The Day the East Coast of Canada Exploded

Love This Town - Joel Plaskett

I have always found it disturbing that Canada outside of the Maritime Provinces has virtually forgotten about a catastrophic event in our history that is comparable only in magnitude to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. In fact, the Halifax explosion remains the second biggest man-made explosion in the world since it occurred 95 years ago. 

The Collision

The cloud of smoke rose 20,000 feet

Theoretically despite the country was in the middle of participation in the First World War, it was an accident of epic proportions. Halifax was a major port for the gathering of ships ready to convoy troops and supplies to the battlefield in Europe. In the early morning hours of December 6th the French ship Mont-Blanc carrying more than 2000 tons of explosives prepared to rendezvous with a convoy heading for the theater of war overseas. At the same time a Norwegian vessel was preparing to set sail for New York to pick up relief supplies for the Belgian citizens. It was bad judgement and confusion over "right of way" that caused the Imo to hit the Mont-Blanc on the bow at 8:45. It was not a serious collision despite the fire that erupted on the deck of the munitions ship, but the captain and crew (knowing the cargo) expected the ship to blow up immediately. Instead of staying aboard to guide the crippled ship to a position of less danger and prevent a tragedy, they launched the life boats and headed for the safety of the Dartmouth shore, allowing the ticking time bomb to drift aimlessly toward the Halifax shore. The ship's captain and pilot were also remiss in notifying the innocent citizens watching the spectacle of the potential mammoth explosion which did come to fruition. While these actions often lead people to believe that the Mont-Blanc was at fault for the resulting tragedy, and yes indeed, the devastation may not have been as great had the crew stayed aboard: it was in fact actions on the part of the Imo that caused the initial collision. While passing each other in "The Narrows", it was expected that ships would keep to the right when passing another. The Imo did not respect this rule and was travelling faster than was allowable. In an attempt to avoid a collision that seemed imminent, the Imo reversed her engines which caused the ship to swing around and collide with the Mont-Blanc. 

The Explosion

The shank of the Mont-Blanc anchor mounted where it was found

A few naval officers and a railway dispatcher learned of the explosive cargo of the ship that came to rest against a pier in the busy industrial area of the city and they tried to warn the growing crowds who had gathered watching the excitement, blissfully unaware. The railroad dispatcher desperately tried to halt the incoming train traffic. Vince Coleman's message declared "Stop trains. Munitions ship on fire. Approaching Pier 6. Goodbye." When the explosion finally came at 9:05, no one was safe. In the initial fireball, nearby box cars and spectators were vapourised, the ship vanished to rain down in pieces all over the city. Raining down however is putting it mildly, when in fact the millions of pieces often blew through the air like so many bullets. A barrel of the ships cannon was found 3.5 miles away. A piece of the anchor that weighed over 1000 pounds was found 2 miles away. A young man observing the excitement in the harbour from 32 yards away miraculously survived after being propelled one-half mile through the air and being relieved of all his clothes except for his boots.  

The force of the explosion was so great that it was felt and heard as far away as Prince Edward Island (130 miles north) and Cape Breton Island (220 miles east) while residents from Truro and New Glasgow (60 miles away) felt building shake and had items fall from shelves. It is said that in less than the time it takes to draw a deep breath nearly every building in Halifax and Dartmouth had sustained damage. More than 12,000 buildings. Every window within a 50 miles radius was broken. Many homes that survived the blast and ensuing shock waves were consumed by fires that were started by over-turned oil lamps or flying debris. Within 2 seconds the entire neighbourhood of Richmond was obliterated and 1600 people were dead. 

A re-creation of the moments before the explosion

The Aftermath

Then came the tsunami. A 60 foot wall of water came on shore to wash away dazed survivors who were blown off their feet and found themselves clinging to whatever was handy. The frigid December waters of the Atlantic was like frozen icicles replacing the shards of glass from the last onslaught. The Imo was carried on the wave across the harbour and landed on the Dartmouth shore. Adding to the chaos and confusion, many survivors assumed that the blast was the result of a bomb dropped from a German plane and hysteria grew that another explosion was imminent. Telephone and telegraph communication had all but been wiped out hampering relief efforts and calls for assistance. Power was unavailable. It was in fact, railway dispatcher Vince Coleman's message that unknowingly was the first call for help. Some of the trains he stopped from approaching became rescue vehicles, ferrying survivors to outlying community hospitals and returning with much needed supplies and medical personnel.

