The rail cars started to shake and the train came to a complete stop. The vessel drifted from near the mid-channel over to Pier 6 on the slack tide in a matter of minutes and beached herself. Their house collapsed. After spending more than a decade as a reporter covering the Nova Scotia legislature, Amy Smith joined CBC News in 2009 as host for CBC Nova Scotia News as well as Atlantic Tonight at 11. Minutes later came a dull rumble from the east, like a distant thunderclap, as the largest man-made explosion in human history until that time levelled the city of Halifax. Moments before the 1917 explosion, a train dispatcher warned an approaching passenger train, saving the lives of hundreds of people. But Vince Coleman was killed when the Mont Blanc exploded, as were nearly 2,000 other people. Coleman was an experienced dispatcher who had been commended a few years earlier for helping to safely stop a runaway train.[2]. "She had my grandfather's telegrapher's key and his watch. 10 did stop, and his message also reached every station from Halifax to Truro. 10 and save the 300 people aboard? Fortu… A cloud of smoke rose 20,000 feet in the air while over 400 acres was completely destroyed by the explosion. Twentieth-century wartime activity (1914-18 and 1940-45) again heightened Halifax's enduring strategic role, as the city became a major port for shipping supplies to Europe. Vince Coleman was also the subject of a Heritage Minute and was a prominent character in the CBC miniseries Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion. The Halifax Explosion was a maritime disaster in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on the morning of 6 December 1917. Coleman was an experienced dis… 597, the testimony of Henry Dustan, Library and Archives Canada. The line ran along the western shore of Bedford Basin from Rockingham Station to the city's passenger terminal at the North Street Station, located a mile to the south of Richmond Station. A very detailed account of what happened aboard Train No. She remembers growing up hearing the story of Coleman, who was working as a train dispatcher at the station in the Richmond Depot just before two ships collided in Halifax Harbour. Halifax explosion, also called Halifax explosion of 1917 or the Great Halifax Explosion, devastating explosion on December 6, 1917, that occurred when a munitions ship blew up in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. On that day, the Halifax explosion was the most powerful explosion that had ever been created by man. He learned of the collision of the munitions ship in Halifax Harbour, and the explosion that decimated much of Halifax, Dartmouth and surrounding areas. It was a split-second decision about the fate of train passengers bound for Halifax. Finlayson's grandmother Frances and her aunt Eileen, a baby at the time, had serious injuries that would take many months to heal. Coleman died in the explosion as did his office manager, William Lovett, and his stenographer, Florence Young. "Dan Conlin, "Vincent Coleman and the Halifax Explosion", "Vincent Coleman and the Halifax Explosion". Seconds later, the ship would explode and set off the 3,000 tons of explosives inside. "He was an ordinary man, a family man, and he just went to work that day never assuming anything special was going to happen," Coleman's granddaughter, Ann Finlayson, said in an interview from her Ottawa home. They were very treasured by my grandmother.". The devastating Halifax Explosion was the largest man-made detonation before the creation of nuclear weapons. On the morning of 6 December 1917, the 45-year-old Coleman and Chief Clerk William Lovett were working in the Richmond station, surrounded by the railway yards near the foot of Richmond Street, only a few hundred feet from Pier 6. People screaming and yelling.". One of the Mont-Blanc’s cannon barrels was thrown three and a half miles, and her 1/2 ton anchor was later found two miles in the opposite direction. Patrick Vincent Coleman (13 March 1872 – 6 December 1917) was a train dispatcher for the Canadian Government Railways (formerly the ICR, Intercolonial Railway of Canada) who was killed in the Halifax Explosion, but not before he sent a message to an incoming passenger train to stop out of range of the explosion.Today he is remembered as one of the heroic … Woods, who has written a play about the importance of Ligoure and other Black Haligonians during the explosion, told me that the unsung quality of the doctor’s heroism was another disappointment in a life that