The Great Halifax Explosion : A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism

The astonishing true story of history's largest manmade explosion before the atomic bomb, and its world-changing aftermath, from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author John U. Bacon After steaming out of New York City on December 1, 1917, laden with a staggering three thousand tons of TNT and other explosives, the munitions ship Mont-Blanc fought its way up the Atlantic coast, through waters prowled by enemy U-boats. As it approached the lively port city of Halifax, Mont-Blanc's deadly cargo erupted with the force of 2.9 kilotons of TNT-the most powerful explosion ever visited on a human population, save for HIroshima and Nagasaki. Mont-Blanc was vaporized in one fifteenth of a second; a shcokwave leveled the surrounding city. Next came a thirty-five-foot tsunami. Most astounding of all, however, were the incredible tales of survival and heroism that soon emerged from the rubble. This is the unforgettable story told in John U. Bacon's The Great Halifax Explosion: a ticktock account of fateful decisions that led to doom, the human faces of the blast's 11,000 casualties, and the equally moving individual stories of those who lived and selflessly threw themselves into urgent rescue work that saved thousands. The shocking scale of the disaster stunned the world, dominating global headlines even amid the calamity of the First World War. Hours after the blast, Boston sent trains and ships filled with doctors, medicine, and money. The explosion would revolutionize pediatric medicine; transform U.S.-Canadian relations; and provide physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who studied the Halifax explosion closely when developing the atomic bomb, with history's only real-world case study demonstrating the lethal power of a weapon of mass destruction. Mesmerizing and inspiring, Bacon's deeply-researched narrative brings to life the tragedy, brvery, and surprising afterlife of one of the most dramatic events of modern times After Steaming Out Of New York City On December 1, 1917, Laden With A Staggering Three Thousand Tons Of Tnt And Other Explosives, The Munitions Ship Mont-blanc Fought Its Way Up The Atlantic Coast, Through Waters Prowled By Enemy U-boats. As It Approached The Lively Port City Of Halifax, Mont-blanc's Deadly Cargo Erupted With The Force Of 2.9 Kilotons Of Tnt -- The Most Powerful Explosion Ever Visited On A Human Population, Save For Hiroshima And Nagasaki. Mont-blanc Was Vaporized In One Fifteenth Of A Second; A Shockwave Leveled The Surrounding City. Next Came A Thirty-five-foot Tsunami. Most Astounding Of All, However, Were The Incredible Tales Of Survival And Heroism That Soon Emerged From The Rubble. This Is The Unforgettable Story Told In John U. Bacon's The Great Halifax Explosion: A Ticktock Account Of Fateful Decisions That Led To Doom, The Human Faces Of The Blast's 11,000 Casualties, And The Equally Moving Individual Stories Of Those Who Lived And Selflessly Threw Themselves Into Urgent Rescue Work That Saved Thousands. The Shocking Scale Of The Disaster Stunned The World, Dominating Global Headlines Even Amid The Calamity Of The First World War. Hours After The Blast, Boston Sent Trains And Ships Filled With Doctors, Medicine, And Money. The Explosion Would Revolutionize Pediatric Medicine; Transform U.s.-canadian Relations; And Provide Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, Who Studied The Halifax Explosion Closely When Developing The Atomic Bomb, With History's Only Real-world Case Study Demonstrating The Lethal Power Of A Weapon Of Mass Destruction.--dust Jacket. Part I: A Forgotten Story -- A Century Of Gratitude -- Under Cover Of Darkness -- Part Ii: O Canada -- Why Aren't We Americans? -- Waking Up Just In Time -- Part Iii: The Great War -- A Near To Hell -- Halifax At War -- Life And Death On The Western Front -- Halifax Harbour -- It Can't Be Any Worse -- The City's Newer Part -- Wounded Inside And Out -- Part Iv: A Dangerous Dance -- Two Ships -- December 5, 1917 -- A Game Of Chicken -- Look To Your Boats! -- Box 83 -- Oh, Something Awful Is Going To Happen -- Part V: 9:04:35 A.m. -- One-fifteenth Of A Second -- Parting The Sea -- Blown Away -- They're All Gone -- The Panic -- Part Vi: Help -- No Time To Explain -- Ready To Go The Limit -- A Steady Stream Of Victims -- Blizzard -- Lost And Found -- The Last Stop -- The Yanks Are Coming -- A Working Sabbath -- It's Me, Barbara! -- Small Gifts -- A Toast To Allies -- Part Vii: Rebuilding -- The Missing And The Dead -- The Inquiry -- Christmas, 1917 -- Orphans -- Don't Stare -- The Trials -- The Wholesome Discord Of A Thousand Saws -- Part Viii: Facing The Future -- New Lives -- The Accidental Doctor -- The Lasting Impact -- The Reunion. John U. Bacon. