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Post by Throwback on Jan 9, 2010 23:42:27 GMT -5
How many of you out there have heard of the Halifax Explosion of 1917?
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Post by ani on Jan 9, 2010 23:45:05 GMT -5
I have. Was one of the worst losses of life on land I believe until 9/11 correct?
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Post by Throwback on Jan 9, 2010 23:53:14 GMT -5
I have. Was one of the worst losses of life on land I believe until 9/11 correct? In my eyes it was much bigger than 9/11 It wiped out a HUGE chunk of our city killing thousands of people, leaving almost 9,000 injured All buildings and structures covering nearly 2 square kilometers (500 acres) along the adjacent shore were obliterated, including those in the neighboring communities of Richmond and Dartmouth. Leaving lroughly 6,000 people homeless or without shelter and 25,000 without adequate housing. It is still to the day the worlds largest accidental explosion. and the third largest explosion in total. only Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bigger. there were a few test bombings that had more force but were held either underground or on remote islands that limited human loss and destruction
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Post by Apricots And A Pear Tree on Jan 10, 2010 0:05:24 GMT -5
Nope,never heard of it.
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chac
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Post by chac on Jan 10, 2010 0:12:14 GMT -5
Never heard of it.
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Post by i.Sarita.com on Jan 10, 2010 0:15:13 GMT -5
Sorry pal...buy hey, I LOVED Due South!
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Post by Throwback on Jan 10, 2010 0:16:03 GMT -5
You should look it up. Very interesting story. It even has a really good movie made about it. All my family that were in the explosion luckily lived. My great grandmother was hit in the head by a glass door and knocked into a coma for 60 days. While she was in the coma she gave birth and even nursed the baby. That baby is still alive today. My great aunt just turned 92 a few days ago. there's a picture of my great grandmother that now hangs at the Atlantic museum in a section they have for the explosion. Sorry pal...buy hey, I LOVED Due South! funny. us Canadians hated it. ;D
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2010 0:30:53 GMT -5
I'm Canadian and I forgot it existed until I clicked on this thread. Ok I didn't know it was that bad because I remember being taught about it when I was seven years old and once more when I saw a TV commercial about it when I was 8.
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Post by Throwback on Jan 10, 2010 0:35:15 GMT -5
I'm Canadian and I forgot it existed until I clicked on this thread. Ok I didn't know it was that bad because I remember being taught about it when I was seven years old and once more when I saw a TV commercial about it when I was 8. was it this commercial?
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Post by Free Hat on Jan 10, 2010 1:34:31 GMT -5
I know about it, but I'm Canadian and a history major, so it would be kinda pathetic if I didn't.
As far as Americans are concerned, I know a number of people in New England who are aware of it. I suppose it's mostly due to proximity, or because they have family on this side of the border. Probably not too well known outside of those states though.
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Post by Throwback on Jan 10, 2010 2:08:30 GMT -5
Does anyone here from Boston know where the Christmas tree at the Boston common comes from every year and why?
I'll give you a hint. It's because of the halifax explosion
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Post by forgottensinpwf on Jan 10, 2010 2:10:53 GMT -5
I'm Canadian and I forgot it existed until I clicked on this thread. Ok I didn't know it was that bad because I remember being taught about it when I was seven years old and once more when I saw a TV commercial about it when I was 8. was it this commercial? Is it wrong that this is how i learned about it? Always loved those "Part of our heritage" PSAs.
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Muskrat
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Post by Muskrat on Jan 10, 2010 2:13:16 GMT -5
I was actually looking at a book about the Halifax explosion today, nearly bought it, but then I bought Bill Maher New Rules and George Carlin When Will Jesus Bring The Pork Chops? instead. Might go back and get it next payday
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Post by Throwback on Jan 10, 2010 2:20:47 GMT -5
There was one woman by the name of Hilda Slayter who survived both the Titanic and the Halifax explosion. As some of you may not know. The Titanic disaster happened off the coast of Nova Scotia 5 years before the explosion and many of the bodies from the Titanic are buried in Halifax.
Another interesting story is a baby was heard crying from inside the rubble after the explosion. When a solider followed the cries he found a baby girl underneath a turned over ash can. Her family wasn't found and the solider named her ashcan annie. Annie passed away two years ago at the age of 90
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Paco
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Post by Paco on Jan 10, 2010 3:13:24 GMT -5
I'm Canadian and I forgot it existed until I clicked on this thread. Ok I didn't know it was that bad because I remember being taught about it when I was seven years old and once more when I saw a TV commercial about it when I was 8. was it this commercial? Holy nostalgia! Haven't seen that commercial in like a decade! Those "heritage" ads are burned into my brain after seeing them hundreds of times during my childhood and teen years.
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Post by Throwback on Jan 10, 2010 3:23:22 GMT -5
Holy nostalgia! Haven't seen that commercial in like a decade! Those "heritage" ads are burned into my brain after seeing them hundreds of times during my childhood and teen years. Me and my g/f are always quoting them. pretty much all of them are on youtube.
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Post by Designated Drinker on Jan 10, 2010 3:49:50 GMT -5
The Titanic disaster happened off the coast of Nova Scotia 5 years before the explosion and many of the bodies from the Titanic are buried in Halifax. Never realized how close together those 2 events happened
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Post by Throwback on Jan 10, 2010 4:23:50 GMT -5
The Titanic disaster happened off the coast of Nova Scotia 5 years before the explosion and many of the bodies from the Titanic are buried in Halifax. Never realized how close together those 2 events happened Yeah. When my Great Grandmother was still akive she would tell me stories of what is was like hearing about the Titanic and living through the explosion. Very interesting stories. I miss hearing them first hand.
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Jay Peas 42
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Post by Jay Peas 42 on Jan 10, 2010 10:23:11 GMT -5
No, never heard of it. Then again, most of the factory disasters of the late 19th century are largely forgotten outside of a few local historical societies, unless your family was around in that time and directly affected by them.
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Post by ani on Jan 10, 2010 10:48:31 GMT -5
No, never heard of it. Then again, most of the factory disasters of the late 19th century are largely forgotten outside of a few local historical societies, unless your family was around in that time and directly affected by them. The Halifax explosion was in the 20th century though.
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