had more than its share. Cars were left in twisted masses. The Halifax explosion. The explosion was a cargo explosion on a ship that led to nearly two thousand deaths. Air Travel, Vaccines for Smallpox and Polio, the rise of Mass Communication and the emergence of a Global Economy. First, we watched a couple of videos – including the short Heritage Minute that showcased the efforts Vince Coleman, a train dispatcher who ran back to the office to message an incoming train full of passengers to stop them from arriving just as the explosion … During WWI, the port at Halifax was a beehive of activity. [9] The warning message is also changed. Moments later came word the message was received, but by then it was too late for Coleman to flee the blast. According to MacMechan, the train was past the point where it could be stopped because it had already passed the Rockingham station, the last station before Richmond. "They were kept in a very safe place. As a result of the blast, the Imo was found beached on the Dartmouth shore, lifted there by the massive tidal wave. The Halifax Explosion: The Halifax Explosion was a disaster that occurred in Nova Scotia in Canada. The Halifax Explosion was a maritime disaster that caused the largest man-made explosion the world had ever known up until the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War 2. Making for Pier 6. The toll of the Halifax Explosion was enormous with over 1600 men, women and children killed. Train dispatcher Vince Coleman sacrifices his own life to save a train from the Halifax Explosion. Stop it. Ninety-nine years ago, on Dec. 6, … Halifax never reset it; … The train was halted at Rockingham Station, on the western shore of Bedford Basin, approximately 6.4 kilometres (4.0 mi) from the downtown terminal. The ship arrived in Halifax on 3 December for neutral inspection and spent two days in Bedford Basin awaiting refuelling supplies. Making for Pier 6. Goodbye." The four-car overnight passenger train contained a maximum of 300 people, not 700 as claimed in the Heritage Minute. No. More subtle century old articles about early concerns over fresh air and water that would give rise to movements decades later. Phelan was attending a meetings at the Massac… In reality the Richmond Station was surrounded by freight yards. It destroyed much of the city and must have remained a horrific memory for those who survived. It was a split-second decision about the fate of train passengers bound for Halifax. Another error is the exaggeration of the number of passengers aboard the Saint John train. [7], Although historians debate whether Coleman's initial message actually contributed to stopping the No. The Norwegian ship SS Imo had sailed from the Netherlands en route to New York to take on relief supplies for Belgium, under the command of Haakon From. The Halifax Explosion of 6 December 1917, the biggest human-made blast before the atomic bomb, holds a poignant place in my family history. This is a city where the lights always seem to be on, and people always seem to be on the go. Who stopped the train in the Halifax Explosion? Maritime Museum of the Atlantic - Halifax Explosion. While my maternal grandfather and two of his brothers were fighting in the trenches of Europe, their father, my great grandfather, and a brother-in-law, were working as stevedores on the Halifax waterfront. From there, trains were controlled on the mainline into Halifax. Dec. 6, 1917. When an explosion off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, devastated much of the city on December 6, 1917, doctors and nurses in Boston were quick to act. "He stopped the train but he didn't have enough time to get away from the area, and he lost his life as a result." The committee had one overriding goal: to make sure the war did as little damageto Massachusetts as possible. The loading of fuel was not completed until after the anti-sub… However, historians don't know if Coleman's frantic pleas stopped the train. Discover (and save!) Trains were stopped dead. And they saw clouds coming up from the harbour. Some days, the harbor was as busy as a highway at rush hour. One of those is the gravesite of Vince Coleman, the train dispatcher immortalized for his bravery in staying at his post to warn an incoming train of the pending danger. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. ... An incoming passenger train was stopped outside the … Investigation into the Halifax Explosion, RG 42-C-3-a, vol. