Halifax explosion

Halifax explosion is the biggest biggest man-made explosion before the nuclear age. After a collision of a French munition ship Mont Blanc and a Belgian relief ship Imo on December 6 1917 at 9:05am, a gigantic explosion took place in Halifax port.

Mont Blanc cargo :

• 5 tons of benzol?
• 300 rounds of ammunition?
• 10 tons of gun cotton
• 2,300 tons of [picric acid]? (explosive)
• 400,000 pounds of TNT

Casualties :

• 1,900 people killed immediately ( over 2,000 within a year )
• 9,000 people injured
• 325 acres of the town destroyed

External Links: http://www.tceplus.com/halifax.htm

The explosion and aftermath were the inspiration for [Hugh MacLennan]?'s novel [Barometer Rising].

/Talk