The 1947 texas city disaster devastated the bay area. Minutaglio recently spoke with the texas standards david brown about the oftenforgotten history and overlooked legacy of the disaster. Texas city disaster aftermath part 1 1947 on april 16, 1947, texas city, texas became home to one of the worst accidents in americas history. Reflecting on the 1947 texas city disaster new york post. Sep 28, 2018 the 1947 texas city disaster devastated the bay area community 71 years ago. Texas city, texas the texas city disaster on april 16, 1947 was the deadliest industrial accident in u. A curated virtual cemetery for names in victims of texas city disaster of 1947. A midmorning fire started on board the frenchregistered vessel ss grandcamp docked in the port, and detonated her cargo of approximately 2,200 tons. Texas city disaster were ignorance and complacency about hazardous materi als, system interaction, and a perceptual and organizational void between land and marine operations. My parents were married in austin on april 16, 1947, and many times over the years they mentioned the explosion on that day. Many years later there was a tv special about the texas city explosion and i understood why it was so ingrained in their memories. Sep 28, 2018 see historic, rare footage of the aftermath of the deadly 1947 explosion in texas city by heather leighton and craig hlavaty updated 12.
Rarely seen movie of texas city, texas explosion april. Texas city explosion of 1947 industrial disaster, texas. People stand on the sidewalk across the street from the lucus cafe, a liquor store and a dime store. Texas city, april 16 ap the worst american disaster of the last 10 years a chain of blasts set off by the explosion of a nitrateladen ship smote this gulf port today, killing an estimated 1,200 persons and injuring more than 1,000. The texas city fire united states army corps of engineers. April 16, 1947, and in texas city it seemed a good morning. The death toll was about 640 leaving over 5,000 injured and 63 unaccounted for. See historic, rare footage of the aftermath of the deadly 1947 explosion in texas city by heather leighton and craig hlavaty updated 12. It took a week to put out fires and a month to recover all the bodies. Texas city disaster area, 1947 postexplosion photographs. The disaster started with a fire on board the frenchregistered ss grandcamp, which was docked in the port and carrying approximately 2,200 tons of. The texas city disaster was an industrial accident that occurred april 16, 1947, in the port of texas city, texas, at galveston bay.
At the mass funeral service for victims of the 1947 texas. Between 400 and 600 people were killed, with as many as 4,000 injured. Timeline of important events in the history of texas city pdf. Texas city docks on april 16 and 17, 1947, produced. An example of this type of incident occurred in texas city, texas, across the bay from galveston, on april 16, 1947.
The morning of april 16, 1947, started out as an average spring day, but by days end several hundred texas city residents lost their lives and thousands of dollars of property was destroyed when a ship in the port of texas city exploded. City hall city of texas city 1801 9th avenue north texas city, texas 77592 409 9483111. Texas city disaster images all msimages an ammunition ship explodes in the port chicago disaster photos of the 1947 texas city disaster its aftermath the texas city disaster 1947 authorstream historical essay on texas. Some advantages of these sources are that they allow learners to experience an individuals personal recollection of the event along. High flyer sits at the entrance to the port at texas city as a reminder of a less fortunate emergency response which now happened 65 years ago. Outside the fencedin area, a number of people are gathered. Death on the water front the saturday evening post. A woman with bandages on her face and arm and bloodstained clothing looks at the camera. Changing lives in a heartbeat by cheryl lauersdorf ross 8 houston history vol.
Timeline of important events in the history of texas city1209 3. At the temporary morgue for victims of the 1947 texas city. Stuart villanuevathe galveston county daily news via. The texas city disaster was an industrial accident that occurred april 16, 1947, in the port of texas city. Although safety practices have improved since 1947, uneven relationships between potential system interaction and disaster. My moms uncle norman hamilton served with houston fd from 194073 and made the call to texas city on april 16, 1947. The explosion and resulting fires killed nearly 600. The texas city disaster of 1947 was a major and very deadly incident. Footage of the texas city explosion disaster of 1947. Stephens draws on official reports, newspaper and magazine articles, personal letters, and interviews with several dozen survivors to provide the first full account of the 1947 disaster at texas city. Nbcs local houston station covers the april 16, 1947, texas city disaster.
