There's a chance, however small, that kidnapping a baby and being chased by their mother after abandoning your ship will be the right thing to do.

@zacheray

Жыл бұрын

If there’s ever a movie about this, that should be the opening scene before starting from the beginning.. to make you wonder how humanity got itself into a situation like that

@marhawkman303

Жыл бұрын

@@zacheray OMG YES!!!! Morality is subject to the situation.... what's the situation?

@simpleman5688

Жыл бұрын

Nope never happen Numbskull.

@Aztesticals

Жыл бұрын

​@Mar Hawkman you just toll in from stupid town?

@Aztesticals

Жыл бұрын

​@@simpleman5688 My n**** there is a f****** movie called cocaine bad boy. This event will have a movie made about it if you don't think that you don't know how f****** cheap hollywood is

Vincent Coleman is a hero from that day, despite being killed in the explosion, his actions of getting the message out to the passenger train to stop just out of range of the explosion saved at least 300 lives. His belongings that remained, plus parts of his work station are preserved in a museum, along with a picture of him. Most other people likely wouldn't have even thought of an incoming train, and just take off to save your own life, but Coleman knew he would likely parish after sending that message "Hold up the train. Ammunition ship afire in harbour making for Pier 6 and will explode. Guess this will be my last message."

@sos-pl8pf

Жыл бұрын

The "Goodbye boys" part gave me chills. That man is a hero

@ashamon101

Жыл бұрын

And because of that message, relief started being prepared for Halifax before the explosion even happened. If I'm remembering correctly, the first relief train that came in was a surprise to people in Halifax.

@whoohaaXL

Жыл бұрын

@@ashamon101 correct. He was able to get the word out and the first relief train came within hours. Truly the greatest generations between world war I and world war II and part of the Korean war. The man stood his post knowing he was going to die and still did everything he could to save every life he could..

@jamieholtsclaw2305

Жыл бұрын

Canada made a brief reenactment of Coleman's last minute that is worth a view. kzread.info/dash/bejne/pKthqMSwnd22e9I.html

@LostShipMate

Жыл бұрын

Theres a great song that mentions this event as well as the Halifaz exlosion in general. "Fire & Flame" by Longest Johns. kzread.info/dash/bejne/hpNpsqqOZ9m3pZc.html&ab_channel=TheLongestJohns

My great grandmother survived the explosion. She would tell us stories about it growing up. She lived till 107 and was one of the last survivors.

@1simo93521

Жыл бұрын

How did she survive?

@CrusaderSports250

Жыл бұрын

Personal recollections like that are always fascinating and to be treasured, often its the little bits of human history that unfortunately never get recorded, write down what she said and share it, letting her story become a little bit more of our history.

@gameboy7072

Жыл бұрын

107?!

@ryank16

Жыл бұрын

@@gameboy7072 indeed, 1911-2018

@ryank16

Жыл бұрын

@@1simo93521 well since I wasn't around at the time and I dont have a time machine either, I can't really tell you a lot of specifics but she was in her house when it happened, all the windows were blown out and all she could remember was her grandmother picking glass out of her hands and arms. She was only 6 when the explosion happened.

One very important aspect of the story that you didnt touch on is that because winter came with such force the next day, most of the trains with supplies for the wounded were delayed in getting in to town. The only one that was able to make it through was the train from Boston, which is why Nova Scotia sends Boston a giant christmas tree every year to say thank you.

@giantidiot31

7 ай бұрын

That's actually super cool. I've read about this off and on for years and never seen that connection.

@mojoel1

5 ай бұрын

This year's tree left Halifax yesterday. I live in Southwest NS and I hope this tradition continues for a very long time.

@nbain

5 ай бұрын

@@mojoel1 I was actually fortunate enough to drive past it on the highway! It’s beautiful. I completely agree

@Catalog512

5 ай бұрын

Woah

@CharlotteWV01

4 ай бұрын

That’s a great detail. Very sad at the same time.

"Let's be SUPER diligent in preparing the holding units by using wooden partitions and non-spark connections! Can't be too careful with such volatile storage!" "What about all these barrels of blow-me-ups?" "Eh. Just wherever."

@Raptor747

Жыл бұрын

I mean, something is better than nothing.

@pyropulseIXXI

Жыл бұрын

@@Raptor747 Sometimes nothing is better than something. Like if someone offered to shove 13 loafs of shit into my mouth, I'd prefer nothing

@draheim90

Жыл бұрын

Reminds me of how in video games some enemies have only one thing that can kill them…and that one thing happens to conveniently be placed all around their lair. Wonder if early video game devs took any inspiration from this incident.

@animula6908

Жыл бұрын

People say things like that like we’re so much smarter and more sophisticated. But seeing politics and conflicts develop in the last year, I’m convinced that we will do even more desperate things when we are in a world war fighting for existence. And much stupider things. Covid taught me that too. When people feel threatened all that big talk about common sense and basic reason still goes straight out the window right away, because people are too busy disgracing themselves in various states of mass hysteria, selfishness, cowardice, and panic. Don’t lie, you know it too.

@neuralnetwork17

Жыл бұрын

@@animula6908 A portion of the population will do some or all of those things. But you're generalising to an extent that is simply ridiculous. Not all people are idiots and nervous wrecks, barely able to keep themselves together. And all the regulations and safety protocols that were developed and put into place because of disasters like this one don't just get thrown overboard in times of war. Shockingly, the loss of ships, sailors and valuable cargo is not seen as particularly helpful when trying to win a war. So governments and military organisations usually make an effort to prevent this.

