Sold and renamed imo in 1912 as supply ship for whaling operation. On december 1917 one of the most horrific disasters in canadian history took place when the french munitions ship, the mont blanc, coll. Its tragic because the montblanc burned for 18 minutesand people who were walking to work and school came down to watch the ship burn. Nearby parks include merv sullivan park, seaview look off park and seaview park. Chair believed to be made from halifax explosion debris needs. Effort to save chair with possible halifax explosion link gets boost. How the halifax explosion laid waste to the town of. Mont blanc s captain, the halifax pilot who guided the. But his book begins not with barss or the explosion. A century ago this week, the french munitions ship mont blanc and the norwegian.
The bright, modern hydrostone suburb was a turning point for halifax it signaled a new start have to the darkest times today, it is a national historic site throughout halifax, explosion memorials exist, a piece of the mont blanc s anchor was blown 4 kilometres away and it sits today where at landed at regatta point the halifax north memorial. On december 6, 1917, the french munitions ship montblanc and the. This location is somewhat walkable so some errands can be accomplished on foot. Montblancs crew escaped on lifeboats, while halifaxs workers and schoolchildren watched the ghost. Pilot francis mackey was responsible for guiding the mont blanc into the harbour when it collided with the imo. He was one of the first eyewitnesses to canadas greatest disaster, the halifax explosion.
Franceamerique line, out of marseilles, which had arrived from gravesend bay, new york. The halifax explosion was a maritime disaster in halifax, nova scotia, canada, on the morning of 6 december 1917. The spectacle was thrilling, and drew crowds of spectators, unaware of the danger. The collision of the ss imo and the ss mont blanc, heavily laden with wartime chemicals, set off an explosion that devastated the entire halifax community. 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. Library and archives canada lac holds various records that tell part of the story of the halifax explosion, its aftermath, and the relief work and investigations following the disaster. T he halifax explosion was caused when two ships collided in the narrowest part of halifax harbor on the morning of thursday, december 6, 1917 the ss mont blanc, a french ship was arriving from new york city filled with munitions for world war i in europe. The halifax explosion was the explosion of the mont blanc that destoryed a good section of the city. Bacons new book, the great halifax explosion, recounts the catastrophe that unfolded when two ships collided in halifax harbor on dec. I picked this after hearing about the release of a book about the same topic, though written by an american. The explosion laid waste to much of halifax, killing those who were eating breakfast, in school, out. A piece of the montblancs fivehundredkilogram anchor soared. The place where the anchor shank came to rest on the morning of december 6, 1917. There are some curious similarities between the halifax disaster of 1917 and the texas city texas disaster of 1947.
Montblanc pilot francis mackey recalls halifax 1917. The ordinary man who died for strangers when montblanc exploded. Its still there, mounted on a low pedestal with a memorial plaque attached. When the mont blanc exploded in the halifax harbour 100 years ago, it was the biggest manmade explosion in history prior to the atomic bomb. Approximately 2,000 people were killed by the blast, debris, fires. Polycorp provides quality apartment living in halifax nova scotia. The halifax explosion and the road to recovery by janet f.
Dec 12, 2019 the halifax explosion is regarded an unparalleled chapter in the history of maritime disasters. 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. A halfton chunk of its anchor still lies where it landed 2. Mont blanc and imo and the halifax explosion of 1917. 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. The designation applies to the monument and the land it presently occupies. Norwegian vessel that collided with the french ship ss mont blanc in the 1917 halifax. The chair is made with whats believed to be a piece of a ships anchor that blew up. The residences at mont blanc are two fourstorey buildings that are part of the master planned community known as mont blanc terrace. Kitz 4 times halifax explosion by graham metson 3 times too many to mourn by james mahar 3 times burden of desire harvest book by robert macneil 3 times. 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.
The explosion, believed to be due to an attack, occurred as a result of an incidental collision between a small vessel of the belgian relief commission, the imo, and the mont blanc, a ship loaded with three thousand tons of. The accidental explosion that erased a canadian city in 1917. Vessels were loading cargo, awaiting convoys, or under repair. See more ideas about halifax explosion, halifax harbour and nova scotia. When the ships collided, mont blanc s hold was pierced, fire started and quickly spread, igniting vapours from the benzol. But the imo rammed the french ship broadside, its crew watching helplessly as the mont blanc caught fire and began drifting toward the halifax waterfront. Halifax explosion of december 6, 1917 geni family tree. We were unaware of the 1917 explosion when the french ship mont blanc exploded following a collision in the harbor.