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. The Halifax Explosion started when two ships collided in the harbor of … Halifax was rebuilt and international rules about identifying dangerous cargo were strengthened. The museum holds many artifacts from the explosion. These were the last words of Vince Coleman, the train dispatcher who met his end on December 6, 1917, in the Halifax Explosion. #PARTOFOURHERITAGE. "The horrific day that changed not only their lives, but the lives of thousands of people in north-end Halifax.". RELEASED 1991. Hope amid the rubble: How the disastrous Halifax Explosion sparked reform, Viola Desmond's sister recounts family's Halifax Explosion experiences, How braille, screen readers and other technology changed the world for blind readers, Halifax Explosion stamp captures moment after ships collided, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. your own Pins on Pinterest 10 train, there is some documented evidence to indicate it did. With James Bradford, Griffith Brewer, Judith Hilderman, Richard Jutras. Dec 7, 2017 - In many ways it was a typical early winter day in Halifax – that December 6, 1917. This would also lead to most trains that were heading into Halifax to stop saving many more than the 300 on the incoming passenger train. The spectators had no idea that 20 minutes later, the fire would trigger the largest man-made explosion to that date. Immediately thereafter Mont-Blanc caught fire, and the crew abandoned the ship. THE 1945 HALIFAX EXPLOSION by Ted Doyle Following HMCS Iroquois’ return to Halifax in June, 1945, the ship was to be re-fitted for service in the South Pacific. 9000 others were injured and 6,000 were left without shelter. Today he is remembered as one of the heroic figures from the disaster. Finlayson's mother and other siblings were sent to live with their grandmother on Edward Street and then with other family members in Pictou. That’s the day of the Halifax Explosion. Coleman's final telegraphed message — "Munitions ship on fire. It would be the biggest and most devastating explosion in history until the invention of the nuclear bomb. Not far away, Ann Finlayson's mother Eleanor was in class at school. Halifax, Nova Scotia is a busy, fast-paced city with something exciting always going on. A crowd of several hundred gathered at the Halifax Explosion Memorial Bell Tower on Fort Needham in Halifax on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016. It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. HERITAGE MINUTES. They, too, are buried at Mount Olivet. The massive explosion killed more than 1,800 people, injured another 9,000–including blinding 200–and destroyed almost the entire north end of the city of Halifax… 10's Conductor Gillespie reported to the Moncton Transcript that although running on time, "his train was held for fifteen minutes by the dispatcher at Rockingham."[8]. The naval accident that erased an entire … The railway quickly mobilized aid, sending a dozen relief trains with fire and medical help from towns in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick on the day of the disaster, followed two days later by help from other parts of Canada and from the United States, most notably Boston. "Halifax Explosion". White-hot shards of iron rained down on Halifax and neighboring Dartmouth. Though she had been given clearance to leave the port on 5 December, Imo's departure was delayed because her coal load did not arrive until late that afternoon. "My mother said the street was on fire, houses were burning and people were running up the Russell Street hill, they were all running. Ammunition ship afire in harbor making for Pier 6 and will explode.” These were the last words of Vince Coleman, the train dispatcher who met his end on December 6, 1917, in the Halifax Explosion.Seconds later, the ship would … The record is unclear. Back that train up and reconsider. The family finally reunited a year and a half later. On the morning of 6 December 1917, the 45-year-old Coleman and Chief Clerk William Lovett were working in the Richmond station, surrounded by the railway yards near the foot of Richmond Street, only a few hundred feet from Pier 6. Kernaghan, Lois and Richard Foot. As newspapers rushed to print information, stories of tragedy and survival changed as the days went on, amid the confusion, to form a picture of a developing event. "Munitions ship on fire. CAST. Mont-Blanc's forward 90 mm gun, its barrel melted away, landed approximately 5.6 kilometres (3.5 mi) north of the explosion … Ships from its harbor carried troops and supplies to the armies