To this day if a tree in the city is suspected to have been alive at the time of the explosion, special precautions have to be taken when cutting it down due to potential shrapnel inside its trunk.

@justforever96

Жыл бұрын

"special precautions"? For what, so they don't dull their chainsaws when they hit metal? What kind of "precautions" do you take against that? you cannot tell it is there until you hit it. Do they run a metal detector over the tree first? Around here the trees are all full of old barbed wire and other metal, trees grow up amid old farm junk and grow around the metal. So I just have trouble picturing what sort of "precautions" they would take. I assume you either quoted that without ever thinking about what it actually means, or you just chose a less than ideal word for your meaning.

@marcusaiello7100

Жыл бұрын

Morrowind pfp!

@raisinlemauve

Жыл бұрын

!!!!!

@mikechrister2736

Жыл бұрын

That makes sense. Crazy.

@Mordecrox

10 ай бұрын

I'm getting lots of lumbering recommendations despite not being my interest, I don't want to enable the algorithm (yes, neural network language model analyzing my comment, I mean YOU), so... What _exactly_ is the problem, busting a chain or something somehow worse?

“Guess this will be my last message. Goodbye boys.” I was listening to this video as background noise while I pack to fly down to my mom’s for Christmas. But this moment made me pause, and gave me legitimate chills, almost making me teary eyed. Vincent Coleman knew very well what sacrifice he was making. Most wouldn’t even think to do this. Tragedy impending, your work shift just moments away from ending, most wouldn’t think the last little bit of work they had to do was worth it, even if it was one that could save hundreds of lives. But the fact that he took the time to sent that message meant 300 lives was saved as opposed to just his. That’s truly heroic.

@tobymdev

Жыл бұрын

same

@OhNotThat

Жыл бұрын

It wasn't a sacrifice, he knew he was a goner. Even if he fled and cowered like a coward, it wouldn't have saved him. He simply did his best to spare others as much as possible from his doomed fate. It was an act of selflessness and compassion for others.

@WoodysAR

Жыл бұрын

@@OhNotThat Talk about chiming in... Why don't you make your own comment, instead of being contrarian and implying this persons opinion is wrong? It was OF COURSE a sacrifice. So many young people, when they don't understand a word, they apply negative connotations to it. Sacrifice is a good word and good thing. Most people, especially these days, would blindly and selfishily try to survive even in the face of total illogic. Not thinking of others, (drowning people drag down rescuers drowning them both). Heroic Sacrifice it most certainly was

@Mr.Villainous2050

Жыл бұрын

@@WoodysAR pretty sure drowning people pulling others down is a panic response, not them being selfish, but uh, yeah, you go ahead and stick to that hot take.

@Nutmeg-

Жыл бұрын

​@@OhNotThat So taking cover during an explosion makes you a coward? Ok, make sure to embrace the blast then in order to be a real man if it ever happens to you.

The part where he had to grab the woman’s baby and run with it as the only way to get her to follow him made me want to cry. Both the desperation to save them both reliant on the mothers love… that hit hard

@irena4545

Жыл бұрын

I'm still on the verge of tears from that...

@distanctive4768

Жыл бұрын

Oh man just imagine the whirlwind of emotions she felt. First there’s this fire, then a white navy man snatches your baby, then you chase after them, and now you’ve lost everything but your and your babies life and the clothes on the two of you.

@nonnobissolum

Жыл бұрын

@@TuriGamer Especially with the benefit of hindsight, eh? smh

@Aerotides

Жыл бұрын

​@@TuriGamer easy to say in hindsight. Maybe she just thought it was ablaze. Maybe they thought they had mere seconds. Either way it is easy for us to say

@anonimofied

Жыл бұрын

whats the time stamp for that part

You have to give credit for this guy. He’s been stranded on this sea with a black and white camera trying to call for help by making videos about maritime disasters for a year now!

@mayettaxtriger436

9 ай бұрын

Lol I can't believe nobody mentioned this comment lol this is a great comment xD I laughed

Mackey: "I dunno about piloting a ship packed with explosives and incendiaries..." Also Mackey: "Hey Frenchies. I brought the cigars. Let's blaze them!" Real Irish-Canadian hours

@davejones9469

Жыл бұрын

You can legitimately blame a lot of Canada's problems on the French. Not just their modern, welfare state compared to the rest of the country (gdp %) but historically too. Any time they don't get what they want, they force the country into a referendum for French independence, which they ALWAYS lose, because it would literally split Canada in two. They've even had their own terrorist groups (FLQ) as well as several separatist exteremist individuals who've done pretty horrible things. They have the shortest average work week in all of Canada, contribute less gdp, and use more resources like healthcare compared to what they put into it. The rest of Canada works extra hard so Quebec can get special treatment, then when it's threatened, they throw a fit and inconvenience the whole country with yet another referendum. They also force their language on ALL packaged products, requiring more ink and raising the price of everything. Fuck them.

@BradleyWilliams-to2oc

Жыл бұрын

COWARDS ! Foretelling their Actions Coming WW2 , GIVING UP/RETREATING B4 THE FIGHT HAS BEGUN, EH ??

The story of the men taking the woman’s baby to make her chase them to save her life… crazy. I can’t imagine how terrified she was, before and after she realized what was actually happening.