Texas city disaster records ms 529 rice university. Texas city explosion texas april 16, 1947 devastating. Texas city, tx april 16, 1947 ammonium nitrate fertilizer cargo ship the morning of 16 april 1947 dawned clear and crisp, cooled by a brisk north wind. Texas city disaster devastated community, changed way industry was regulated. While there he was able to capture these images on film. Texas city, tx disaster explosion and fire, apr 1947. This book was a 1987 class project of a santa fe 7th grade class who interviewed survivors. Photo courtesy of the moore memorial library and the portal to texas history, veale031. Annual 1947 disaster reunion photo set for april local texas city explosion 1947 uvadisasters wiki fandom 1947 texas city disaster rppc photo postcard searching for remembering the 1947 texas city explosion 30 images of the destruction from texas city disaster. Last rites were administered at a temporary morgue set up near the explosion scene.
In the foreground, another blanketwrapped body lies on a wooden table. April 1947 texas city explosion, tornadoes in the towns of wood ward, antlers, holdenville, and sasakwa, oklahoma, and a holo caust fire in a dormitory at the. The blast set off a chain of fires as well as a 15foot 4. Observe the monsanto plant, nearby oil tanks farms, and. New test may produce results 6 times faster than cdcs.
Survivors remember deadly 1947 texas city industrial blast. Texas city explosion 1947 uvadisasters wiki fandom. On the morning of april 16, 1947, the ss grandcamp, surrounded by refineries and chemical plants near the texas city docks, exploded with a force comparable to the. While in port at galveston bay, the french freighter grandcamp caught fire, setting off an explosion of its stores of. Before the west explosion, there was texas city kut. The reports, statements, images and notes describe the events of the april 16, 1947 when a french ship carrying fertilizer on galveston bay caught fire and exploded, causing disaster on shore at the nearby monsanto styrene plant and other petroleum refineries, homes, warehouses.
It was one of the deadliest industrial accidents in u. Rarely seen movie of texas city, texas explosion april 16, 1947 patrick pearsey. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the texas city disaster, 1947. On the front of the memorial is engraved in memoriam those who lost their lives in the texas city disaster of april 16, 1947. The nearby monsanto styrene plant and other petroleum refineries, homes, warehouses, ships and buildings were largely destroyed. The texas city disaster hazmat history the national hazardous materials fusion center offers hazmat history as an avenue for responders to learn from the past and apply those lessons learned to future incidents for a more successful outcome. To inquire into and investigate explosion and fire on. Listen to texas city explosion kills nearly 600 history.
Bee may, a survivor of the texas city disaster, displays a photograph of a rubble pile she was trapped under after the explosion in 1947. This exhibit was created by staff librarians at moore memorial public library. Four men lift a cot holding a blanketcovered body in the temporary morgue after the 1947 texas city disaster. Feb 11, 2017 on 16 april 1947, an arms carrier called the ss grandcamp carrying 2,300 tons of highly volatile ammonium nitrate exploded after a fire on board.
The texas city disaster, which began on april 16, 1947, was the deadliest industrial accident in u. Texas city disaster survivor shares story of explosion. While in port at galveston bay, the french freighter grandcamp caught fire. Texas city disaster records ms 529 rice scholarship home. Two explosions of ammonium nitrate fertilizer shattered texas city and its surrounding area beginning on the morning of april 16, 1947. Pdf on wednesday, march 23 2005, numerous explosions, and a fire, occurred at bp texas city refinery, texas, usa. Three identical coffins topped with flower sprays await burial at the mass funeral service for unidentified victims of the 1947 texas city disaster held in memorial park on june 22, 1947. Texas city explosion 1947 universal newsreel silent on vimeo. Texas city disaster, april 16, 1947 texas city, texas. Lack of awareness of the dangers from ammonium nitrate despite published guidelines and earlier similar historical tragedies caused the tragedies at the port of texas city on galveston bay. Another man stands in the foreground, ready to assist. Texas city disaster the handbook of texas online texas.
Texas city docks on april 16 and 17, 1947, produced the worst industrial dis aster in. One of the worst disasters in texas history occurred on april 16, 1947, when the ship ss grandcamp exploded at 9. On this day in 1947, more than 500 lives were lost. On the reverse side of the photograph is written irving peterman in cursive.
