western front, collided in the busy harbour with a belgian relief ship, the imo.
Montblanc pilot francis mackey recalls halifax 1917 explosion the story fifty years later, the montblancs pilot maintains his ship had the right of way in the collision that sparked the disaster. The explosion was ignited after the french ship mont blanc, carrying 2,500 tons of high explosives and a deckload of monochlorobenzene, collided with the imo, a norwegian vessel, in what is known as the narrows, a strait that connects the halifax harbour to bedford basin. The blast released an explosive force equal to about 2. Halifax became the standard of blast comparisons for decades. Large, oceangoing ships in the harbour were completely. Montblancs captain, the halifax pilot who guided the. An anchor, weighing 1140 pounds landed some 2 miles away at armdale. Halifax explosion dec 6, 1917 at halifax, the french munitions ship mont blanc. Photographs portray halifax after the catastrophe, as well as the beginnings of the recovery efforts. The dramatic story of one of the greatest disasters in history in 1917, the port of halifax, nova scotia, was crowded with ships leaving for wartorn europe. He often told me stories about the disaster, but i never heard or read about it anywhere else. As the imo proceeded out of the narrows, the french munitions ship, montblanc, was on her way in.
A halfton chunk of its anchor still lies where it landed 2. The mont blanc in halifax and the grand camp in texas city were both french registered. It resulted in over 2000 deaths, 6000 injured, and 9000 people left homeless. Dec 03, 2017 on the 100 year anniversary of the halifax explosion, global news set out to map the homes of as many of the victims as we could and the results paint a staggering picture of the human cost of. Ss mont blanc, a french cargo ship fully loaded with wartime explosives, collided with the norwegian vessel ss imo in the narrows, a strait connecting the upper halifax harbour to bedford basin. On december 6th, two of them the mont blanc and the imo collided in the narrows, a hardtonavigate stretch of the harbor. Mont blanc pilot francis mackey recalls halifax 1917 explosion the story fifty years later, the mont blanc s pilot maintains his ship had the right of way in the collision that sparked the disaster. Anchor shaft blown miles from exploding ship the ss mont blanc blew up in halifax harbor in 1917. Halifax explosion memorial halifax, nova scotia atlas obscura. Oct 29, 2019 in 1917, two ships collided in halifax harbor, resulting in the largest explosion in history up to that time. Montblanc pilot francis mackey recalls halifax 1917. Globe magazine the roots of bostons christmas tree go back 100 years to a disaster in halifax during world war i, bostons response to a devastating explosion in nova scotia created an. Today in historythe halifax explosion occurred on december when the city of halifax in nova scotia, canada, was devastated by the detonation of the ss mont blanc, a french cargo ship that was fully loaded with wartime explosives. The ship was blown apart and a powerful blast wave radiated away from the explosion at more than 1,000 metres 3,300 ft per second.
A piece of the montblancs fivehundredkilogram anchor soared. The halifax explosion devastated the north end of the city, killing nearly 2,000 and injuring 9,000. Bacon about a ship collision and explosion during world war i. A newly discovered diary tells the harrowing story of the deadly. Dec 06, 2015 and now a page from our sunday morning almanac. In 1917, two ships collided in halifax harbor, resulting in the largest explosion in history up to that time.
She arrived from the new york harbor too late on december 5 to enter the harbor that day. The halifax explosion occurred on december 6, 1917, when the city of halifax, nova scotia, canada, was devastated by the detonation of the ss mont blanc, a french cargo ship that was fully loaded with wartime explosives. The imo speared the montblanc at an angle near its bow. The town that died was first published in 1962 and covered the explosion of the french freighter mont blanc on december 6, 1917 that nearly obliterated the canadian town of halifax. On the morning of december 6th, 1917 in the port city of halifax, nova scotia, an explosion took place that obliterated half of the town in an instant. The halifax explosion was a disaster that occurred in halifax, nova scotia, canada, on the morning of 6 december 1917.
Alumnus book explores halifax explosion western alumni. The mont blanc was a floating munitions dump carrying an incredibly large amount of explosive material to aid the allied armies during the first world war. Ships of the halifax explosion maritime museum of the. The explosion laid waste to much of halifax, killing. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. The immense power of the blast was such that the mont blancs 454 kg halfton anchor shank fell to the earth over 3 km 2 miles away. Bacons new book, the great halifax explosion, recounts the catastrophe that unfolded when two ships collided in halifax harbor on dec. Macdonald details the events leading up to the explosion as well as the aftermath. Fascinated by the halifax explosion, i decided to find the site where the anchor of the mont blanc landed.