The largest man-made explosion before the atomic bomb - Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project scientists studied Halifax to model the damage for the atomic bomb - apparently pretty accurately. Apparently this influenced the decision for an air burst, so the shock wave would be wider and less influenced by terrain - it is said this is the only time the Halifax Citadel actively protected the city, as the blast wave rolled up the hill and deflected into the air leaving the south end of the city much less damaged. Very well done video.

@jessicam5712

8 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing. Fascinating!

@arostwocents

3 ай бұрын

So they used this disaster to effectively unlife many thousands of extra civilians. A picture of evil.

@SteelerzReignSupremeII

2 ай бұрын

Post that source. Trust me bro, isn't sufficient enough.

@iamf6641

Ай бұрын

Atomoc bombs are a hoax

@riplix20

22 күн бұрын

@@SteelerzReignSupremeIIidk about the nuke stuff but the citadel shielding the city is definitely true

I am from Nova Scotia. My grandfather, who we knew as "from an unknown heritage but probably Metis or Native", was one of the many orphaned babies found after the blast. He was adopted into a local family. I didn't know him well as my family moved from Nova Scotia when I was only 8 years old and we didn't stay in close contact. But us kids were told about how Grampa was found and that awful explosion. I remember him as looking more Native to me. His adopted family called him John. I often wonder about his biological family. What happened to them. Was that his mother standing on the Dartmouth shore that day? What an awful day. Thanks for covering it.

@waynepolo6193

9 ай бұрын

Have you ever considered a genealogical DNA test?

it is crazy to realize that this explosion was even bigger than the 2020 Beirut port ammonium nitrate explosion

@glengarbera7367

3 ай бұрын

Wild

@juneyshu6197

Ай бұрын

Hard to believe. I still hurt for the people of Beirut, so hard to rebuild lives there.

@AimlessSavant

Ай бұрын

Indeed. Halifax was an explosion made by things designed to explode. Beirut was an explosion made by fertilizer. Makes all the difference, it seems.

@Aranimda

Ай бұрын

@@AimlessSavant Ammonium nitrate is ammonium nitrate. It does not matter much if it has a label "explosives" or a label "fertilizer" sticked to it.

@philtru

23 күн бұрын

Beirut explosion was estimated to be .5-1 KT, this was 2.9 KT. Absolutely wild to see the video of beirut and imagine an explosion 3-6x BIGGER over 100 years ago

Vincent Coleman is a hero, yes. But if that Sailor never ran up to him, who knows. Probably would've been none the wiser as well. Thankfully, he did get the message of what was happening, and did all that he could to ultimately save many more. So thank you nameless sailor, and thank you Vincent for having a heart.

@colleenross8752

2 ай бұрын

I hope those on the trains know who saved them

The photo of that deck gun is the stuff of nightmares. You have done justice to this horrific tale.

@SanHitalsuru

Жыл бұрын

I actually pass it on the way to work daily and it doesn’t get less disquieting

@tjenadonn6158

Жыл бұрын

It's that sort of thing that helps you understand why people responded to WWI with artistic movements like surrealism and dada. It was a world unmoored from reason, and understandably some people came to the conclusion that the rules of the old world wouldn't work in the new. When the world's gone mad sometimes the best move is to follow suit.

@abjectt5440

Жыл бұрын

@@SanHitalsuru I used to live on Highfield and used to walk by it most days. It's really far from the harbour.

Not so fun fact: The SS Imo was formerly called the SS Runic, which once belonged to the White Star Line, the same company which operated the SS Atlantic and RMS Titanic. Atlantic ran aground and sank in 1873, killing more than half of the people onboard including all the women and almost all the children. Titanic famously sank in 1912 after striking an iceberg, killing 1496 people. Both of these ships sank near to Halifax and had a substantial amount of their victims' bodies buried there. Coincidentally, White Star Lines biggest rival, Cunard Line, was founded in Halifax. White Star Line always had a part to play in their rival's hometown's worst 3 maritime disasters.

@user-lv7ph7hs7l

Жыл бұрын

Speaking of White Star and Halifax Olympic just left Halifax a couple of days earlier already delayed. If she had been delayed just a bit longer she would have likely been destroyed that day. Not entirely sure but she was usually carrying thousands of soldiers so the death toll would possibly have beeb twice what it was though I don't remember if she was loaded but that's what she usually did in Halifax, pick up soldiers and head to Europe. Edit: I checked she missed it by 5 days when she left with 6000 soldiers on baord.

@DevilSurvivor69

Жыл бұрын

I went to the SS Atlantic museum near Halifax this summer and it's something every ship history fan should see, a lot great White Star artifacts.

@DISTurbedwaffle918

Жыл бұрын

@@user-lv7ph7hs7l Olympic out here dodging naval disasters like women dodge responsibilities.

@tearainey1

Жыл бұрын

The White Star Lines have a lot of blood on their hands, just looking at disasters they either caused or were part of its astounding. The company must have been cursed from its very conception. I suppose at the time crossing the ocean was a much more dangerous undertaking than it is modern day, but still. The odds were not in their favor from the get go.

@destroyer_3002

Жыл бұрын

I think the Imo actually was refloated after the blast and served exactly... 4 more years. it became a whaling ship again called SS Guvernoren but caught fire and beached in the arctic. it is still there

29:09 Imagine being either, the one Imo guy who survived, or the one Mont-Blanc guy who didn't. First guy must've felt incredibly fortunate but might've been wracked with survivor guilt; second guy must've felt like the universe itself was out to get him.

In downtown Halifax close to the waterfront there is a small cemetery, there are still a few head markers charred black and canted back away from the water. I've also read about how doctors were brought to tears upon entering wards filled with children blinded by the explosion.