in Europe. Unsure of what had happened, but fearing that it was likely disastrous, nearby communities rallied to send relief. It is a beautiful city nestled right by the water and a popular tourist attraction. The survivors. The Halifax Explosion. Stop it now. Today he is remembered as one of the heroic figures from the disaster. [11] A Halifax harbour ferry was named Vincent Coleman, by popular vote in the spring of 2017. The blast released an explosive force equal to about 2.9 kilotonnes of TNT. An accepted version of Coleman's Morse code message reads as follows: Hold up the train. [10], Coleman was inducted into the Canadian Railway Hall of Fame in 2004. The ship was instantly shredded. Train dispatcher Vince Coleman sacrifices his own life to save a train from the Halifax Explosion. "After the collision the Mont-Blanc was grounded at Pier 6 and 20 minutes later kaboom! Despite being one of the most tragic and devastating man-made disasters in North American history, the Halifax Explosion remains largely unknown.On Dec. 6, 1917, the collision of a Norwegian supply ship with a French freighter hauling high explosives in the narrow waterway between Halifax, Nova Scotia's Bedford Basin and the Atlantic resulted in an explosion unprecedented until the … If you were walking around Halifax, Nova Scotia, on this day back in 1917, you'd have been among the lucky ones. It is a beautiful city nestled right by the water and a popular tourist attraction. Train No. If you were walking around Halifax, Nova Scotia, on this day back in 1917, you'd have been among the lucky ones. The survivors. The devastating Halifax Explosion was the largest man-made detonation before the creation of nuclear weapons. [13][14], Nova Scotia Vital Statistics, Birth: Registration Year: 1874 - Book: 1811 - Page: 5 - Number: 92; Death: Registration Year: 1917 - Page: 102 - Number: 613, Investigation into the Halifax Explosion, RG 42-C-3-a, vol. Yes, the Explosion was a horrific event that killed thousands, and terribly injured thousands more. This is a city where the lights always seem to be on, and people always seem to be on the go. After the telegraph lines to Halifax went dead, Vincent Coleman’s last message out had flashed from station to station along the Eastern Seaboard (Mac Donald, Curse of The Narrows – The Halifax Explosion 1917, p. 103). Dispatcher Vincent Coleman, in the minutes before the harbour explosion on Dec. 6, 1917, stayed at his post, even though he realized disaster was about to strike. And that is how Ann Finlayson remembers him — an ordinary family man who gave his life on an extraordinary day. But Vince Coleman was killed when the Mont Blanc exploded, as were nearly 2,000 other people. “Hold up the train. 596 and Appeal Book and other records, RG 42-C-3-a, vol. The mistreatment of African-Nova Scotians in the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion is, by now, well-known. Halifax concentrated on strengthening its rail and water transportation functions, spurred by the large-scale ocean terminals built in 1913 to export prairie grains. A view of the “cauliflower-like plume” from the explosion. Patrick Vincent Coleman. And the teacher said, 'I think, children, we are being attacked: run home.' But Halifax has not forgotten, and every Dec. 6, just before 9 am, there is a service by the Memorial Bells at Fort Needham, close to where SS Mont-Blanc exploded. 597, the testimony of Edward McCrossan (SS. White-hot shards of iron fell down upon Halifax and Dartmouth. So they all ran home," she said. The explosion was so violent that a one of the Mont Blanc‘s guns flew over 3.5 miles before coming to rest in Dartmouth. A condominium near Mount Olivet Cemetery on Bayer's Road is named The Vincent Coleman, also in his honour. [6], The telegraphed warnings were apparently heeded, as the No. Aside from the Hinch family stone, McSweeney said there are more than 330 Catholic victims of the explosion buried at Mount Olivet. The Halifax Explosion devastated the north end of the city, killing nearly 2,000 and injuring 9,000. The barrel of one of Mont-Blanc's guns landed 3.5 miles to the north while part of her anchor landed 2.0 miles to the south. Patrick Vincent Coleman (13 March 1872 – 6 December 1917)[1] was a train dispatcher for the Canadian Government Railways (formerly the ICR, Intercolonial Railway of Canada) who was killed in the Halifax Explosion, but not before he sent a message to an incoming passenger train to stop outside the range of the explosion. Aug 31, 2017 - This Pin was discovered by Sheryl Kirby. 