A century ago, on Dec. 6, 1917, Halifax was nearly obliterated when a French munitions ship detonated after colliding with another vessel.
"The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy and Extraordinary Heroism," by John Bacon. HarperCollins, 432 pages. $29.99.
Everything changed in an instant. One moment, the harbor of Halifax, Nova Scotia, was a busy, bustling place with scores of ships moving in and out and thousands of people on their way to work, stores and school. And then it was all gone — faster than it takes to blink an eye.
A century ago, on Dec. 6, 1917, Halifax was nearly obliterated when a French munitions ship detonated after colliding with another vessel. The massive blast leveled 2½ miles of the Canadian city, killed and maimed thousands of people and completely destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses. It was the largest manmade explosion of the preatomic era and produced the first mushroom cloud witnessed by humans.
John Bacon’s “The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism” is an intimate portrayal of the people involved in the events that led to this tragedy and the resulting relief effort to aid survivors. He carefully details the lives — and deaths — of those who were there and how their actions changed the fate of two countries that had formerly been adversaries.
The scope of this catastrophe is mind-boggling. Dazed survivors couldn’t find their homes because everything was gone. Veterans who served in the Great War said it was worse than anything they had seen on the Western Front. Windows were broken some 50 miles away while vibrations were felt 250 miles from the epicenter.
“In 1/15th of a second (less time than it takes to blink), the blast made 25,000 people — almost half the city — homeless, wounded 9,000 more and killed 2,000. It created the world’s first mushroom cloud, sent people flying a quarter-mile in the air, and spawned a 35-foot tsunami, which drowned many of those who survived the initial blast,” Bacon writes in his book.
The tragedy changed the world in many ways, including good. Within hours, the city of Boston sent a train with 100 doctors, 300 nurses and $1 million — about $20 million today. It raced through a blizzard to aid those in distress. According to Bacon, that and similar support from around New England permanently altered the relations between Canada and the United States.
Previously, the two countries were constantly at a state of unease. America eyed its neighbor to the north as possible gains to be won. As late as 1911, Congress talked about “annexing” Canada as new territory. The response to the disaster brought the two countries closer together and spawned a century of peace and prosperity.
“The Great Halifax Explosion” also details the human side of the catastrophe. Heroes and angels emerged from the smoldering ruins to save lives and comfort those who had suffered grievous losses. Sacrifice and kindness abounded during and after the disaster on a scale that set the tone for future emergency response efforts.
Bacon has crafted a marvelous story about this huge tragedy. It is both greatly discomforting and immensely satisfying to read about the destruction and resurrection of a proud community.
Ultimately, it is a book about the power of the human spirit and how ordinary people overcome unimaginable horror to rebuild their lives and help others. It is indeed a story for our times.
— David Kindy is a freelance writer in Massachusetts.