In all, nearly 2,000 people were killed, 9,000 were injured (including 600 with eye injuries from flying and shattering glass). 6,000 people were instantly homeless and wearing only the clothes on their back had to endure a blizzard that night which blanketed the splintered city with 16 inches of snow. Relief trains were stuck in snowdrifts and telegraph lines that were quickly repaired fell again. In all 25,000 citizens suffered with inadequate housing. 

The Relief Efforts

It didn't take long for people and supplies to start to arrive and help rebuilding the shattered city. Food, clothing, housing, were some of the basic necessities needing attention. But people also needed help coping with their new reality of blindness (in one or both eyes), other medical issues, widows and widowers, orphans, death and devastation were the new normal. Many emergency teams came from the United States, in particular Massachusettes, and they stayed for months helping Halifax return to the vibrant city it once was. Window glass was desperately needed to keep the heat in the homes that were still standing and it came by the rail car load from all over the continent. Medical personnel and skilled workers came and stayed. Those who didn't come, sent money. Ships in the harbour that survived collected relief supplies or became floating hospitals and homeless shelters. The Halifax Relief Commission was set up to administer and dole out the more than $18 million dollars that was received in donations. However generous as that sounds, damage estimates reached a total of $35 million in 1917. Adjusted for inflation that figure would be about $530 million Canadian dollars today! 

Christmas Tree Lighting - Boston Commons 2012

Ironically, when news of the disaster reached the Bank of Nova Scotia's headquarters in Toronto, Ontario as message was telegraphed back east that read "Presume rumours are greatly exaggerated." A response later that night confirmed that the facts were actually far worse than the rumours. Meanwhile, in Boston, school children were holding community relief drives, collecting money and supplies to help were they could alongside of their high society neighbours. In 1918, Halifax sent a Christmas Tree to the city of Boston as a show of thanks. In 1971, the tradition was revived to acknowledge the support and express continued gratitude. The symbolic tree of gratitude does much more than celebrate a festive season. Personally, I wasn't aware of the Halifax Explosion at all, until initially hearing stories about the tree headed for Beantown and doing some research. I was educated in Canada and this should have been an integral part in the History curriculum taught in the school system. Perhaps it was mentioned on the day I was sick? That is unacceptable. It is a part of our history and if for only remembering those who endured and suffered because of this tragedy, let the tree donation be our teacher. For every year that the tree selection, delivery and lighting is in the news, another group of students and adults learn a little more about giving in the face of tragedy. 

The Gone Not Forgotten

Many of the dead were burned or maimed beyond recognition. Dental records and DNA sampling was not an option. Bodies and accompanying personal effects that were found on or near the bodies were carefully catalogued in the hopes that someone would be able to confirm identification. Often entire families were killed and there was simply no-one left to claim the body. Funerals for the known victims went on for weeks on end. By early February 1918 more than 150 unidentified and unclaimed dead had been buried in local cemeteries but it would be the summer of 1919 before the last victim of the explosion was recovered. More than 1 1/2 years after the explosion the body of the caretaker at the Exhibition Grounds was found and buried. 

The Long Arm of the Law Steps In

An inquiry to determine the why's and how's of what happened was set up. In the midst of a global war, the Mont-Blanc was suspect for having a primarily French speaking crew made people suspicious. The Imo's crew of Norwegian sailor were said to speak in a German accent, which raised fears of spy's infiltrating our shores. In the end, the inquiry decreed that the Mont-Blanc was completely and solely responsible for the accident. Many people held this belief long before the legal proceedings because most of the crew of the ship had survived while only the crew below deck of the Imo had a tale to tell and they had witnessed none of the days events. The captain and pilot of the Mont-Blanc along with the harbour Chief Officer all faced manslaughter charges which were eventually dismissed with the Chief Officer being acquitted of all charges. In the spring of 1919, before the last body was recovered, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Mont-Blanc and Imo were equally responsible for the events that led to the collision and ensuing catastrophe. 

                                 

Before the Explosion

After the Explosion

Credit where credit is due: (the first website has amazing photographs)

http://gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/explosion/archives.asp?ID=9

cbc.ca/halifaxexplosion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Explosion

Shattered City by Janet F. Kitz