Texas City disaster...

Item # 558224

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April 17, 1947

THE DETROIT NEWS, Detroit, Michigan, April 17, 1947

* Texas City disaster
* Ammonium Nitrate explosion
* SS Grandcamp

This 68 page newspaper has a nice two line banner headline on the front page: "NEW TEXAS CITY BLASTS WRECK 2ND NITRATE SHIP" with subheads and nice photo of the devastated area. More photo on the back page. (see)

Other news of the day throughout. Rag edition in nice condition.

wikipedia notes: The Texas City Disaster of April 16, 1947, started with the mid-morning fire and detonation of approximately 2,300 tons[1] of ammonium nitrate on board the French-registered vessel SS Grandcamp in the port at Texas City, Texas, killing at least 581 people.[2] It also triggered the first ever class action lawsuit against the United States government, under the then-recently enacted Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), on behalf of 8,485 victims.

The 32.5% ammonium nitrate, used as fertilizer and in high explosives, was manufactured in Nebraska and Iowa (at the nearby Monsanto Chemical Plant and Union Carbide Plant) and shipped to Texas City by rail before being loaded on the Grandcamp, adjacent to a cargo of ammunition.

It was manufactured in a patented explosives process, mixed with clay, petrolatum, rosin and paraffin to avoid moisture caking. It was also packaged in paper sacks, then transported and stored at temperatures that increased its chemical activity. Longshoremen reported the bags were warm to the touch.

Around 08:10, a fire was spotted in the engine room of the Grandcamp, which quickly spread to the cargo hold. Conditions within the hold may have allowed for spontaneous combustion, although suspicions of sabotage were also examined by federal investigators. The fire may have been caused by a discarded cigarette. As it progressed, there were reports of crackling gunfire inside the ship, consistent with the sound of the ammunition cargo exploding.

Shortly before 9:00 AM, the Captain ordered his men to steam the hold, a firefighting method where steam is piped in to preserve the cargo. The heat from the steam caused the ammonium nitrate to break down into water vapor and nitrous oxide, producing more heat and leading to thermal runaway. Meanwhile, the fire had attracted a crowd of spectators along the shoreline, who believed they were a safe distance away.[3]

At 09:12, the ammonium nitrate reached an explosive threshold of 850°F (454°C). The vessel then detonated, causing great destruction and damage throughout the port. The tremendous blast sent a 15-foot (4.5 m) tsunami/tidal wave surging over nearly 100 miles (160 km) of the Texas shoreline, leveled nearly 1,000 buildings on land, and sunk virtually every ship within the harbor. A chain reaction caused an explosion on board the High Flyer and ignited refineries on the waterfront, destroying the Monsanto Chemical Company plant and several explosive facilities. Falling bales of burning twine added to the damage while the anchor of the Grandcamp was hurled across the city. Sightseeing airplanes flying nearby had their wings sheared off [4], forcing both out of the sky. The blast caused people in Galveston, Texas, 10 miles (16 km) away, to drop to their knees. Windows were shattered in Houston, Texas, 40 miles (60 km) away. People felt the shock 250 miles (400 km) away in Louisiana. The explosion blew almost 6,350 tons of the ship's steel into the air, some at supersonic speed. Official casualty estimates came to a total of 567, but many victims were burned to ashes or literally blown to bits, and the official total is believed to be an underestimate. The entire volunteer fire department of Texas City was killed in the initial explosion, and with the fires and aftermath raging, first responders from other areas were unable to reach the site of the disaster.

The High Flyer was severely damaged and set ablaze, and its crew fought the fire until abandoning ship an hour later. Although other boats were in the area, tugboats weren't dispatched from Galveston until twelve hours after the initial explosion. The crews spent hours attempting to cut the High Flyer free from its anchor and other obstacles, but without success. After smoke had been pouring out of its hold for over five hours, and about fifteen hours after the explosions aboard the Grandcamp, the High Flyer also exploded, demolishing the nearby SS Wilson B. Keene, killing at least two more people and increasing the damage to the port and other ships with more shrapnel and fire.

Category: The 20th Century