Grandcamp
Quick Summary
The SS Grandcamp was a French-owned ship that was involved in a catastrophic industrial disaster in Texas City, Texas, on April 16–17, 1947. While preparing to load ammonium nitrate fertilizer, a fire broke out in the cargo area. The crew's attempt to extinguish the fire without water led to a massive explosion that was heard up to 150 miles away.1
This initial blast triggered a chain reaction of fires and explosions, including the nearby SS High Flyer and crude oil tankers. A 15-foot tidal wave also resulted from the explosion, causing further destruction and leaving many homeless. The disaster killed between 400 and 600 people and injured approximately 4,000. The Grandcamp's explosion is considered the spark that ignited the Texas City explosion of 1947.12
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Texas City…harbor of the French freighter Grandcamp, loaded with ammonium nitrate fertilizer, in 1947, which killed 576 people and injured some 4,000 others; and a hurricane that destroyed much of the city in 1961. Construction of a protective seawall began in 1962; parts of the barrier were completed the following year,…
Read More…harbor of the French freighter Grandcamp, loaded with ammonium nitrate fertilizer, in 1947, which killed 576 people and injured some 4,000 others; and a hurricane that destroyed much of the city in 1961. Construction of a protective seawall began in 1962; parts of the barrier were completed the following year,…
Read More- Texas City explosion of 1947
…and explosion of the SS Grandcamp on April 16–17, 1947, in Texas City, Texas. The blast set off a chain of fires as well as a 15-foot (4.5-metre) tidal wave. Between 400 and 600 people were killed, with as many as 4,000 injured.
Read More…and explosion of the SS Grandcamp on April 16–17, 1947, in Texas City, Texas. The blast set off a chain of fires as well as a 15-foot (4.5-metre) tidal wave. Between 400 and 600 people were killed, with as many as 4,000 injured.
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