The city of Boston did a lot to help the City and people of Halifax after the explosion. As a thank you the province has sent a Christmas tree (that’s over 40 feet tall) to the city of Boston since 1971. This years tree passed by me a few minutes after they cut it down and sent it on its way, beautiful thing to see Also Canada had Canadian history commercials that used to air all the time. The one about the explosion used to scare me when I was younger. Whenever I see a train I just hear “come on come on acknowledge!!!” In my head followed by screams as the explosion happens

@polarisnorth

Жыл бұрын

I love going down to Boston Common to see the tree!

@konstantinosnikolakakis8125

Жыл бұрын

Canadian Heritage Minutes they’re called. Here’s the one m.kzread.info/dash/bejne/pKthqMSwnd22e9I.html

@whyjnot420

Жыл бұрын

I love those small but meaningful gifts of thanks such as that. As simple as they are meaningful. That is the definition of an elegant gift imo.

@Ibelikemj

Жыл бұрын

Halifax in return gave Boston, Brad Marchand and terrorizing the rest of the NHL.

@caesarsalad1170

Жыл бұрын

@@whyjnot420 I wouldn't call a 40 foot tree small!

Coleman deserved a Victoria Cross for what he did as much as anyone actually in the trenches. Truly heroic as he knew exactly what he was doing, but chose to make sure others were saved even if it meant he was giving up his chance to do so

@marhawkman303

Жыл бұрын

It's the epitome of the question: "would I be able to live with myself if I didn't?" He knew what the right thing to do was. And he knew he would never forgive himself if he didn't do it. He went to meet his maker knowing he'd done his best.

@DamianMaisano

Жыл бұрын

@@gordonsmith4884 Indeed a VC is technically only for soldiers in combat, but really, this was practically that. No reason an exception couldn’t have been made

@LordRavenholm

Жыл бұрын

VC is only for gallantry in face of the enemy. The George Cross would be the appropriate decoration, but was not introduced until 1940. At the time I believe the Albert Medal was the only decoration for civilian gallantry in the Commonwealth.

@DamianMaisano

Жыл бұрын

@@LordRavenholm Indeed, as I said, he *deserved* the VC as much as anyone. And I mean really, no reason they couldn’t bend the rules just ever so slightly. A burning bomb about to explode might as well be the enemy

@DamianMaisano

Жыл бұрын

@@LordRavenholm Indeed, as I said, he *deserved* the VC as much as anyone. And I mean really, no reason they couldn’t bend the rules just ever so slightly. A burning bomb about to explode might as well be the enemy

I’ve read two extremely harrowing books about this disaster: Curse of the Narrows and Blizzard of Glass. The devastation was horrific. The injuries people had to their eyes is especially memorable. I just can’t imagine how awful this was. The town was surrounding the harbor in a bowl shape that made the destruction that much more terrible. I can just imagine everyone standing at their windows looking out at what was happening with the ships, the most deadly position for a huge explosion in their faces. I’ll never forget reading about a large family that wearily made their way to a shelter; when their father finally found them, he asked where the baby was. The injured, dazed mother and siblings had forgotten the weeks-old infant. By then it was too late.

@polarisnorth

Жыл бұрын

Curse of the Narrows is my favorite book about this incident! I've read a few different ones and I thought that one was the best.

@stevie-ray2020

Жыл бұрын

There were many eye-injuries in the recent Beirut fertiliser blast, but fortunately modern glass which is either toughened or laminated doesn't splinter into shards like back then!

@vipvip-tf9rw

Жыл бұрын

@@stevie-ray2020it's tempered, it shatters into small glass pieces, which are not sharp

@felic5615

Жыл бұрын

at that point the glass from the window is the least of your worries youd probably see a bright light a loud bang following with ringing and then nothing

@felic5615

Жыл бұрын

its so sad and we lost so much alot of people are still affected by it and we lost all of the old buildings

This, the Beirut explosion, and messing with fireworks and other explosives over the years have given me something of an irrational fear of watching fires or otherwise looking a things that could explode from behind shatterable glass.

@FluxDeimos

Жыл бұрын

Rational* that fear is entirely rational

@thedeviouspanda

Жыл бұрын

There's a video taken by a father and daughter watching a fertilizer fire when it explodes. They were okay but it was far too close.

Well done. As a Haligonian myself it always breaks my heart a little bit to remember what the history is of Halifax, but Nova Scotians and Canadians were strong people so they persevered as best they could. Back in the 90's the Canadian government created some TV shorts, called Heritage Minutes, just a minute long each that detailed certain historical events from the past. Vincent Colemans was always one everyone remembered and quoted. Some other interesting facts about the explosion: Aid came from as far away as Boston Massachusetts, the Bostonians sending medical aid and supplies among other things. As a thank you, every year Halifax sends a large tree to Boston to be the cities official Christmas Tree. The explosion was felt over 170 km (~100 miles) away on the island of P.E.I., shaking the ground and sounding like a huge thunderclap. Closer to the explosion is the town of Truro, N.S., being 80 km (~50 miles) away had peoples fine china and pictures falling off the walls, also rattling the windows. In the rebuilding process of Halifax, there was a shortage of materials due to delays in shipping and the war so people ended up building houses and shelters out of the bits and pieces that were left over from the fires and explosion. Not many of them left anymore but there are still some houses standing in the North end of Halifax that were rebuilt after the explosion. Thank you for creating this video, it was well presented and went into a lot of the history that no one looks at. Usually everyone starts learning about the explosion at the collision or just before, not getting the history of the ships and Captains.