The forgotten disaster that inspired nova scotias yearly. The ss mont blanc on december 5th, 1917, the ss mont blanc arrived in the halifax port after its voyage from france. Under charter to carry belgian relief supplies in 1917. Sep 22, 2005 set vividly against the background of world war i, curse of the narrows is the first major account of the worlds largest preatomic explosion, the epic relief mission from boston, and the riveting trial of the mont blancs captain and pilot. Beyond the halifax explosion, cuthbertson is the author of numerous books. Montblanc was completely destroyed and scattered by the explosion. Walkers many awardwinning books bring history and science alive. The hms highflyer was involved in halifax and the ss high flyer was involved in texas city. It seemed a small, nondescript vessel, but it carried a deadly cargo. In the predawn darkness of thursday, december 6, 1917, the french munitions ship mont blanc lay at anchor near the mouth of halifax harbour. On december 6, 1917, the french munitions ship mont blanc and the norwegian warrelief vessel imo collided in the harbour at halifax, nova scotia. Mont blanc blew up to cause the halifax explosion, this shank of the anchor of the mont blanc flew 2. Halifax harbour was crowded with wartime shipping on december 6, 1917.
Halifax explosion infosheet maritime museum of the atlantic. Halifax explosion library and archives canada blog. On thursday morning, 6 december 1917, she entered halifax harbour in nova scotia, canada laden with a full cargo of highly volatile explosives. We booked an independent tour guide who took us to this site nearly 2. The mont blanc was a french munitions ship owned by cie.
Halifax explosion memorial halifax, nova scotia atlas. Family hopes to protect chair they believe has piece of halifax. The montblanc had disintegrated, showering iron fragments and black tar across halifax. Ships of the halifax explosion maritime museum of the. The roots of bostons christmas tree go back 100 years to a. A newly discovered diary tells the harrowing story of the deadly halifax explosion. 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.
The ss mont blanc explosion in halifax harbor world history. And to this day, nova scotia sends a christmas tree to the city of boston as a. The ordinary man who died for strangers when montblanc. Mont blanc s captain, the halifax pilot who guided the ship that morning and the official in charge of vessel traffic in the harbour were. A fire on board the french ship ignited her cargo, causing a massive explosion that devastated the richmond district of halifax. Fiction about the halifax explosion disaster that occurred in 1917 and killed 2,000 people. Dec 06, 2017 on the bright, freezing morning of dec. Only a handful of naval officers and a railway dispatcher had learned of mont blanc s explosive cargo and there was little time to spread a warning. Anchor shaft blown miles from exploding ship the ss mont blanc blew up in halifax harbor in 1917. Dec 27, 2012 parts of the mont blanc were found widely dispersed including a broken section of its anchor shaft weighing some 1100 pounds that was found more than two miles away.
The halifax explosion was the deadliest disaster in canadian history. I made it a point to walk from the harbouurfront to the anchor site in order to appreciate. Mont blanc anchor site halifax aktuelle 2020 lohnt es sich. An armchair believed to have been constructed with a piece of anchor from the halifax explosion is located in the burnside. Arriving late at the harbor, the ship needed to stay the night outside the protected area. I seem to be having a problem with books i am listening to on overdrive.
Ss montblanc, 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. The great halifax explosion sheds new light on this sad but fascinating event. Heroic dispatcher keyed warning, perished in cataclysmic halifax explosion back to video vincent colemans last words, tapped. Heavily damaged by blast and driven ashore in dartmouth. That recovered anchor part is the centerpiece of a monument to the mont blanc. Mont blanc anchor site halifax all you need to know. The monument consists of the anchor shaft from the mont blanc munitions ship which exploded during the 1917 halifax explosion. One of the most devastating maritime disasters in canadian history occurred in halifax harbor, nova scotia in 1917. It had been sent to halifax by the british, because it was too slow for the american convoys. This list includes the major vessels involved or affected in the explosion. December 6, 2017 will mark the 100th anniversary of the largest manmade explosion prior to the detonation of the atomic bombs in 1945. Halifax explosion, new books, books to read, history books, historical fiction, world war i, nonfiction.
Halifax explosion memorial halifax, nova scotia atlas obscura. Bacons the great halifax explosion trace the reverberations of the deadly disaster. Effort to save chair with possible halifax explosion link. A piece of anchor shaft from the mont blanc weighing 12 ton was hurled to its current location 2. New books remember the great halifax explosion the star. The fire on the montblanc and subsequent explosion wasnt all. For the 800 or so folks who just about filled the place, thank.
