Dec 06, 2017 100 years after the great halifax explosion steve inskeep talks with author john u. Hms niobe was a ship of the diadem class of protected cruisers in the royal navy. She served in the boer war and was then given to canada as the second ship of the newly created naval service of canada as hmcs niobe. This list includes the major vessels involved or affected in the explosion. Dec 18, 20 images from the halifax explosion that happened back in 1917. An entire neighbourhood was destroyed, thousands killed and injured, thousands more left homeless. Worn out by wartime service and recommisioned as a depot ship in. A goodreads search for halifax explosion returns more than 40 titles. A collision between two ships in halifax harbour in 1917 set off an explosion unrivalled until the atomic bomb. Captain brannen and albert mattison of niobe agreed to secure a line to the french ships stern so as to pull it away from the pier to avoid setting it.
On december 6, 1917, the french munitions ship mont blanc and the norwegian warrelief vessel imo collided in the harbour at halifax, nova scotia. Century after halifaxs great explosion, city marks anniversary. The halifax explosion 1917 nova scotia, canada youtube. Of these totals, 190 men in rcn service were killed in action, died of wounds, or died of disease or accident, the latter category including those sailors who were killed in the halifax explosion. Halifax explosion book of remembrance maritime museum of. The book is displayed at the entrance to the museums halifax explosion exhibit halifax wrecked. Hmcs niobe anchor damaged in halifax explosion found cbc news. Jul 14, 2017 a newly discovered diary tells the harrowing story of the deadly halifax explosion on the eve of the disasters centennial, a sailors 1917 journal details a rare eyewitness account of the. The halifax explosion was a disaster that occurred in halifax, nova scotia, canada, on the morning of 6 december 1917. Army and navy personnel worked shouldertoshoulder with civilians on rescue, recovery and reconstruction.
Since hmcs niobe was close to the source of the halifax explosion iirc she was passing a towing line to the stricken ship that later exploded, i wonder if there is anywhere a report of the damage done to the ship, and how close she actually was to the explosion. Ships of the halifax explosion maritime museum of the. On the 100th anniversary of two ships colliding, authors commemorate the blast that changed the face of one of canadas oldest cities. The halifax explosion was a maritime disaster in halifax, nova scotia, canada, which happened on the morning of 6 december 1917. Collison of 2 ships ignited 3,000 tons of explosives that left 2,000 dead and 25,000 citizens homeless. Monctons help after halifax explosion subject of new exhibit. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism bacon, john u.
New book details 1917 halifax, nova scotia, explosion. Niobe soldiered on in that role until the end of the war, surviving the great halifax explosion of 1917. New book details the halifax, nova scotia, explosion of 1917. Dec 02, 2017 new books remember the great halifax explosion. The halifax explosion remembrance book was originally developed in 2002 as a commemorative project sponsored by the halifax foundation and its chair, the late edmund morris, a former city mayor, to mark the 85th anniversary of the halifax explosion. Nov 21, 2017 this is the unforgettable story told in john u. The halifax explosion of 1917 canada history and mysteries. Hello, since hmcs niobe was close to the source of the halifax explosion iirc she was passing a towing line to the stricken ship that later exploded, i wonder if there is anywhere a report of the damage done to the ship, and how close she actually was to the explosion. The halifax explosion is a fresh, revealing account that finally answers questions that have lingered for a century.
This photograph shows the damaged hmcs niobe in the aftermath of the halifax explosion. Ss montblanc, a french cargo ship laden with high explosives, collided with the norwegian vessel ss imo in the narrows, a strait connecting the upper halifax harbour to bedford basin. Have you visited, are a business owner or live in nova scotia. Nov 30, 2017 a centurys worth of historical accounts, novels and documentaries, plus a tv miniseries, have told and retold the story. The halifax explosion of 1917 in many ways december 6th, 1917 was a typical early winter day in halifax. Halifax explosion books tagged halifax explosion librarything. The halifax explosion has shaped what the city is today. Explore free books, like the victory garden, and more browse now. Her upper works were wrecked in the halifax explosion of december 6, 1917, but she continued to serve as a depot ship until 1920.
Bacon about a ship collision and explosion during world war i thats been called the worlds first weapon of. Damaged in the 1917 halifax explosion, she was sold for scrap and broken up in the 1920s. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. The story and scope of the disaster and its aftermath is revealed in fiction and nonfiction narratives for both adults and children in these selections from the collection of the cape breton regional library. A moving exhibit on the explosion, halifax wrecked, can be seen at the maritime museum of the atlantic, lower water street.
