The 1947 Texas City Disaster | The DEADLIEST Industrial Accident in U.S History | Well, I Never

[@MegCazalet]

My grandfather was the first major news reporter on the scene from outside Texas City, and even though he’d been to war, Texas City was the most horrific trauma of his life. He saw terrible things, and would never speak of it in his later years. He was always very anxious, depressed, and constantly worrying about every possible thing that could in any way endanger his family. He was such a dear sweet man.

[@halverde6373]

Yep. My brother-in-laws uncle became a certified mortician that day in the number of bodies he handled.

[@SmilerORocker]

Exactly what I was thinking... It must have been like the blitz 😞

[@cremebrulee4759]

It had to be absolutely horrific. It sounds like he was suffering from PTSD. It's too bad that that mental health issue was not understood at the time.

[@homeostasis4me485]

Bless your grandfather, and may his name always bring a smile to those who knew him every time they hear it.

[@B.V.Luminous]

Sounds like PTSD to me, sounds exactly like me

[@Cass_twiu]

I’m from Texas City! My grandfather was a child when this happened and lost most of his hearing in the explosion, he wasnt that close either :(

[@Thefruitspeaks]

We moved to LaMarque from LA when I was a teenager. In my hometown, we were very far from the plants, so I had never experienced the mid week siren testing. I was 14 the first time I heard it, and thought it was the end of the world. Only once I started school, did I learn about this. Seeing all of the memorial spots near the dike made it hit home just how bad it was. My best friend lives right down the road from Amoco, so I always worry about another incident on this scale.

[@Cass_twiu]

@@Thefruitspeaks I lived in Texas City until I was 13. The weekly sirens were always creepy!

[@ItsJustLisa]

My friend’s uncle has his photography featured in a book about the disaster. I want to say it was published in the last ten years. His dad and her granddad (brothers) were working at their family gas/service station. I believe they were also both volunteer fire fighters. Dad had been sent to the island to get a part needed for a customer’s car, so he couldn’t answer the fire callout. He was on the Galveston Causeway when the first explosion blew. Instead of going to the docks (which at that point pretty much didn’t exist), he ended up fighting fires further out caused by the flying, burning debris. His brother (my friend’s grandad) hurried home to check on his wife and their kids. Flying debris had missed their house and car be inches.

[@Thefruitspeaks]

@@ItsJustLisa WOW! I know a lot of people with that kind of trauma don't like talking about those things, but I bet the stories were awe inspiring and horrific at the same time.

[@janetcw9808]

I've never heard of this (I'm in UK), thanks so much All of you for your personal family stories. Kindest wishes.

[@georgebaker1251]

My family was living out on the most nothern street in Texas City, about two miles from the docks. Due to school crowding classes were divided into morning and afternoon sessions. I was in the afternoon session, My mother and I were standing in the backdoor of our house, watching the orangish smoke, when the explosion happened. At first all we saw were huge objects flying through the air. Then the explosion's pressure wave hit and knocked us down, even from 2 miles away. Earlier that morning my father had done something he had never done before. Because of my attending the afternoon session at school I usually was still asleep when my father left for work at Monsanto. That morning he had awakened me and we exchanged a few words. His last words to me were, "take care of your mother. I never saw him again.

[@KimberWhite1]

Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. ❤

[@kathleenhebert2278]

Awwwww😢

[@listollan938]

So sorry this happened you. He must have had a premonition. 😢

[@cwavt8849]

My grandparents had just built their home in Port Arthur, 100 miles from the blast in Texas City. They heard the explosion and it cracked the solid cement front steps of their porch. When I heard that Beirut had suffered such an explosion, in the middle of an inhabited city complex, I knew that it would be absolute devastation. It was.

[@islandblind]

The Canadian city of Halifax experienced a similar explosion on December 6, 1917, when an ammunition ship carrying a load consisting of picric acid, TNT, gun cotton and benzene-based aircraft fuel detonated following a collision with another ship. 1,782 people were killed and many thousands more injured, with some being blinded by flying glass. The Halifax explosion was the largest manmade explosion prior to the detonation of the Hiroshima bomb.

[@jayjaynella4539]

Ammonium perchlorate was at the heart of the explosion in Henderson Nevada in 1988 at Pepco. I had interviewed for a job there twice and the second time was for an interview in their sewage plant manufacturing operation. Instead I decided to honor my commitment to my fiance and move to Australia. 3 weeks later the place was gone. Viewing that footage sent shivers running through my body. That explosion was determined to be caused by a discarded cigarette. Amazing how many disasters occur via discarded cancer sticks. Why they are not banned is beyond me.

