The 1917 Halifax Explosion — when the munitions ship Mont-Blanc caught fire and detonated in the harbour — was the largest accidental explosion in history before the atomic age, so violent it hurled one of the ship's anchor shanks, weighing about 1,140 pounds, roughly two miles across the city into the Armdale neighbourhood.
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What we found
Did an anchor really fly two miles in the Halifax explosion? Yes, a 1,140-pound anchor shank did.
Transcript
An anchor shank weighing about 1,140 pounds — more than half a ton of solid iron — was hurled roughly two miles through the air and landed in a residential neighbourhood. That was the reach of the 1917 Halifax Explosion — when the munitions ship Mont-Blanc detonated in the harbour, it caused the largest accidental explosion in recorded history, unmatched until the atomic age. The blast stripped trees bare, flattened buildings across the waterfront, and sent a wall of water surging onto the shore. But the anchor shank tells the story better than any number can. That single piece of iron, torn from the ship at the moment of detonation, crossed the entire city and came to rest in the Armdale neighbourhood — where it can still be found today. Could you imagine finding that in your backyard? Let me know in the comments and subscribe for a fact every day.
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