Posted on Apr 16, 2024
Fertilizer explosion kills more than 500 in Texas | April 16, 1947 | HISTORY
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https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fertilizer-explosion-kills-581-in-texas?cmpid=email-hist-tdih-2024-0 [login to see] 4&om_rid=
A giant explosion occurs during the loading of fertilizer onto the freighter Grandcamp at a pier in Texas City, Texas, on April 16, 1947. Nearly 600 people lost their lives and thousands were injured when the ship was literally blown to bits.
Ammonium nitrate was used as an explosive by the U.S. Army in World War II and, after the war ended, production of the chemical continued as its use as a fertilizer became accepted. However, the precautions used in its transport became far more lax in the post-war years.
A giant explosion occurs during the loading of fertilizer onto the freighter Grandcamp at a pier in Texas City, Texas, on April 16, 1947. Nearly 600 people lost their lives and thousands were injured when the ship was literally blown to bits.
Ammonium nitrate was used as an explosive by the U.S. Army in World War II and, after the war ended, production of the chemical continued as its use as a fertilizer became accepted. However, the precautions used in its transport became far more lax in the post-war years.
Fertilizer explosion kills more than 500 in Texas | April 16, 1947 | HISTORY
Posted from history.com
American History
State of Texas
Explosives
Death
Edited 14 d ago
Posted 14 d ago
Responses: 8
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Article Quote: "The blast was heard 150 miles away and was so powerful that the ship’s 1.5- ton anchor was found two miles away."
Respect explosive materials.
Respect explosive materials.
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My parents bought some books from Readers Digest for young people. . When I would get sick and have to stay home from school, feeling bad but bored I used to read stories out those books. One story was about the explosion in Texas City entitled “The Day Death Passed me By”. The story was by a sailor working on a ship anchored in the Harbor when the explosion occurred.
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Lt Col Charlie Brown Terrible day in history. And this stupid county I live in let a company build one of these plants here. My son and I have been saying since they built it, "It's not if it blows up, it's when." Thankfully we live about twenty miles from this plant.
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