@davejones9469

Жыл бұрын

Were my comments deleted? I can't see them...

@Del-Canada

Жыл бұрын

Haligonian here also.

@Del-Canada

Жыл бұрын

@@davejones9469 I just see this one of yours.

@davejones9469

Жыл бұрын

@@Del-Canada OK, thanks for the reply. I can never tell with YT.

@animula6908

Жыл бұрын

Well, thanks for keeping me from embarrassing myself by calling your people Halifaxians, because Haligonians is the plot twist I never saw coming.

Ever since Bostonians rendered aid in the aftermath of the disaster, the people of Halifax have been sending the city a Christmas tree every year.

Babe wake up!! Maritime horrors just uploaded

@blubbythebluewhale556

Жыл бұрын

That’s what I’m sayin

@vapormissile

Жыл бұрын

Huh, whu what? Oh, cool. (rubs eyes) Halifax. Boom. Is that where the guy got blown a mile and landed in a tree? Or an anchor. Ammonium nitrate & diesel. Need Coffee.

@austinking1979

Жыл бұрын

Damn. I saw the thumbnail, clicked on the vid to comment this, and it’s the first comment I see… DAMNIT Lol

@alexdiersen

Жыл бұрын

Exactly my response when I got the notification

@revenantsreprisal

Жыл бұрын

@@blubbythebluewhale556 That Ship look like the battlepass

As a lifelong local of the Halifax area, I've been somewhat fascinated by the Halifax Explosion nearly all my life. I think this is one of the first videos/web essays on the subject that I've seen actually go fully into the details of exactly how the Mont Blanc came to be loaded the way she was, and how that loading process impacted the way events eventually unfolded. Very thorough job on the video, excellently done!

As a Canadian I have never heard anyone say the Halifax “disaster”. Every source I’ve ever seen just calls it the “Halifax Explosion”

@kevinnugent6530

Жыл бұрын

There is another, I haven't read but have known the title all my life. It's called Barometer Rising.

@FernBlackwood1995

Жыл бұрын

Same. Only ever heard of it called the Halifax Explosion.

@connor3284

9 ай бұрын

That's odd. Why do you think that is?

@RobzdaBlade

8 ай бұрын

@@connor3284 I've come to realize as a newfoundlander... How much we are actually used as pawns.

@mynameiswritinwater

6 ай бұрын

am actually happy (well more like content, no real wayx to be "happy" on this) , to get to know more about the story surrounding the explosion, which for all its violence is just the peak of a long chain of seemingly irrelevant things going wrong to an event that is still infamous a hundred years later.

Coleman was a hero. This was the prime example of "And then it got worse."

I love how you tell not only the story of the tragedy, but also the triumph of the brave everyday people and professionals alike who stepped in to help when all seemed lost. It gives these videos a nice, uplifting ending.

he really signed off with "goodbye boys" what a legend.

From a brit who grew up just a few miles from the original Dartmouth, well done mate! A moving, fascinating, horrific, brilliantly told history of the Halifax disaster. My heart rate has only just settled...

@tomcole5118

Жыл бұрын

Original Dartmouth, as in the one in the UK? Aside from being it's namesake there isn't any connection between it and Dartmouth NS, not even really pronounced the same way.

@Aengus42

Жыл бұрын

@@tomcole5118 " English settlers named the new town in honour of William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth and England's Secretary of State for the Colonies." So, it was named after this guy's title, not the British town. "I just done a learn! 🤠

If anyone is interested in more of the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion, I would recommend a video by the History Guy, which talks about the relief effort organized in Boston which actually reached Halifax before many trains from other Canadian cities, and the Christmas Tree tradition between Halifax and Boston.

@polarisnorth

Жыл бұрын

I also highly recommend the book Curse of the Narrows! There are several books about this incident, but this one is my favorite.

It's sad knowing just how easily we as people can become distracted by curiosity. Especially when danger or tragedy is involved, whether or not we are aware of it.

@MajorT0m

Жыл бұрын

I'd rather die from curiosity than stay safe and keep my head down my whole life.

@mr.onethirtyeight5088

Жыл бұрын

@@MajorT0m - Yeah, I suppose I generally agree

@Raptor747

Жыл бұрын

In 1917 the general public would have been laughably ignorant of the dangers. It's likely that none of them could even imagine what an explosion even a tenth of that size would be like, or that such an explosion could even exist. Nowadays, the average American is aware of how dangerous stuff like toxic chemicals, radiation, explosives, and fires can be when dealing with industrial-scale incidents.

@ginmar8134

Жыл бұрын

@@MajorT0m Because those are the only two choices.

@simpleman5688

Жыл бұрын

Interesting point.

the way you spoke of the firefighters and those near to the pier getting vaporised... the multiple horrors of the explosion, the number of ways to die, the tolls of injured and dead sent tears to my eyes.

I was born and raised in Halifax and it's amazing how little other Canadians know about the explosion, we learned about it every year in class and lived quite near the remnants of the anchor which got blasted thousands of meters from the ship and was made into a memorial for the victims. Great video, thanks for covering such a wide range of maritime disasters in such an informative way!

@distanctive4768

Жыл бұрын

I didn’t know about this until highschool, and even then it was during summer school where our teacher went wayyy off the curriculum to, and I quote, “teach some more important stuff”. Turns out she was right.

