The Halifax Explosion

1. The Halifax Explosion By Maria Lazar, Dorothea Kefer, Christynna Costa

2. Halifax before the Explosion • Halifax was changing and growing very quickly into a solid province. • It was the chief transport link between Canada and Europe. • Ships from all over the world came to Halifax to transport goods to the war zone.

3. IMO • The IMO was a Norwegian ship originally used as a livestock carrier, but in 1912 it was registered as a supply ship for the South Pacific whaling company. • The captain of the IMO was Haakon From, he controlled a crew of 39 people .

4. The Mont Blanc • The Mont Blanc was a cargo ammunition ship owned by the French. • The ship had a depth of 15.3 feet, a width of 44.8 feet and 320 feet long. • The captain of The Mont Blanc was Aime Le Medec, who controlled 41 French sailors. • As a safety warning, crew weren't allowed to smoke, bring matches, or liquor on the ship because of the many explosives that they carried

5. Before The Collision • The Mont Blanc left her anchorage outside the mouth of the harbor to join a convoy gathering in Bedford Basin. • The Mont Blanc was carrying 2300 tons of wet and dry picric acid, 200 tons of TNT, 10 tons of gun cotton, and 35 tons of Benzol. • The IMO was behind schedule time so it had to hurry out of the Bedford basin.

6. The Collision • At approximately 8:45am the two boats were at the slimmest part of the Halifax harbor , that’s where they collided • It wasn't big collision but the friction of the two boats erupted into a fire rapidly. • When people saw the collision , some came down to the harbor to view, while others looked out windows whether they were at work, at home or at school.

7. The Explosion • For 20 minutes theship was burning and drifted closer to the harbor, where people formed crowds, not knowing the danger they were putting themselves into. • At approximately 9:05am, the ship exploded with a roar heard from 320Km away and a force that devastated the city • A huge tidal wave was sent to the harbor and raging fire occurred over the whole city.

8. The Effects Of The Explosion • Churches, houses, schools, factories, docks, and other ships in the harbour got demolished • 1,600 people were killed, and 1,630 homes were completely demolished. • Another 6,000 people were left without shelter.

9. Aftermath & Recovery • Within 2 days, ships from Boston arrived with $300,000 worth of relief supplies. • Millions of dollars were donated from around the world to help relief the devastation of Halifax.

10. Remembering Halifax • The Halifax explosion was the greatest man made explosion since the Atomic bomb(1945). • To this day on December 6th, a memorial bell is rung at 9am in memory of this tragic event. • Every Christmas, Halifax sends a big Christmas tree to Boston to thank them for their support and relief.