Firebird Times SPECIAL EDITION The Halifax Explosion Edition Dec 6th, 2006 Editor: Abbey Troup -8-5 Journalist: Paige Dobson- 8-5

The Halifax Explosion, a history of benzol, and more than 300 rounds of ammunitions. The Mont-Blanc was instantly on fire and drifted to and up against a pier, setting it on fire. Hundreds of people on their way to work or school flocked to the docks to watch the blazing ship, and also went to windows to watch. Just moments after setting the dock afire, the Mont-Blanc exploded. It was 9:05 a.m. The force of the explosion blew the 3 000 ton ship onto metal fragments, causing a little tidal wave to sweep over the Halifax dock area and blew the equally large Imo to the Dartmouth bank. The devastation was immediate, and huge. The people not instantly killed by falling objects of flying glass and metal, were trampled by running people, or hurt themselves by landing on something. These people were taken to hospitals Today is a very special day, though it may not seem like one. Maybe today is your birthday, or your friends birthday, or maybe it’s an anniversary. Well, today is an anniversary. It’s December 6th, the anniversary of the Halifax Explosion. An explosion that occurred before the nuclear bomb. Now, you may be thinking, “Why should I care?”, you should care because it’s a part of you. Whether you have lived all your life in Halifax, or have just moved here, our history is a part of you. If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m going to give you a quick history lesson. On December 6th, 1917 at 8:45, the Mont Blanc (ammunitions ship) and the Imo (a Belgian relief ship) collided. The Imo cut a huge gash in the Mont Blanc, which at the time was a floating bomb carrying 2 300 tons of wet and dry picric acid, 35 tons

where many people died, and waited to be treated. To make matters worse, that night and all the next Day a blizzard roared, hampering rescue efforts and killing even more people in the cold. The death toll was well over 2 000, and the injured and/or missing list well over 9 000. The explosion literally knocked Halifax flat. It was said that it looked like a card city that someone blew over. Pieces of the Mont-Blanc like the cannon, of the anchor were found miles away in Windsor and Truro. As horrible as it was, some good came of it. People from England and the United States sent medical personnel, workmen, and supplies to Halifax and the wealthy opened up their homes as makeshift hospitals. It brought out the best in people, like Boston. The State of Boston sent us many men to help down to help us. Ever since that fateful day, we are eternally grateful to the State of Boston and to this day, we send the biggest and the best Christmas tree we can find down to Boston as thanks. Today at 9:05, Haligonians will stop the left side of the clock tower at exactly 9:05, and at the same time they will shoot one round on ammunition at the same time. So today take a minute out of your math class or hockey game to remember all the people who died that fateful day 89 years ago. I know I will. Paige Dobson