@mynameiswritinwater

6 ай бұрын

anything that tosses a deck gun barrel for 3 miles.....and parts of an anchor to the other side of a peninsula is something to be actively avoided. People should learn from seemingly innocuous errors leading up to major desasters...

What a horribly perfect storm of events that led to this nightmare. Coleman's actions were beyond brave and he is forever in the pantheon of heroes. Many lives wer lost that day, but thanks to his warnings more were spared. FYI there is one surviving vessel that was present near the harbor during the explosion, the hydrographic survey ship CSS Acadia a rarity all on her own.

@jimhabsfan

Жыл бұрын

Speaking of a "perfect storm," the day following the explosion, Halifax suffered a severe blizzard, the worst in 50 years.

This channel just became a lot more strangely personal to me. I recently had a maritime disaster of my own. My partner and I were renting a 30ft powerboat to live in for cheap. This thing was docked in a marina, engines totally non-functional. 4 days ago, out of nowhere, as we were lying around doing nothing, it began taking on water fast. We began getting our valuables off as quick as we could. Some people came by to help. There were 3 water pumps trying to keep this thing afloat as we tried to save our belongings. I had to reach down into oil and fuel-coated water to try to recover what I could of our clothes. Less than an hour later, the stern was at rest at the bottom, bow sticking up and resting against the dock. We have been trying to find a new place since. As for what happened, the coast guard is investigating it. The prevailing theories are that maybe something like a sea lion knocked the thru hull loose, or maybe one of the engines' water intakes popped out. Everyone made it out ok. We are still sifting through what we saved to determine what we didn't. Now to watch a maritime horrors video with a whole new perspective!

@matchrocket1702

Жыл бұрын

You were lucky it didn't happen while you were sleeping.

@PoftSarade

Жыл бұрын

@@matchrocket1702 that thought has not left my mind for 4 days.

@kingshisa8266

Жыл бұрын

Damn man, glad you guys made it out ok. Good luck to you.

@UnDead483

Жыл бұрын

I'm sorry to hear that happened to you bro. Can't do any more than to wish you all the best from this point on.

@geigertec5921

Жыл бұрын

Tell them to check your propeller shaft seals, the o-rings may have failed. Otherwise you may want to have your partner questioned as they may have done it purposfully as part of some sick romanticized idea of a shipwreck survival fantasy - very common. It could also have been caused by vengeful brine shrimp - also known as Sea Monkeys. These tiny humanoid ocean-dwelling creatures sometimes take revenge on humans in retribution for a half century of enslavement.

A very good example of moral luck. That captain had could do nothing and hadn't done anything of his own that was wrong but because he was at the wheel when it happened, he got absolutely reamed.

as a Canadian I remember my history teachers telling us stories about this accident during 5-6 grade. I never paid too much attention to it but I just knew it was horrifying and awful and terrified something like that could happen up here. After watching this I got a better understanding of how it happened (?) this was an interesting watch. Its really unfortunate to the eye injured survivors

Very recently came across your channel and have since binge watched all your stuff. Amazingly well researched and informative. Have you heard of the RMS Lancastria? It's one of the often unheard of naval tragedies of WW2, she was part of Operation Aerial out of Saint Nazaire after the Dunkirk evacuation. It's estimated that between 4000-7000 lives were lost when she was bombed trying to leave for the English coast. I think you'd do her story justice. My great-great-uncle was killed in the sinking, he was 21

@jonhiggins2012

Жыл бұрын

I've never heard of this one! Commenting hoping maybe he'll see it!

@jacobnugent8159

Жыл бұрын

Hopefully he will make one on it

@kovacsj7823

Жыл бұрын

Was that the tragedy that everyone forgot, cause the Admirality forgot to make the documents about it non-secret for decades? I remember reading something like that about a big English ship disaster in WW2.

@cotton-Dave

Жыл бұрын

jhh2898--Whether or not those numbers are correct, you might want to read a book titled "Death in the Baltic" by Cathryn J. Prince. It is the story of the sinking of the "Wilhelm Gustloff" during the evacuation of a mix of civilians and German military from the north coast of Poland in WW2. Approximately 9,400 lives were lost. In my opinion, for anyone interested in ship disasters, this book should be a MUST-READ! A book about this video's subject is also an excellent read. It is "Curse of the Narrows" by Laura M. Mac Donald. Tons of detail from tons of research. Also, I am going to research any information re: the RMS Lancastria, and I thank YOU for that! Cheers!

@daft_mervy

Жыл бұрын

Woah, never heard of that one, gotta check it out. I’ve always been interested in ships of this era as my birthday is the anniversary of the Titanic sinking!

Great video! But I would like to offer one correction that stood out to me as off. At 27:54 you said the pressure wave was 14.7 PSI. This is normal atmospheric pressure at sea level. To experience double this (saying sea level is 0 relative PSI) one would only need to dive down 30 feet. The pressure at the Titanic is 380 ATM, which would be 5,586 PSI.

@beejwrobel

Жыл бұрын

The pressure wave was probably closer to 14700 psi.

@fourpony4566

Жыл бұрын

@@beejwrobel That would make more sense to me. Though, it really depends on where the measurement was taken since the pressure will decrease with distance.

@24Charles01

Жыл бұрын

Glad I'm not the only one who caught that.

I'm walking distance from ground zero and live only a short walk from the cemetery where many of the victims are buried. You can also see bits of wreckage strewn around Halifax and Dartmouth. These pieces were left where they landed in 1917 and many of them are adorned with memorial plaques.

Wow I don't recall ever learning about this in school while covering World War 1! This is horrendously tragic, and in the devastation I'm happy that one crew member managed to save that baby and their mother.