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. What frank baker heard was the biggest explosion of the preatomic age. As the huge cloud created in the explosion began to disperse, it revealed a scene of horror. 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. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Halifax became the standard of blast comparisons for decades. The ship was a floating bomb, every substance in the cargo engineered to blow up, noted laura m. Marc wortman has written three history books, including 1941. Two ships, the mont blanc and the imo, crashed in the narrows this is the second of. The mont blanc in halifax and the grand camp in texas city were both french registered. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism. Dec 06, 2017 guides to records about the halifax explosion. The halifax explosion was the explosion of the mont blanc that destoryed a good. We stopped in halifax on a cruise ship and booked an independent tour guide.
On december 6, 1917 two ships collided in halifax harbour. A newly discovered diary tells the harrowing story of the deadly. The halifax explosion still reverberates the globe and mail. The explosion was so violent that a one of the mont blanc s guns flew over 3. On that thursday the norwegian vessel ss imo, carrying belgian relief supplies, and the french freighter ss mont blanc, carrying munitions, collided in halifax harbour, thereby creating what was then. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism, which launched tuesday with a great event at michigans rackham auditorium. On december 6, 1917, the french munitions ship mont blanc and the norwegian warrelief vessel imo collided in the harbour at halifax. Visit mont blanc anchor site on your trip to halifax or canada.
Macdonald details the events leading up to the explosion as well as the aftermath. Mackey became a convenient target for public anger. Hidden history is a diary series that explores forgotten and littleknown areas of. The mont blanc anchor site is located in a quiet residential area, formerly the edmonds grounds estate, near the head of the northwest arm in halifax, ns. The bells were donated by barbara orra halifax explosion survivor who lost both her parents, three brothers, and two sisters on that fateful day in 1917. The halifax explosion occurred on thursday, 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 halifax explosion occured in halifax, nova scotia, on the morning of dec.
Vincent colemans granddaughter tells how his widow raised 4 children after halifax explosion. 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. The halifax explosion of 1917 canada history and mysteries. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism bacon, john u. 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. This concrete chair could be made from a halifax explosion. In 1917, two ships collided in halifax harbor, resulting in the largest explosion in history up to that time. Stern of montblanc before the explosion during a prewar visit to halifax, aug. It rises 4,808 m 15,774 ft above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence. That accident sparked a fire and an apocalyptic explosion that was the largest manmade blast prior to the 1945 dropping of the atomic bomb on hiroshima. She arrived from the new york harbor too late on december 5 to enter the harbor that day. Comedy arts music books docs life parents kids kids news indigenous.
The toll of the halifax explosion was enormous with over 1600 men, women and children killed. On december 6th, two of them the mont blanc and the imo collided in the narrows, a hardtonavigate stretch of the harbor. Ss mont blanc drifted by a halifax pier, brushing it and setting it ablaze. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. 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. The explosion was so violent that a one of the mont blancs guns flew over 3. 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. The toll of the halifax explosion was enormous with over 1600 men. Fascinated by the halifax explosion, i decided to find the site where the anchor of the mont blanc landed.
This niche community is located in the soughtafter north end of the peninsula, and the apartments offer extensive views of the halifax harbour and bedford basin. The halifax explosion is a very interesting story and i am surprised that it is not more well known. One ship which arrived to the halifax harbor was the mont blanc. The halifax explosion and the persecution of pilot francis mackey by janet maybee. The first place to look is lacs thematic guide, halifax explosion. 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. Part of its anchor shaft, weighing over 1100 pounds, flew clear over the city and landed here, more than two miles away. The 1917 blast from the halifax explosion was massive. The 1917 halifax explosion threw this halfton plus anchor shaft miles, into a hill. Halifax explosion the anatomy of a disaster page 5.
The imo speared the montblanc at an angle near its bow. Outbound from halifax in ballast empty to load relief supplies in new york. Mont blanc anchor site halifax 2020 all you need to. Not one piece of her remained beside the dock where she. The halifax explosion of 1917 the canadian encyclopedia. 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 anchor site is located in a residential subdivision, which is located along the shores of the northwest arm. Nov 30, 2017 ken cuthbertsons the halifax explosion and john u. Dec 02, 2017 new books remember the great halifax explosion. This concrete chair could be made from a halifax explosion anchor. Mac donald is as adept at describing the dynamics of a chain reaction explosion as she is. The detonation, equivalent to 2989 tons of tnt, threw out a powerful blast wave that tossed debris high up into the sky above halifax. The devastating halifax explosion was the largest manmade detonation before the creation of nuclear weapons. Halifax explosion books tagged halifax explosion librarything.