Niobe was extensively damaged in the explosion and her superstructure and funnels were wrecked. That accident sparked a fire and an apocalyptic explosion that was the largest manmade blast prior to the 1945 dropping of the atomic bomb on hiroshima. New books remember the great halifax explosion the star. Two of her sixinch guns remain, one gracing the front lawn of hmcs brunswicker, the naval reserve division in saint john, n.
Kaye chapman, now 104, was five years old on the fateful day in 1917 when a munitions ships collision. Gough, arthur mcquade 704 robie street, halifax, nova scotia. The royal canadian navy and the first world war canada. Niobe was paid off in september and served as a depot ship in halifax. The halifax explosion was the greatest nonnuclear detonation in history, killing 2,000 people and obliterating homes and businesses over a large swath of the city. Jul 04, 2011 the spectators had no idea that 20 minutes later, the fire would trigger the largest manmade explosion to that date. They all died in the resulting explosion which destroyed much of halifax. The sun was bright in a clear sky and the ground was clear of snow.
One of the frustrating aspects of researching the 1917 halifax explosion following the disaster was a realization of the everpresent apathy of those that have the power to give this event its proper due. More nova scotians were killed in the explosion than were killed in wwi. Was the explosion a disaster triggered by simple human error. Halifax harbour was crowded with wartime shipping on december 6, 1917.
The author relates the circumstances of the accident that caused the explosion, as well as the recovery efforts and subsequent inquiry into the event. Hmcs niobe anchor damaged in halifax explosion found cbc. The norwegian vessel ss imo collided with ss montblanc, a french cargo ship laden with high explosives, in the narrows, a strait connecting the upper halifax harbour to bedford basin, causing a large explosion on the french freighter, devastating the richmond. This nonfiction is an account of a tragedy which occurred in halifax, canada, at the end of the fourth year of the great war. The halifax explosion still reverberates the globe and mail. Dec 05, 2017 black snow is a love story set during the halifax explosion. Mar 02, 2016 train dispatcher vince coleman sacrifices his own life to save a train from the halifax explosion. Halifax explosion project gutenberg selfpublishing. On the 100th anniversary of the halifax explosion, two new books.
For more information about the halifax explosion, visit. Dec 06, 2017 century after halifaxs great explosion, city marks anniversary. Niobe was repaired and continued to serve as a depot ship until 1920 when she was sold for scrap. The nova scotia archives halifax explosion book of remembrance, a database of victims with 1950 names a vision of regeneration, the explosion and reconstruction by the nova scotia archives just one big mess.
Hmcs niobes stacks are visible behind the damaged rncc building and annex after the 6 december 1917 explosion. Within three hours of the devastating blast that destroyed much of halifax on dec. Numerous fires were started on board which destroyed the ships records. Bacons the great halifax explosion trace the reverberations of the deadly disaster. Although a much smaller service, the first world war navy s fatality rate of two percent was, in fact, identical to that sustained by the rcn in the second world war. During the halifax explosion on 6 december 1917, the niobe was heavily damaged as metal debris swept across its decks, killing 19 men. Two more histories have been added to the dozens of other books. Nearly 2000 people died from the halifax explosion, many killed instantly from the blast.
Bacon is the author of the national bestseller the great halifax explosion and four bestselling books about college football, including three and out, fourth and long, endzone, and bos lasting lessons, coauthored with michigan coach bo schembechler. An anchor and chain believed to be from a canadian naval ship damaged in the halifax explosion were recently discovered in halifax. Rich in fact and shocking images, the story sets a blistering pace following one mans search through a ruined city for the love of his life as he confronts the wreckage of his past. Vessels were loading cargo, awaiting convoys, or under repair. The halifax explosion occured in halifax, nova scotia, on the morning of dec. The halifax explosion occurred on december 6, 1917, when the city of halifax, nova scotia, canada, was devastated by the detonation of the ss montblanc, a french cargo ship that was fully loaded with wartime explosives. Bacon is the author of the national bestseller the great halifax explosion and four bestselling books about college football, including three and out. The naval service of canada became the royal canadian navy in august 1911. The following is the talk on the subject given by colonel john boileau, canadian army retired, to members of rusins and guests, 15. Remembering the halifax explosion through a childs eyes, 99 years later. Hmcs niobe anchor damaged in halifax explosion found.