[@islandblind]

@@jayjaynella4539 Like most everyone, I've seen the footage of the Pepcon explosion. It's really frightening. The only saving grace in that situation was that the plant was situated in the desert. If the plant had been located in for example, Los Vegas, the death toll might have been enormous. As it was, I believe two employees were killed. May they Rest in Peace. I'm glad that you didn't have to witness the disaster first-hand.

[@Ptylersworld]

@@jayjaynella4539 Here's a mind-blowing revelation for everyone. How about not hiring people who smoke at job sites that require you to be around explosive material. "Oh? It says here that you are a smoker? Your job application has been denied. Best of luck on your future endeavors."

[@1402kiki]

I was thinking about how similar this sounded to the Halifax explosion as I was listening.

[@eurekasquared9853]

So sad

[@tiffanyjack6095]

I had heard small details about this explosion growing up, but not the full story. So incredibly sad. When you started talking about the crowds gathering all I could think of was yelling, "No, RUN!"

[@robertbaxter4021]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKundGafgMeHsLs

[@yeoisa]

it fills you with a sense of doom, knowing what’s going to happen to these people, almost before they do

[@hildahilpert5018]

There is a book about the Texas City Explosion at my local library , but don't recall the title.

[@kathleenhebert2278]

Same & from SWLA

[@ms22lala]

My parents are both survivors of the Texas City explosion. Every year they have their pictures taken along with other survivors.

[@kimmccabe1422]

Thank God. I wld pray for all those innocent, unsuspecting ppl. Only one thing came out of this disaster, Monsanto Co. corrupt to this day, had a set back 🙏 to the workers.

[@EIRE55]

As soon as you mentioned ammonium nitrate, Paul, my heart missed a beat. During my very early teens in Dublin, I remember a schoolmate one day telling me that the IRA used fertiliser and sugar to make their bombs. Of course, it meant nothing me as a very naïve 13-year old, and it seemed rather ridiculous to me at the time. At 71 now, it's funny the things I can remember from so long ago. Good to see you again, and take care. Patricia.

[@Traci.Johnson.Francisco]

I can't even imagine how terrifying it must have been to live there during that time. I knew about the Texas City disaster all my life because I grew up in Texas. I did not however know about it blowing airplanes out of the sky or blowing out windows in Galveston which I never considered to be that close. Amazing what you learn along the way.

[@scrounder]

It's such a popular explosive among militant groups because it's so easy to obtain the ingredients, especially in regions with a lot of farmland. Thank you for sharing your story, Patricia.

[@lukestrawwalker]

Makes good homemade rocket propellant too... called "candy propellant" because it's made much the same way as one would make hard candy... very dangerous though because it involves melting the sugar and ammonium nitrate together then casting it. A lot of people have blown themselves up trying to make it. Much safer ways of doing it using powdered materials and blending them then packing them into a casing and nozzle.

[@lukestrawwalker]

@@Traci.Johnson.Francisco Well, the blast was about 3 kilotons, IIRC, which is about 1/5 the blast that leveled Hiroshima, or 1/7 what they dropped on Nagasaki. So yup... OL J R :)

[@lukestrawwalker]

@@scrounder Except ammonium nitrate fertilizer now is chemically combined with other chemicals to make it useless as an explosive... has been that way for years. Later! OL J R :)

[@michaelpeel9347]

I am from Beaumont (93 mile from Texas city) my mom remembers that day, she said it shook the entire house and cracked windows all across town. Though I had heard stories about the explosion in Texas city growing up I still learned things I did not know about the event. Thank you for such a compelling naration of a unfortunate tragedy. ps. I would love to hear about the 1900 Galveston Hurrricane.

[@hpharridan]

Isaac's Storm, excellent documentary about the 1900 storm. the explosion registered on the Richter scale in Colorado, if i recall correctly. not surprising that glass broke in Beaumont. forgive me if i repeat myself, i live with brain damage.

[@carrotred7640]

Me too, I second that. The 1900 hurricane. Very interesting.

[@divisionbyzer0474]

Holy crap, that just looks the sheer power of it..

[@KimberWhite1]

Slightly off topic but my dad felt the 1985 Mexico City earthquake in his inner loop Houston office and I felt the 1989 Loma Prieto earthquake in my Los Angeles office. It’s stunning how far and how quickly waves move - how strong they are.

[@janblackman6204]

I read a book about the hurricane. I think it was called Isaac storm. Excellent read

[@marlenegreyling8620]

I respect you for not swearing in your videos and being so decent. Thank you. Greetings from South Africa 🇿🇦

[@hpharridan]

Halloo, South Africa, from New Mexico!!

