The Halifax Explosion of 1917

The first 200 words of this essay...

December 7, 1967

Memorial In Memory Of Those Killed

Citizens of Halifax gathered yesterday at town hall, fifty years after the explosive tragedy that shook our town, in memorial of the 2000 killed and 9000 injured by the Halifax Explosion. The explosion took place on December 6, 1917 just before 9:05 am. Twenty-five minutes earlier, the S.S. Mont Blanc collided with the S.S. Imo. S.S. Mont Blanc was a munitions ship packed with over 2600 tonnes of explosives, and sparks from the Imo's engines ignited vapours released by the Mont Blanc's explosive cargo. This resulted in a fireball two kilometers high, and an eighteen-metre tall tsunami.

The disaster has been forgotten by many, so those involved decided to band together and hold an annual memorial in the deceased's name. The memorial was a success, raising thousands of dollars for local charities and allowing a forum for the survivors to tell their stories.

Emily Ignatieff told the audience at the memorial her emotional story. "Both my husband and son were on the S.S. Imo. When I learned that the shockwave I felt came from a collision involving the S.S. Imo, I was so worried for