@someghosthunter

8 ай бұрын

Are you from America? That would explain it

Pausing just after 20:48 where you talk about how you listeners would consider their acts of heroics and I thank you for thinking so highly of me. No I'd be running off that ship and onto the life boat. I'd have ran past one of the real heros Patrick Vincent Colman the telegraph operator. Edit: getting the Hero's full name

To use the Father Ted line "we're all going to heaven lads" I'd heard this story before, still blows my mind they loaded a ship with the exact ingredients for a massive bomb and do it in a manner most likely to detonate

Mont Blanc was probably the inspiration for the TUGS episode Munitions. One character comments that loading fuel and munitions on the same ship is dangerous seamanship. That is certainly true.

@alexanderblitz4569

Жыл бұрын

It was OJ, the oldest paddle tug for the Star Fleet mentioning it to Hercules

I've heard this covered before, but you provided more detail. I liked how you described how the Emo came to be loaded.

Such a tragic piece of Canadian history and loss at a time when lots of that had already happened. Back then Newfoundland was still it's own dominion and wouldn't join Canada for another 32 years. Thank you for covering this topic that, as a Newfie myself, I hold very close to my heart.

@jamesknapp64

Жыл бұрын

I never knew that about Newfoundland.

@PaulRudd1941

Жыл бұрын

@@jamesknapp64 2 world wars and the economic depression, Newfoundland was solo the whole time. My grandparents birth certificates both say "Dominion of Newfoundland" on them. I even managed to get hold of a couple of "Newfoundland dollars" with King George on them! Definitely a great rabbit hole of history to delve into

@Yosetime

Жыл бұрын

Being born in Nova Scotia near to Halifax, my grandfather was one of the orphaned babies found after the blast. Nobody knew who his parents were. He looked Native so was assumed that. To this day I don't know. Maybe someday I'll take a DNA test and find out. Grampa John was adopted by a nearby family and lived a long life. Never knowing where he came from. He served in WW2 and never spoke about any of it. But he kept his WW2 rifle under his bed until his death. Or so we were told. He was very reserved and sentimental.

@someghosthunter

8 ай бұрын

I'm from Halifax. I've sat on the Mont-Blanc's anchor to watch the Buskers. It's really nice here, but for some reason, Halifax thinks that it's a massive city, and has really stupid big city prices.

The moment you realize you have seen/stood upon/next to ships of comparisable size and realizing one of these was reduced to pieces you could carry in a fraction of a second is darn scary

My Great Aunt was Ashpan Annie. She survived the explosion after being blown under the stove and covered in rubble.

A fascinating recount of an over 100-year-old disaster that most of the world never heard about. I thoroughly enjoy watching this channel as the detail of the disaster du jour is always real enough that I could imagine myself there witnessing it. You are to be commended for your story-telling efforts as much as your fact-finding ability. Thankyou so much for taking the time and providing such a great product. All the best from Auckland, New Zealand.

Hes back and with one of his best videos! Im an aviation guy but this channel is still very entertaining. Keep up the great work mate! Support from the UK

What a staggering catastrophe, and one that could have so easily been avoided by competent seamanship.

I live near Halifax. I find it surprising how little people know about such a massive explosion

A great account of an unbelievable tragedy that should never have happened. Well done.

It’s amazing to me how most of these incidents are caused by one small thing that would have been easily avoidable. So sad, but a good reminder to myself to pay attention and make the smart choices

Probably the best video I have ever seen covering this topic, and especially the rare photos such as the Stella Maris that are often never shown. Very well done!

that dude taking the child from her mother in order to have her follow him to safety is genius must ave been terrifying for her but he stil saved both

The Norwegian ship Imo, some fault in her gears She struck Montblanc's side like the mightiest of spears The bins all ignited, the captain's worst fears As the fire consumed bow to stern

This disaster so reminds me of the Texas City disaster that took place in 1947.

@ericreese7792

Жыл бұрын

A lot of similarities between the two incidents, yeah. Perhaps the most eerie is that both involved a ship called the Highflyer (or High Flyer).

I live an hour away from Halifax, and this story is particularly of interest to me, because my great-grandfather was in the city when it happened. Thanks for retelling it.

Great video! I always love learning more about the Halifax Explosion. My Great-Grandfather was stationed there on McNabs Island when this happened. He saw it happen, and was one of the first responders to the the disaster. I cannot imagine what it would have been like, seeing all that carnage and death. Followed him the rest of his life.

Maritime horrors are a special kind of fear. I don't go on cruises for a reason.

as a Canadian, we took a wholeass lesson on this, and i remember expressly in the books we read, a survivor had their eye sucked out due to the pressure they experienced from the blast. 'i could see the back of my destroyed house, and the ground, like i were staring down at it. my eye had been hanging free from my head.' that quote, stuck with me for so many years.

This story was absolutely insane! I clicked on this video completely randomly out of boredom and didn’t have any expectations, yet this was one of the most thrilling, chilling, and well put together productions I have ever seen… absolutely stellar work my man!

I was born in Halifax and have heard stories about this disaster my entire life. Very well done. Thanks for posting.

An awesome video of a horrific incident. One can't imagine the suffering of the injured and the dying. This is a prime example as to why rules exist and what can happen when people choose to break them. Absolutely tragic.

@sildragonqueen

Жыл бұрын

Honestly if it wasn't for that little ship sailing on the wrong side, I don't think the disaster would have happened. It should have been on the other side of the channel. It's like driving on the wrong side of the freeway and getting pissed at people who are following the rules.

