Halifax Explosion Leaves
a City Demolished
On December 6, 1917, the Norwegian ship
Imo
carrying relief supplies for troops was
trying to get out of Halifax Harbour in Nova Scotia. At the same time, the ship
Mont
Blanc
, loaded with explosives and fuel, was trying to get in. The two ships collided at
8:45 a.m., and a fire started. Just after 9:00 a.m., the
Mont Blanc
exploded, and entire
areas of the city were destroyed.
Some thought Captain Francis Mackey had made mistakes that led to the
disaster. He was the pilot guiding the
Mont Blanc
into the harbour. There were several
investigations, but no evidence against him was ever found.
The Halifax explosion almost destroyed the
entire north end of the city.
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canada150.beechstreetbooks.ca
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