596 and Appeal Book and other records, RG 42-C-3-a, vol. The Halifax Explosion was disaster that occurred in Nova Scotia in Canada. [4] The overnight express train No. They were the only two things that was given to her when they found the body," Finlayson said. "The train was held up at Rockingham station, but it was running late to begin with," said Richard MacMichael, co-ordinator of interpretive programming at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Train No. Share. After realizing the munitions ship Mont-Blanc was going to blow, Coleman sent frantic messages trying to stop a train full of passengers headed for the city. The Canadian Encyclopedia, 15 November 2017 , ... tapping out a message on his telegraph key, warning stations up the line to stop any trains from entering Halifax. My 10-year-old son uses his LEGO to re-enact the events of the Halifax Explosion of December 1917, when two ships collided in Halifax harbour, creating the largest man-made explosion … 10 passenger train was stopped just before the explosion occurred. She can be reached at amy.smith@cbc.ca or on Twitter @amysmithcbc, Audience Relations, CBC P.O. He had risen in the firm of Hornblower & Weeks from the position of clerk to partner on the strength of his hard work. And it gave people there a sense that something was wrong in Halifax. Coleman's telegraph key, watch and pen are on display in the Halifax Explosion exhibit at Halifax's Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Halifax Explosion. On the morning of December 6, 1917, two ships collided in the harbor of the Canadian province of Halifax in Nova Scotia resulting in a massive explosion that ultimately killed 2,000 people and injured thousands more. That’s when, on the morning of December 6, 1917, a massive shock wave, often called the largest manmade explosion before the atomic bomb, stopped the clock. The blast was the largest man-made explosion prior to the atomic age. Two men on the Halifax side who had learned that an explosion was imminent were Vincent Coleman, a railway dispatcher in the nearby railway yards, and William Lovett, chief clerk of the yards, who was warning people in the yards about the Mont-Blanc's deadly cargo. For more information about the Halifax Explosion visit The Canadian Encyclopedia. 10 from Saint John, New Brunswick, carrying nearly 300 passengers, was due to arrive at 8:55 a.m. Before leaving the office, Lovett called CGR terminal agent Henry Dustan to warn him of a burning ship laden with explosives that were heading for the pier. 10 was gathered from interviews of passengers and crew by Archibald MacMechan in 1917 and published in Graham Metson's 1978 book The Halifax Explosion December 6, 1917. The Halifax explosion affected entire generations. Pedestrians were thrown violently into the air, houses collapsed on all sides. "The most important thing to know is even if he didn't stop the train, the messages that he sent out went as far as Truro. Good-bye, boys. The Heritage Minute and other sources contain historical inaccuracies in that Coleman is shown warning others in the area surrounding the depot station of the impending explosion. Faced with a choice to run for safety or risk his life to save people bound for Halifax, the dispatcher put others first. The Halifax Explosion of 1917. Directed by Richard Ciupka. At approximately 8:45 a.m., there was a collision between SS Mont-Blanc, a French munitions ship carrying a cargo of high explosives, and a Norwegian vessel, SS Imo. Of course, Ed was wondering what had happened until he spoke to a friend who worked on the train. Two ships collided in busy Halifax harbour early in the morning on December 6, 1917. 10 did stop, and his message also reached every station from Halifax to Truro. Even though Lovett had left the station, both he and Coleman were killed in the explosion. On that bright morning of December 6, one of the ships heading out from Halifax was the Mont-Blanc. Ammunition ship afire in harbour making for Pier 6 and will explode. J.J. Phelan was a man of action. Did Coleman really stop Train No. A moving exhibit on the Explosion, "Halifax Wrecked," can be seen at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Lower Water Street. Patrick Vincent Coleman was a train dispatcher for the Canadian Government Railways who was killed in the Halifax Explosion, but not before he sent a message to an incoming passenger train to stop out of range of the explosion. “The whole story of the Halifax Explosion could be attached