My day was made when you uploaded! Thank you for this, the quality in your videos and your storytelling make it all worth the wait.

I've seen a few videos about the Halifax Explosion over the years. However, I've found this one to be the most detailed, researched and presented. Good work!

literally my only complaint about this channel is that there aren’t enough videos! these are amazing keep it up

I've spent the last few days rewatching MH videos, hoping for a new upload. This channel is an absolute favourite of mine, and to see MH covering the Halifax Explosion is a real treat given my NS heritage! Keep up the amazing work man.

This is seriously one of the best maritime history channels on the internet. Keep up the good work!!

Have you considered doing a presentation about the SS Grand Camp during the Texas City Explosion? It has some similarities to this disaster.

One thing you forgot to mention about the imo was her prop was an off center one. That's what caused her to swing not just because she was a single screw ship

Hey, I am French. Please stop apologizing: your pronunciation is pretty good! Great story as usual. Thanks for sharing!

Good too see a new video. I've been wondering when you'd tackle this one. Thank you for making it so vivid and real, it's easy to forget all the lives that were affected and focus on the superlatives of the event, but I was a little in tears.

Nothing like settling down and coming to bed to let this haunting maritime tale drift me into a deep sleep.

Hey I just want to say I learned more about this here than I ever have and I’ve been to the museum. Of course most Canadians know about Coleman, but all the events leading up to this was new to me. Thanks really enjoy these series.

Halifax is such a beautiful city. It's really hard to imagine such a breathtaking disaster happened there.

@gung2549

Жыл бұрын

That place is filled with screw heads and nut jobs

Fire and Flame by The Longest Johns tells the story of the Mont Blanc in the style of a sea shanty, it’s very well done.

Well done, mate! This is hands down the most informative and vividly descriptive video on this tragedy that I have seen. I really appreciate your research into this event and your articulate delivery of the story. Truly, it is one of the saddest events in human history, wrecking havoc and horror upon thousands of innocent, unsuspecting lives.

Fantastic to see this little- talked about disaster on your channel. Cheers from Halifax!

This channel got me into video essays and a new found interest in maritime. Keep growing and making great content

Legal Vices sent me here, these are so well done, prepared, and operated. Props to you!

I was raised majority of my life in Halifax and still live here, and they talk about the Halifax explosion frequently in schools. My elementary school used to always have a lesson dedicated to it around the anniversary. Halifax is considered to be one of the most haunted cities, and the Halifax explosion helped add to that. We’ve also had a genocide and also hung people like ornaments but the explosion did play a big role. I personally don’t really believe in ghosts, but I enjoy learning about our ghost stories as the history in them fascinates me. My personal favourite ghost story is the demon fish of devil’s island. It’s pretty odd, but also weirdly fascinating. I definitely recommend checking it out if your into it. It’s by far the most unique ghost story I’ve heard

Just got off of work to be blessed with this upload! Found your channel a year ago and binged everything while doing homework and studying. May be going to school for aerospace, but all of your videos are top tier and entertaining, I'm glad to see you're back!!

Mont Blanc: Watch me make this city disappear

i just saw a video on this same disaster from Casual Navigation a few days ago; it was very neat to see the differences in your coverage of it! i really appreciated how you went deep into the human aspect, both the backgrounds of the people involved and the responses to the devastation. very well made video!

Your video is the most thorough treatment of this most unimaginable of tragedies I have seen on this platform. Kudos on a job very well done! My subscription has been well earned and I look forward to going through your back catalog.

Glad to see you back. I enjoy the world view of your perspective. It's akin to an actual firefighter discussing historical fires and the complications such incidents would cause. Hope to see more of your work.

I was just wondering when you’d upload again. Glad to see you back!

I found this channel two days again and I totally got hooked right away listening to the Edmand Fitzgerald that I listened to the rest of it on the way to work. But yeah no, keep uploading man I absolutely love history and learning about these different ships are just truly amazing

"People like to imagine what heroic actions they would have taken." Me, 1917, S.S. Mont Blanc: *Sees bow catch fire* Nope *dives overboard and starts swimming*

Glad to see you making videos again. You produce a quality product. I have a strange fascination with large vessels going down into the Briney depths.

This is by FAR my favorite channel on KZread. I re-watch it while I eat, while on road trips, and even while I sleep! Keep up the great work as I’m sure these videos are no small task to create.

2:54 your prononciation was actually pretty good ! The name of the captain was decent too. However, for "Mont Blanc", the *t* and *c* are silent (one of the "great" oddities of our beautiful language 😅). Fun fact : Mont Blanc means "White Mountain", it's the name of a mountain in the Southeast of France, even though it's mainly in France, the Mont Blanc is actually spreading into 3 countries as a substantial parts of it actually are in Switzerland and Italy. Great video as always, keep it up !

@maximemeunier7799

Ай бұрын

Je venais d'écrire environ le même message pratiquement lol. Je suis allé voir après s'il y avait quelqu'un qui l'avait mentionné avant!

Good to have you back - and with a topic that's played on my mind for a long time, too. Thanks as always.

I recently discovered your channel like 2-3 days ago, and ive just been listening to it while building (ironically enough) the Lego Titanic. I’m sad that i’ve officially watched all of your videos, but it’s safe to say that I am looking forward to more, and you have very quickly become a favorite channel of mine

Welcome back, Captain! A sombre topic but you handled it with care and respect. Thanks for another excellent video.