Sign-In
Cart
Fire in the Hole: The Texas City Explosion, April 16, 1947 Series Name: American Disasters Series Number: Book 3
Paperback
Series: American Disasters, Book 3
Currently unavailable to order
Please enter your email and a message will be sent to you when this product becomes available on our website.
Publisher: Independently Published
Pages: 58
Weight: 0.35
Height: 0.12 Width: 8.50 Depth: 11.00
Language: English
At 9:12 a.m. on April 16, 1947, all the clocks in Texas City froze.
The SS Grandcamp, a French cargo ship loaded with 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, detonated at the dock of the Port of Texas City, Texas. The ship's two-ton anchor was thrown two miles. Two sightseeing planes were blown out of the sky. Windows shattered in Galveston, ten miles away. The blast registered on a seismograph in Denver, Colorado.
The Texas City Volunteer Fire Department - twenty-eight men who had responded to the fire on the Grandcamp and were working on the dock when the ship detonated - was gone. All but one were killed instantly. Their four fire trucks were destroyed with them.
Then, sixteen hours later, the second ship exploded.
Fire in the Hole tells the complete story of the deadliest industrial accident in American history:
The Port - Texas City in 1947 was a Gulf Coast industrial city of 16,000 people, dominated by the Monsanto Chemical Company, oil terminals, and a port handling postwar surplus cargo. Dock fires were common enough that residents came to watch them. This familiarity would prove fatal.
The Grandcamp - The ammonium nitrate had been manufactured for wartime explosives and repurposed as agricultural fertilizer for postwar Europe. 80,000 tons had passed through Texas City without incident. When smoke was noticed in the hold on the morning of April 16, the ship's captain made the decision that transformed a fire into a catastrophe: he sealed the hatches and injected steam, creating the confinement and heat that ammonium nitrate requires to detonate.
9:12 a.m. - 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate, confined and heated, exploded. The Monsanto plant (300 feet away) was demolished, killing 234 of 574 workers. A 15-foot tidal wave swept the waterfront. Debris traveled for miles. The 26 firefighters on the dock were killed, along with the bystanders who had come to watch.
The Second Ship - The SS High Flyer, loaded with 1,000 tons of ammonium nitrate and sulfur, had been damaged by the first explosion. Attempts to tow it to safety failed. At 1:15 a.m. on April 17, it detonated. The fires burned for a week.
The Reckoning - Texas City produced the first class-action lawsuit ever filed against the United States government under the newly enacted Federal Tort Claims Act - 8,485 plaintiffs, resolved only when Congress passed specific legislation. And it produced new hazardous materials regulations that directly shaped American industrial safety law.
The same material blew up Beirut in 2020. The lesson of Texas City has still not been universally learned.
Fire in the Hole is Book 3 of the American Disasters series.
Also from
Scott, T.
The Forest Floor: Six Unsolved Cases from the Ozarks Series Name: Ozark Crime Series Number: Book 7
Scott, T.
Paperback
A Defence of Some Important Scripture Doctrines, Being a Reply to Certain Objection Urged Against Th
Scott, T.
Paperback
Also in
Chemistry
Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection
Green, John
Hardcover
The Iceman Inheritance: Prehistoric Sources of Western Man's Racism, Sexism and Aggression
Bradley, Michael
Paperback
5 Steps to a 5: AP Chemistry 2027: Practice AP Tests + AP Content Review + Digital Exams
Moore, John T.
Paperback
Princeton Review AP Chemistry Premium Prep, 28th Edition: 7 Practice Tests + Digital Practice Online + Content Review
The Princeton Review
Paperback
AP Chemistry Premium, 2027: Prep Book with 6 Practice Tests + Comprehensive Review + Online Practice
Kerrigan, Pamela, PH. D.
Jespersen, Neil D., PH. D.
Paperback
The Age of Alchemy: The Secret History of Chemistry from Ancient Magic to Modern Science
Chapman, Kit
Hardcover
Liquid Rules: The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives
Miodownik, Mark
Paperback
BioGeometry Signatures: Harmonizing the Body's Subtle Energy Exchange with the Environment
Karim Dr Sc, Ibrahim
Paperback
Herbal Pharmacy: The Science and Magic of Preparing and Administering Plant Medicine
Bancroft, Betzy
Paperback
Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World
Miodownik, Mark
Paperback
The Flavor Matrix: The Art and Science of Pairing Common Ingredients to Create Extraordinary Dishes
Briscione, James
Parkhurst, Brooke
Hardcover
Liquid Soapmaking: Tips, Techniques and Recipes for Creating All Manner of Liquid and Soft Soap Naturally!
Thompson, Jackie
Paperback
Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements, from Arsenic to Zinc
Aldersey-Williams, Hugh
Paperback
The Color of North: The Molecular Language of Proteins and the Future of Life
Rizk, Shahir S.
Fink, Maggie M.