Some 2,300 tons were already onboard, 880 of which were in the lower part of. It happened on wednesday, april 16, 1947, and was one of the largest nonnuclear explosions to hit the united states. The texas city disaster, 1947 kindle edition by stephens, hugh w download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. This psa utilizes primary sources in the form of photographs and written accounts taken during the texas city disaster. The texas city disaster, 1947 authorstream presentation. Fireballs shooting into the sky were visible across galveston bay. This book gives an in depth account of the events of the texas city disaster from a distance of 50 years. Guide to the texas city disaster records, 19472003 ms 529. Grandcamp cargo ship exploded in the texas city port, killing more than 550 people and creating an unexpected calamity among those living and working in the area.
The disaster started with a fire on board the frenchregistered ss grandcamp, which was docked in. The price of official ignorance about the fertilizers explosive potential and the consequent surprise was the lives of several hundred innocent bystanders and serious injury to a similar number of people. The texas city refinery explosion occurred on march 23, 2005, when a hydrocarbon vapor cloud was ignited and violently exploded at the isom isomerization process unit at bps texas city refinery in texas city, texas, killing 15 workers, injuring 180 others and severely damaging the refinery. Photographs of the texas city, texas waterfront after it was devastated by the april 16, 1947 disaster which occurred when a french ship carrying fertilizer on galveston bay caught fire and exploded. The reports, statements, images and notes describe the events of the april 16, 1947 when a french freighter carrying fertilizer caught fire and exploded, causing disaster on shore at the nearby monsanto petroleum plant and other refineries, homes, warehouses and buildings. Just before 8 am, longshoremen removed the hatch covers on hold 4 of the french liberty ship grandcamp as they.
The explosion of two ships loaded with ammonium nitrate fertilizer at the. The frenchowned vessel, carrying explosive ammonium nitrate produced during wartime for explosives and later recycled as fertilizer, caught fire early in the morning, and while attempts were being made to extinguish the fire. Review of texas city disaster, 1947 for pad5398 authorstream presentation. The morning of 16 april 1947 dawned clear and crisp, cooled by a brisk north wind. Texas city disaster simple english wikipedia, the free.
Texas city was a seaport and included a large industrial complex of warehouses. Meant to post these on the 60th anniversary earlier this year. The incident began as a late morning fire on the french vessel ss grandcamp which had been docked next to texas city and nearby galveston. The corps conducted rescue and relief activities at texas city until 23 april 1947. Timeline of important events in the history of texas. Much of the boom industrial city of 15,000 population was destroyed or damaged. Fe citizens who survived the texas city explosion of april 16.
The disaster left an indelible mark on the city, but the people of texas city proved resilient. Rebuilding and recovery help was received from all over the world. Monsanto texas city explosion, my grandfather was an engineer who helped rebuild this plant. On this day in 1947, more than 500 lives were lost khou 11 staff.
The historic 1947 texas city disaster by 77 films duration. I think this is an excellent addition to any em curriculum as it details success and failure of preparedness, response, recovery, mitigation, communications, volunteers. Read about how zaragoza lost his two brothers in the explosion and he was saved because it was too far to walk. Apr 18, 20 the images emerging from wednesdays fertilizer plant explosion in west, texas are reminiscent of the texas city disaster an april 16, 1947 explosion that killed more than 500 people. A wounded survivor of the 1947 texas city disaster the. The fertilizer manufactured in nebraska and iowa was already overheating when stored at the texas city docks.
Charles tellus townsend was a local police officer who captured photographs of the aftermath of the texas city disaster in 1947. Texas city library a closeup view of the altar memorial at memorial park in texas city. Fortunately, a smart use of science helped avoid another explosion in texas city. The texas city disaster records were created and or maintained by survivor robert m. The texas city disaster records were created and or maintained by survivor. The texas city disaster was an industrial accident that occurred on april 16, 1947, in the port of texas city. The postwar prosperity was interrupted on the morning of april 16, 1947, when the french ship grandcamp, containing ammonium nitrate fertilizer, exploded, initiating what is generally regarded as the worst industrial accident in us history, the texas city disaster. Texas city disaster monument 19471947 find a grave. Texas city disaster devastated community, changed way. A wounded survivor of the 1947 texas city disaster description. May 24, 2015 the texas city disaster was an industrial accident that occurred april 16, 1947, in the port of texas city. In 1962, the city transformed the anchor from the grandcamp blown away from the ship and buried in the ground near the texas city railway terminal in the explosion into a memorial for the disaster. For their disaster response efforts, general of the army dwight eisenhower awarded personal commendations to colonel griffiths and the participating galveston district personnel.
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