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 393-397) And Index. From the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author, a gripping narrative-nonfiction account of the worlds largest manmade explosion before the atomic bomb. In December 1917, a freighter carrying 3,000 tons of explosives sailed from Brooklyn bound for the trenches of World War Ien route, a cataclysmic disaster awaited . . . Entering World War Is fourth demoralizing year, the Allies hoped to break the grueling stalemate by sending thousands of fresh American troops and more munitions than ever to the trenches of France. Before the French freighter Mont-Blanc set sail from Brooklyn on December 1, 1917, with a staggering 3,000 tons of explosives, the captain banned his crew from lighting a single match, and secured the volatile cargo with copper nails because they dont spark when struck. For four harrowing days, the floating powder keg bobbed up the Eastern seaboard, plowing through a wicked snowstorm and waters infested with German U-Boats, which had already torpedoed a thousand Allied ships that year alone. On December 6, the exhausted crew finally slipped into Halifax Harbourjust as the relief ship Imo was rushing to leave. At 8:45 a.m., the Imo struck the Mont-Blancs bow, knocking over barrels of airplane fuel. Fire swept across the decks, sending the Mont-Blancs crew scurrying to their lifeboats, while Halifax longshoremen, office workers, and schoolchildren walked down to watch it burn. At 9:04:35 a.m., the Mont-Blanc erupted, leveling 2.5 square miles of Halifax, killing 2,000 people, and wounding 9,000 moreall in one-fifteenth of a second. In this definitive account, bestselling author John U. Bacon recreates the recklessness that caused the tragedy, the selfless rescue efforts that saved thousands, and the inspiring resilience that rebuilt the town. Just hours after the explosion, Boston alone sent 100 doctors, 300 nurses, and a million dollars. The explosion would revolutionize ophthalmology and pediatrics; transform Canada and the U.S. from adversaries to allies; and show J. Robert Oppenheimer, who studied Halifax closely, how much destruction an atomic bomb could inflict on a city. Bacon brings to light one of the most dramatic events of the twentieth century, exploring the long shadow the worlds first weapon of mass destruction still casts on our world today. The Great Halifax Explosion includes 25 black-and-white photos. From New York Times bestselling author John U. Bacon, a gripping narrative history of the largest manmade detonation prior to Hiroshima: in 1917 a ship laden with the most explosives ever packed on a vessel sailed out of Brooklyn's harbor for the battlegrounds of World War I; when it stopped in Halifax, Nova Scotia, an extraordinary disaster awaited. . . . On Monday, December 3, 1917, the French freighter SS Mont-Blanc set sail from Brooklyn carrying the largest cache of explosives ever loaded onto a ship, including 2,300 tons of picric acid, an unstable, poisonous chemical more powerful than TNT. The U.S. had just recently entered World War I, and the ordnance was bound for the battlefields of France, to help the Allies break the grueling stalemate that had protracted the fighting for nearly four demoralizing years. The explosives were so dangerous that Captain Aim? Le Medec took unprecedented safety measures, including banning the crew from smoking, lighting matches, or even touching a drop of liquor. Sailing north, the Mont-Blanc faced deadly danger, enduring a terrifying snowstorm off the coast of Maine and evading stealthy enemy U-boats hunting the waters of the Atlantic. But it was in Nova Scotia that an extraordinary disaster awaited. As the Mont-Blanc waited to dock in Halifax, it was struck by a Norwegian relief ship, the Imo, charging out of port. A small fire on the freighter's deck caused by the impact ignited the explosives below, resulting in a horrific blast that, in one fifteenth of a second, leveled 325 acres of Halifax?killing more than 1,000 people and wounding 9,000 more. In