to graves and gravesites at Mount Olivet Cemetery,” McSweeney said. Steamers were slammed against the docks. Survivors not only lost friends and siblings, but would forever carry the physical and mental scars of that day. In 2000, my late wife and I visited Halifax and saw some of the markers commemorating the explosion, a rather sobering experience. Halifax was important in the war. Preparatory work entailed “de-commissioning” the ship. From there, trains were controlled on the mainline into Halifax. An anchor, weighing 1140 pounds landed some 2 miles away at Armdale. Goodbye" — is now etched in history. [3] A sailor, believed to have been sent ashore by a naval officer, warned Coleman and Lovett of her cargo of high explosives. Following Dec. 6, Halifax’s five local papers seemed to focus less on what had happened during the explosion and more how people were faring—although the cause of the blast was still important. “The explosion turned two square miles of this calm, postcard-pretty town into a nightmare of chaos, destruction, and death in a split second.” AT EXACTLY 9:04 A.M. on the morning of Dec. 6, 1917, the bustling wartime port city of Halifax, Canada was rocked by one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history. Coleman is interred at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Halifax, at the intersection of Mumford Road with Joseph Howe Drive. Nearly 2000 people died from the Halifax explosion, many killed instantly from the blast. Halifax, Nova Scotia is a busy, fast-paced city with something exciting always going on. The blast wave measured 7,600 meters per second. On Dec. 6, 1917, two ships collided in the Halifax harbour, creating the largest man-made explosion in history at the time. It was a split-second decision about the fate of train passengers bound for Halifax. "They heard this tremendous bang. A street is named after him in the Clayton Park neighbourhood of Halifax, and in 2007 a section of Albert Street near his old home was renamed Vincent Street. John Boileau, a historian and retired Canadian Army colonel, has written a book, 6.12.17 The Halifax Explosion about the disaster. Guess this will be my last message. Frances Coleman was now a widow with four children to raise, left with just a few mementoes of her husband. "She missed her family back in Halifax very much," Finlayson said. He managed to stop the train just short of the damage zone but lost his life in the explosion. After the explosion, Coleman's message, followed by other messages later sent by railway officials who made their way to Rockingham, passed word of the disaster to the rest of Canada. On May 22, 1868, they stopped a train near Marshfield and beat a guard with pistols and crow bars before making off with $96,000—which was more than the James gang ever managed to score. The line ran along the western shore of Bedford Basin from Rockingham Station to the city's passenger terminal at the North Street Station, located a mile to the south of Richmond Station. More Nova Scotians were killed in the explosion than were killed in WWI. On Dec. 6, 1917, two ships collided in the Halifax harbour, creating the largest man-made explosion in history at the time. Earlier in the year, as the U.S. prepared to enter World War I, Phelan agreed to serve on the governor’s Committee of Safety. [5] After sending Lovett's message, Coleman and Lovett were said to have left the CGR depot. Coleman controlled the busy freight- and passenger-rail traffic coming and going from the Halifax peninsula. Passengers boarding a train in Halifax this month. [12] The ferry was dedicated and officially entered service in a ceremony at the Halifax ferry terminal on March 14, 2018[13], Coleman was survived by his wife Frances (1877-1970), although she and the youngest of their four children were seriously injured in the explosion. Dan Conlin, "Vincent Coleman and the Halifax Explosion", "They've been acknowledged: Vince Coleman, Rita Joe chosen as new Halifax ferry names", "He loved the railway and he loved his job': Halifax ferry dedicated to Vincent Coleman", Google Maps location of Vince Coleman's burial site, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vince_Coleman_(train_dispatcher)&oldid=993117688, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 8 December 2020, at 21:51. However, the dispatcher returned to the telegraph office and continued sending warning messages along the rail line as far as Truro to stop trains inbound for Halifax. 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