Hardcover
The One Thing You Need to Know: The Simple Way to Understand the Most Important Ideas in Science
Chown, Marcus
Paperback
Science and Cooking: Physics Meets Food, from Homemade to Haute Cuisine
Brenner, Michael
Sörensen, Pia
Weitz, David
Hardcover
Sciencia: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Astronomy for All
Betts, Moff
Tweed, Matt
Watkins, Matthew
Hardcover
Reactions: An Illustrated Exploration of Elements, Molecules, and Change in the Universe
Gray, Theodore
Paperback
The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer
Epel, Elissa
Blackburn, Elizabeth
Paperback
Schaum's Outline of College Chemistry: 1,340 Solved Problems + 23 Videos
Krieger, Peter
Epstein, Lawrence M.
Rosenberg, Jerome
Paperback
Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe, Book 1 of 3
Gray, Theodore
Hardcover
Dopamina: Cómo Una Molécula Condiciona de Quién Nos Enamoramos, Con Quién Nos Acostamos, a Quién Votamos Y ... / The Molecule of More
Lieberman, Daniel Z.
Paperback
Physics and Chemistry Comic Book: Science Book for Kids Age 8-12 Comic Adventures & Fun Experiments
Bollino, Giulia
Paperback
Reactions: An Illustrated Exploration of Elements, Molecules, and Change in the Universe, Book 3 of 3
Gray, Theodore
Hardcover
Modern Quantum Chemistry: Introduction to Advanced Electronic Structure Theory
Szabo, Attila
Ostlund, Neil S.
Paperback
Exploring the World of Chemistry: From Ancient Metals to High-Speed Computers
Tiner, John Hudson
Paperback
Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture
Thompson, Robert Bruce
Paperback
An Introduction to Error Analysis, Third Edition: The Study of Uncertainties in Physical Measurements
Taylor, John R.
Paperback
Practice Makes Perfect Chemistry Review and Workbook, Second Edition
DeWane, Marian
Hattori, Heather
Paperback
Rocket Girl: The Story of Mary Sherman Morgan, America's First Female Rocket Scientist
Morgan, George D.
Paperback
Dopamina: Cómo Una Molécula Condiciona de Quién Nos Enamoramos, Con Quién Nos Acostamos, a Quién Votamos Y ... / The Molecule of More
Lieberman, Daniel Z.
Long, Michael E.
Paperback
Schaum's Outline of Organic Chemistry, Sixth Edition
Sharefkin, Jacob
Meislich, Herbert
Nechamkin, Howard
Paperback
The Elements: An Illustrated History of the Periodic Table (100 Ponderables) Revised and Updated
Jackson, Tom
Hardcover
Revise IB: Biology Exam Practice Workbook - Higher Level (Second Edition)
Bragg, Sarah
Jaradat, Nadia
Paperback
Lippincott(r) Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry
Abali, Emine Ercikan
Cline, Susan D.
Franklin, David S.
Paperback
The Science of Cleaning: Use the Power of Chemistry to Clean Smarter, Easier, and Safer-With Solutions for Every Kind of Dirt
Bressanini, Dario
Paperback
Schaum's Outline of General, Organic, and Biochemistry for Nursing and Allied Health
Blei, Ira
Odian, George
Paperback
Chemistry: Concepts and Problems, a Self-Teaching Guide
Snyder, Chad
Houk, Clifford C.
Post, Richard
Paperback
Dmt Extraction Guide: A Step-by-Step Guide to Safely Extracting DMT from Natural Sources at Home
J. Pare, Adell
Paperback
La Solución de Los Telómeros: Aprende a Vivir Sano Y Feliz / The Telomere Effect
Blackburn, Elizabeth
Epel, Elissa
Paperback
Balancing Chemical Equations Worksheets (Over 200 Reactions to Balance): Chemistry Essentials Practice Workbook with Answers
McMullen, Chris
Paperback
The Mystery of Life's Origin: The Continuing Controversy
Bradley, Walter L.
Olsen, Roger L.
Thaxton, Charles B.
Paperback
Nature's Amazing Chemistry: Reflections on Its Complexity and Diversity
Freemantle, Michael
Hardcover
Michael Faraday's The Chemical History of a Candle: With Guides to Lectures, Teaching Guides & Student Activities
DeCoste, Donald J.
Hammack, William S.
Paperback
Chemistry All-In-One for Dummies (+ Chapter Quizzes Online)
Hren, Christopher R.
Moore, John T.
Mikulecky, Peter J.
Paperback
The Science of Cooking: Understanding the Biology and Chemistry Behind Food and Cooking
Provost, Joseph J.
Colabroy, Keri L.
Kelly, Brenda S.
Paperback
The Shape of Data in Chemistry: An Introduction to Chemical Graph Theory and Topological Data Analysis
Clark, Aurora
Hardcover
Luminous Phenomena: A Story of Spontaneous Combustion, Phosphorescence and Other Cold Lights
Pentecost, Allan
Hardcover
A Rainbow Palate: How Chemical Dyes Changed the West's Relationship with Food
Cobbold, Carolyn
Paperback
The Rheology Handbook: For users of rotational and oscillatory rheometers
Mezger, Thomas G.
Hardcover