this definitive account, Bacon combines research and eyewitness accounts to re-create the tragedy and its aftermath, including the international effort to rebuild the devastated port city. As he brings to light one of the most dramatic incidents of the twentieth century, Bacon explores the long shadow this first "weapon of mass destruction" would cast on the future of nuclear warfare? crucial insights and understanding relevant to us today. The Great Halifax Explosion includes 25 black-and-white photos NATIONAL BESTSELLER The "riveting" (National Post) tick-tock account of the largest manmade explosion in history prior to the atomic bomb, and the equally astonishing tales of survival and heroism that emerged from the ashes “Enthralling. ... Gripping. ... A captivating and emotionally investing journey.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette After steaming out of New York City on December 1, 1917, laden with a staggering three thousand tons of TNT and other explosives, the munitions ship Mont-Blanc fought its way up the Atlantic coast, through waters prowled by enemy U-boats. As it approached the lively port city of Halifax, Mont-Blanc's deadly cargo erupted with the force of 2.9 kilotons of TNT—the most powerful explosion ever visited on a human population, save for HIroshima and Nagasaki. Mont-Blanc was vaporized in one fifteenth of a second; a shockwave leveled the surrounding city. Next came a thirty-five-foot tsunami. Most astounding of all, however, were the incredible tales of survival and heroism that soon emerged from the rubble. This is the unforgettable story told in John U. Bacon's The Great Halifax Explosion: a ticktock account of fateful decisions that led to doom, the human faces of the blast's 11,000 casualties, and the equally moving individual stories of those who lived and selflessly threw themselves into urgent rescue work that saved thousands. The shocking scale of the disaster stunned the world, dominating global headlines even amid the calamity of the First World War. Hours after the blast, Boston sent trains and ships filled with doctors, medicine, and money. The explosion would revolutionize pediatric medicine; transform U.S.-Canadian relations; and provide physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who studied the Halifax explosion closely when developing the atomic bomb, with history's only real-world case study demonstrating the lethal power of a weapon of mass destruction. Mesmerizing and inspiring, Bacon's deeply-researched narrative brings to life the tragedy, bravery, and surprising afterlife of one of the most dramatic events of modern times. "After steaming out of New York City on December 1, 1917, laden with a staggering three thousand tons of TNT and other explosives, the munitions ship Mont-Blanc fought its way up the Atlantic coast, through waters prowled by enemy U-boats. As it approached the lively port city of Halifax, Mont-Blanc's deadly cargo erupted with the force of 2.9 kilotons of TNT -- the most powerful explosion ever visited on a human population, save for Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Mont-Blanc was vaporized in one fifteenth of a second; a shockwave leveled the surrounding city. Next came a thirty-five-foot tsunami. Most astounding of all, however, were the incredible tales of survival and heroism that soon emerged from the rubble. This is the unforgettable story told in John U. Bacon's The Great Halifax Explosion: a ticktock account of fateful decisions that led to doom, the human faces of the blast's 11,000 casualties, and the equally moving individual stories of those who lived and selflessly threw themselves into urgent rescue work that saved thousands. The shocking scale of the disaster stunned the world, dominating global headlines even amid the calamity of the First World War. Hours after the blast, Boston sent trains and ships filled with doctors, medicine, and money. The explosion would revolutionize pediatric medicine; transform U.S.-Canadian relations; and provide physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who studied the Halifax explosion closely when developing the atomic bomb, with history's only real-world case study demonstrating the lethal power of a weapon of mass destruction. Mesmerizing and inspiring, Bacon's deeply-researched narrative brings to life the tragedy, bravery, and surprising afterlife of one of the most dramatic events of modern times."