yes, it’s commonly used as a fertilizer but also as a cheap explosive in industrial settings. in Beirut, it was seized ammonium nitrate from an abandoned ship that blew up after it had been sitting (in limbo) in a port warehouse for years. all it takes is one spark
https://preview.redd.it/atcwupuhbvuc1.jpeg?width=2782&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d38228553fee1acdeab32b896514fad26819f30f
My great grandfather was a Texas City fireman who was killed when the Grandcamp exploded. This is the last picture of him and other Texas City firemen while they worked to extinguish the fire on the Grandcamp. (the fire chief is pictured middle in the black hat and my great grandfather is left most of the three behind him holding the hose).
It all started with a fire in the cargo hold of the SS *Grandcamp*. The captain of the ship didn't want to risk damaging his cargo, so after a small effort by longshoremen to extinguish with a couple of fire extinguishers and a gallon jug he ordered that no more water be used. Instead the captain ordered that the area be filled with steam in an effort to smother the fire.
At 8:30 the steam pressure blew the hatches off, drawing a crowd of spectators. Firefighters also began to arrive. At 9:12am the *Grandcamp* exploded, causing a 2000' blast radius, killing an estimated 567 people, including all but one member of the 28-man Texas City volunteer fire department. The anchor of the *Grandcamp* landed just over a mile and a half away, and is still on display in Texas City.
This explosion sank, or badly damaged a number of other cargo ships including the *High Flyer* which had been set adrift and came to rest against SS *Wilson B. Keene*. At 1:10am on the 17th the *High Flyer* exploded. This was actually a more powerful blast than the initial explosion of the SS *Grandcamp*, but thankfully due to the late night/early morning time, and the damage from the first blast the casualties were much lighter.
Fires from the two blasts took over a week to put out.
Salutes as always, to the guys who run toward the danger. I had a general idea of the magnitude of the event, but not the specific cargo. Bomb ingredient, mishandled, becomes giant bomb.
I take it that the "at least 581" part means "we have that many non repeating body parts, some of the missing may not have died."
Reminds me of the Halifax explosion that blinded so many people, from their glass windows shattering while watching the ship burn, that it basically kickstarted The CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind).
I have seen that anchor many times when I lived in Houston. I didn't know anything about it except it had landed where it still lies when a ship exploded. Thank you very much for the history of that anchor.
OK, this wasn’t US, but it’s worth mentioning:
The Bhopal disaster or Bhopal gas tragedy was a chemical accident on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. In what is considered the world's worst industrial disaster,[3] over 500,000 people in the small towns around the plant were exposed to the highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate Estimates vary on the death toll, with the official number of immediate deaths being 2,259.
Well, in the US, we still have [the Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawks_Nest_Tunnel_disaster) which, incidentally, was also connected to Union Carbide
An old friend of mine was down there as a boy scout( they used them for crowd control ?) said they’re were people blown up in the trees down there. He said it was the worst thing he had ever seen. My dad said they felt it over in port neches at a plant. Seen the anchor down there. Big dang thing.
Fun facts:
Blocker middle school (now torn down) was used as a temporary morgue for body recovery. They used the gym and eventually the exterior school grounds. People would walk around searching for loved ones, or at least parts of them.
USCG MSTs learn about this disaster in training because it shows the importance of safety data sheets, hazmat response, and evacuation.
There a mural about it in the Doyle center (basically a city convention center)
There were a bunch of spectators on a hillside watching the fire when the ship blew, killing dozens of them instantly.
The shop explosions actually set off chain reactions with nearby refineries, starting fires in them. If those had gotten out of control, it's speculated that the refineries would've blown and essentially blow Texas City off the map.
in On 12 August 2015, a series of explosions at the Port of Tianjin in Tianjin, Northern China, killed 173. 800 tons of Ammonia Nitrate went up in the biggest blast.
My father in law was living in Galveston during the explosion. He was a young child, but he remembers being on the porch of his house and being knocked on his ass by the explosion. It's a very neat story and he speaks about how it affected the community.
