Halifax Explosion of 1917

[shipgeeks]

It was not until a visit to the Maritime Museum in Halifax, a couple of years ago, that we learned about the Halifax Explosion.  A major disaster, and I believe it took place very near to where cruise ship passengers typically visit.

Are there any markers, or other clues that would help us identify the scope of the disaster?  

I find it curious that everyone knows about the Titanic, and so few know about this.  I want to know more!

[mcmomny]

We were there two weeks ago on a cruise and had booked with Paul

from https://halifaxtitanictours.ca/ where he spent a great deal of time discussing this event and showing us many markers thru out our drive, some pieces of metal flew over 3 miles from the explosion and they were left where they fell with a marker.

 

I mean big pieces of metal! 3, 4, 5 feet long! I didn't find a map but here is a picture of one of those markers

 

 

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, mcmomny said:

We were there two weeks ago on a cruise and had booked with Paul

from https://halifaxtitanictours.ca/ where he spent a great deal of time discussing this event and showing us many markers thru out our drive, some pieces of metal flew over 3 miles from the explosion and they were left where they fell with a marker.

 

I mean big pieces of metal! 3, 4, 5 feet long! I didn't find a map but here is a picture of one of those markers

 

 

Great choice to tour with Paul. He is just amazing and such a wealth of information. Truly one of our best private excursions was with him.

[neeuqdrazil]

20 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

It was not until a visit to the Maritime Museum in Halifax, a couple of years ago, that we learned about the Halifax Explosion.  A major disaster, and I believe it took place very near to where cruise ship passengers typically visit.

Are there any markers, or other clues that would help us identify the scope of the disaster?  

I find it curious that everyone knows about the Titanic, and so few know about this.  I want to know more!

 

There's a good book called Curse of the Narrows that covers the Explosion, the events leading up to it, the explosion itself, and the aftermath. 

 

The explosion itself happened further up the harbour from where cruise ships dock, basically in between the two current bridges if you look at a map of the city, while the cruise ships dock further 'down', closer to the ocean. But Halifax isn't very big, so everything is pretty close.    

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18868921-curse-of-the-narrows

[shipgeeks]

Thank you!  I am currently reading "Barometer Rising", a fictional story set around the explosion. Quite interesting, and will make the area more significant when we arrive next week.

[chengkp75]

The Halifax explosion was the largest man-made explosion prior to nuclear weapons.  Another interesting and little known disaster is Boston's "Great Molasses Flood", when 2.5 million gallons of molasses ruptured a storage tank in the North End, killing 21 people, and leading to the first class action lawsuit in US history.

[Nitemare]

Boston gets it's Christmas Tree from Halifax every year in appreciation by the Nova Scotians of how the city helped them recover from the explosion

[neeuqdrazil]

5 hours ago, Nitemare said:

Boston gets it's Christmas Tree from Halifax every year in appreciation by the Nova Scotians of how the city helped them recover from the explosion

 

A number of doctors and nurses departed by train within a day or so from Boston to head to Halifax to assist, despite the blizzard, destruction of train tracks by the blast, and a lack of supplies. 

 

There's a relatively well-known story in Canada about the rail employee who wired up the line to stop trains approaching Halifax, likely saving hundreds of lives, at the cost of his own. 

[long time lurker]

Another good read on the topic… The Great Halifax Explosion by John U Bacon

[disneyochem]

Definitely book with Paul!  We went on a tour with him in October 2022 and really appreciated learning about the Halifax Explosion.  We spent time at Fort Needham Memorial Park; we were there to hear the ringing of the bells.  Picture is the Memorial Bell Tower at the park.