Halifax Explosion
1917
December 6, 1917
• Belgian relief ship Imo is leaving Halifax
harbour as French ship Mont Blanc is entering
the harbour – not an uncommon sight as the
port city was busy due to the shipping of
troops, weapons and relief supplies.
• Mont Blanc was carrying a full cargo of
explosives – incl. 300 rounds of ammunition,
2300 tonnes of picric acid, and 400,000lbs of
TNT.
Mont Blanc
What Went Wrong?
• Due to miscommunication between the ships, the
desire to not change course, and the difficulty of
quickly moving large ships, Imo and Mont Blanc
collided.
• Aware of the explosives on board the Mont Blanc crew
quickly boarded lifeboats and screamed warnings to
those watching as the ship set aflame.
Fires
• Mont Blanc was on fire.
• As it drifted passed
Halifax pier it was set
ablaze.
• The Fire Department
rushed to the pier to
control the fire.
• They were their for
mere moments when
the ship exploded.
Explosion
• The blast killed ~1900
immediately and as days
passed bodies found and
deaths from wounds rose
this number to greater
than 2000.
• Around 9000 more were
injured – many
permanently. More than
250 eyes needed to be
removed, 38 were left
completely blind, and 25
limbs were amputated.
• ~250 bodied were so
badly disfigured they
could not be identified
and many more simply
went missing.
• Small shards of glass flew
at such a speed during
the explosion that some
20 years later people had
glass come to the surface
of their skin.
Why so many casualties?
• Explosion occurred 20 minutes after collision,
allowing thousands to gather at the port, and
stand watch at their windows.
• Curiosity drove people close to the scene –
What happened? Did the Germans attack?
• People did not realize boat was full of
explosives.
• ~1000 people sustained eye injuries from
looking out their window at the explosion.
Physical Destruction
• 325 acres of Halifax was destroyed.
• Winter stockpiles of coal burned down many homes.
• Parts of the ship were found several miles away from
the site of explosion.
• The shock wave was felt as far as 270 miles away.
Physical Destruction
• 13,000 homes and
businesses were
damaged or completely
wrecked.
• Resulting in 6000
homeless.
• Windows in a 50 mile
radius were shattered.
And then came the water and snow
• Within minutes the dazed survivors were awash in water. The
blast provoked a tsunami that washed up as high as 18 meters
above the harbour's high-water mark on the Halifax side.
• The next day Halifax was covered in ~16 inches of snow as a
blizzard hit.
• This slowed all rescue efforts.
• People trapped in fallen buildings froze to death before they
could be saved.
To the Rescue
• Money came in from all
over the world – as far
away as New Zealand
and China.
• CAN gov’t gave 18 mill
• BRIT gov’t gave 5 mill
• State of Massachusetts
donated $750,000 and
goods.
• To this day Halifax sends
Boston a Christmas tree
as a thanks for their
assistance.
Back on their feet
• Within 7 weeks 3000
homes were repaired.
• Temporary apts. were
being built at a rate of 1
per hr.
• 328 “hydrostone”
homes quickly put up.