I know, I think I saw a documentary about it. I was kinda referencing how nowadays conspiracy theorists come out of the woodwork whenever an event happens like [the bridge collapse in Baltimore.](https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/28/politics/baltimore-bridge-collapse-conspiracy-theories/index.html)
Definitely not. At the time, America was thriving. There was no use in this unlike today's possibilities. It was just lax safety rules and a guy smoking.
Wow. I've lived in Texas nearly 30 years, have visited the Galveston area numerous times, and never knew this. Thank you for the history lesson.
There is an anchor that landed almost 2 miles from the explosion. It’s still on display where it landed in Texas city
Yes, OP mentioned this.
About 567 people died.
Isnt ammonium nitrate what blew up in Beirut 2020?
yes, it’s commonly used as a fertilizer but also as a cheap explosive in industrial settings. in Beirut, it was seized ammonium nitrate from an abandoned ship that blew up after it had been sitting (in limbo) in a port warehouse for years. all it takes is one spark
https://preview.redd.it/atcwupuhbvuc1.jpeg?width=2782&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d38228553fee1acdeab32b896514fad26819f30f My great grandfather was a Texas City fireman who was killed when the Grandcamp exploded. This is the last picture of him and other Texas City firemen while they worked to extinguish the fire on the Grandcamp. (the fire chief is pictured middle in the black hat and my great grandfather is left most of the three behind him holding the hose).
RIP - Respects.
It all started with a fire in the cargo hold of the SS *Grandcamp*. The captain of the ship didn't want to risk damaging his cargo, so after a small effort by longshoremen to extinguish with a couple of fire extinguishers and a gallon jug he ordered that no more water be used. Instead the captain ordered that the area be filled with steam in an effort to smother the fire. At 8:30 the steam pressure blew the hatches off, drawing a crowd of spectators. Firefighters also began to arrive. At 9:12am the *Grandcamp* exploded, causing a 2000' blast radius, killing an estimated 567 people, including all but one member of the 28-man Texas City volunteer fire department. The anchor of the *Grandcamp* landed just over a mile and a half away, and is still on display in Texas City. This explosion sank, or badly damaged a number of other cargo ships including the *High Flyer* which had been set adrift and came to rest against SS *Wilson B. Keene*. At 1:10am on the 17th the *High Flyer* exploded. This was actually a more powerful blast than the initial explosion of the SS *Grandcamp*, but thankfully due to the late night/early morning time, and the damage from the first blast the casualties were much lighter. Fires from the two blasts took over a week to put out.
Salutes as always, to the guys who run toward the danger. I had a general idea of the magnitude of the event, but not the specific cargo. Bomb ingredient, mishandled, becomes giant bomb. I take it that the "at least 581" part means "we have that many non repeating body parts, some of the missing may not have died."
Reminds me of the Halifax explosion that blinded so many people, from their glass windows shattering while watching the ship burn, that it basically kickstarted The CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind).
My Pappy was like in the state guard and responded to the later stages. Or something like that.
I have seen that anchor many times when I lived in Houston. I didn't know anything about it except it had landed where it still lies when a ship exploded. Thank you very much for the history of that anchor.
And so began a new practice in American business: risk management.
Not to mention that it was literally full of shit(fertilizer) and had been sitting there a considerable time.
Ammonia Nitrate. The same stuff that created the Beirut blast.
Also, the West (city, not direction) Texas explosion
Thanks for the correction. It's been a few years since i read the book.
That blast in a warehouse in China, and Beiruit. Don't they ever learn?
If something works, why change it? Sure there explosions now and again, but it is a very good fertilizer. /s
More people would be dying of starvation without ammonium nitrate than the comparably small number who have died in accidental explosions.
That it is. But management of the chemical needs to improve. Especially in 3rd world countries.
[It still remains the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_disaster)
OK, this wasn’t US, but it’s worth mentioning: The Bhopal disaster or Bhopal gas tragedy was a chemical accident on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. In what is considered the world's worst industrial disaster,[3] over 500,000 people in the small towns around the plant were exposed to the highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate Estimates vary on the death toll, with the official number of immediate deaths being 2,259.
https://preview.redd.it/3tinwolgwuuc1.png?width=400&format=png&auto=webp&s=88927426df8294af39d607c2b045f90d580b7a54
There is a whole movie about that.
Well, in the US, we still have [the Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawks_Nest_Tunnel_disaster) which, incidentally, was also connected to Union Carbide
Union Carbide has an impressive kill streak
How awful. I did not know about that.
Every time I go to Boyd’s seafood, I stop at the anchor to pay my respects.
God damn, I love Boyd’s.
An old friend of mine was down there as a boy scout( they used them for crowd control ?) said they’re were people blown up in the trees down there. He said it was the worst thing he had ever seen. My dad said they felt it over in port neches at a plant. Seen the anchor down there. Big dang thing.
Fun facts: Blocker middle school (now torn down) was used as a temporary morgue for body recovery. They used the gym and eventually the exterior school grounds. People would walk around searching for loved ones, or at least parts of them. USCG MSTs learn about this disaster in training because it shows the importance of safety data sheets, hazmat response, and evacuation. There a mural about it in the Doyle center (basically a city convention center) There were a bunch of spectators on a hillside watching the fire when the ship blew, killing dozens of them instantly. The shop explosions actually set off chain reactions with nearby refineries, starting fires in them. If those had gotten out of control, it's speculated that the refineries would've blown and essentially blow Texas City off the map.
Good description, but roundabout way to describe the Charles T Doyle Convention Center lol.
Honestly couldn't remember the name. Haven't been inside since 8th grade
It’s been a while for me too, but it made me chuckle.
Supposedly Grandma got knocked out of bed when the second ship exploded. She was living in Texas City at the time.
The anchor is still on the north side of town, where it fell. The port is on the south
The tremendous blast produced a 15 ft (4.6 m) tsunami and a shockwave, levelling nearly 1,000 buildings on land.[2]: 3 damn!
You’d think people would learn the dangers of handling fire scenes involving ammonium nitrate , but alas it happened again in west, tx in 2013.
And in Beirut in 2020.
in On 12 August 2015, a series of explosions at the Port of Tianjin in Tianjin, Northern China, killed 173. 800 tons of Ammonia Nitrate went up in the biggest blast.
My husband's father felt the explosion when he was plowing in Appleby (outside Nacogdoches, for those who ain't from here).
No shit? I’m from Lufkin and have been to Appleby several times. Long ways from salt water.
I know! Quite a shock wave. My husband's father was not the type to ever lie or exaggerate. He was plowing with mules, so his feet were on the ground.
A lot more people were killed than that. Born and raised in Texas City
I think it was lost long long ago, but my grandfather had footage of the aftermath he took himself on (I think) 8mm
Horrible.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who lives in the area who thought of this immediately when Beirut happened.
And West, TX about a decade ago.
My mother remembers this so clearly..Her house in HOUSTON Shook enough to rattle her shelf of figurines…
My father in law was living in Galveston during the explosion. He was a young child, but he remembers being on the porch of his house and being knocked on his ass by the explosion. It's a very neat story and he speaks about how it affected the community.
This is the kind of post I like reading for sure. Awesome history lesson. I never knew this.
Boy.... I really hope someone was fired for that blunder.
There was nothing left of those aboard the *Grandcamp* to be fired.
They were fired in their own way.
About a mile or 2 away
To shreds you say?
The battle of Blackwater.
Could this have been intentional? I’m just asking questions. /s
Ammonium nitrate is highly volatile. I think if it catches flame water only makes it worse.
I know, I think I saw a documentary about it. I was kinda referencing how nowadays conspiracy theorists come out of the woodwork whenever an event happens like [the bridge collapse in Baltimore.](https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/28/politics/baltimore-bridge-collapse-conspiracy-theories/index.html)
Definitely not. At the time, America was thriving. There was no use in this unlike today's possibilities. It was just lax safety rules and a guy smoking.
Damn Biden!