[@marlenegreyling8620]

@@hpharridan Hallo there, New Mexico! 😊

[@chrijemmae1111]

Wow. I can't believe you are covering this. I have spent most of my life in Texas City. Growing up there was eventful, to say the least. There is even a Texas City Emergency Management team that has city wide alarms and calls everyone in the city when something goes wrong. When the alarms go, which is quite often, everyone already knows to get indoors and turn off your ac. There are remnants of the two ships all over the city still. People left them where they fell in memoriam. Giant hunks of rusted metal in front of houses.

[@Thefruitspeaks]

I just commented on another reply that when we moved to LaMarque, and I heard that siren for the first time, I about lost my mind.

[@BigOrangeBus]

Paul, I’d love for you to cover two local disasters here in Sydney, Australia. The 1977 Granville Train Disaster and The 2003 Waterfall Train Accident - pretty please? Also, would love for more of our serial killer/murderers to be covered too! Love your channel immensely, I’ve been binge watching this last week 😅

[@rebeka2949]

My great Aunt's brother was killed in the Texas City explosion. 😢 he was 19 yrs. Old when he died. My heart ❤️ goes out to everyone that lost their lives that day and to their surviving loved ones. Thank you to the narrator for sharing this story. 🙏

[@hollykilberger5989]

I'm from this area! If you grew up in Galveston County, it's a good chance your grandparents had a story about that day.

[@menufrog]

I was just thinking about Beirut yesterday and was dismayed to find out that no one has been held accountable to this day.

[@divisionbyzer0474]

The Beirut was one of the largest non-nuclear man-made explosions 1.1 Kilo Tons!

[@raywillis7811]

I was 10 miles from the explosion. My grandfather was plant manager of the now exon refinery. I was only 5 . The sound was unbelievable. The video brought back the experience & l am shaking after all these years.

[@C.O._Jones]

My mother and her parents lived in Texas City when this happened. My grandfather survived because he was home sick that day, and not at work on the docks. My mother, then 12, was showered in glass when the windows of her school shattered from one of the blasts. My grandmother was so traumatized by the entire event that she often spoke of it for the rest of her life. I strongly suspect that the chemical soup that they breathed caused genetic damage. There was at least one local criminal who tried to use the disaster to fake his own death and steal another man’s identity. So many people lost vision from getting faces full of shrapnel.

[@lukestrawwalker]

Same thing happened in the Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada disaster in World War 1... a couple of ships hauling ammonium nitrate and explosive ordnance for the war collided and caught fire and ran aground near the waterfront. A lot of spectators showed up to watch the disaster, they were killed instantly when the ships detonated. It leveled the waterfront and business section of town, but a lot of people had left or been evacuated or the death toll would have been much higher. There was a train dispatcher who remained at his post despite the order to leave-- he stayed on to get the train coming into town, loaded with hundreds of people, stopped before it got into the station since it was headed right for the station he worked at which was inside the danger zone. He successfully got the train stopped outside the danger zone but he was killed when the ship blew up. Most of the waterfront area was severely damaged, along with the rest of the city. An air blast shock wave rolled across the river into housing on the other side of the river and destroyed many homes and buildings, and then a tsunami wave caused by the explosion rolled across the river and inundated the area, causing further damage. The worst thing was, many thousands of people outside the actual blast danger area were blinded or maimed or critically, sometimes fatally, injured by flying debris and flying glass from shattered windows. The air blast wave took up to 2-3 minutes or more (since it travels at the speed of sound) to reach these surrounding areas which were too distant to be directly flattened by the blast, which was plenty of time for people to rush to their windows to observe the spectacle of the enormous fireball and mushroom cloud (which accompanies ALL large explosions regardless of whether they're a chemical explosion or nuclear explosion) not realizing the dangerous shock wave was heading straight for them at 740 mph... when it arrived it was powerful enough to shatter windows and damage buildings and hurl debris through the air, injuring and killing many people and permanently blinding many from their eyes being put out by razor sharp glass blown in their face from shattered windows. All these injuries and maiming and blindness was TOTALLY avoidable if people had followed "tornado protocol" and sought shelter in windowless interior rooms or other places well away from the danger of flying glass, instead of gawking through the window at the explosion a few miles away... Same is true today as it was then... why I taught my daughter "duck and cover" before she ever started school... ANY large explosion, from a train or truck or ship or airline crash or terrorist bomb or chemical plant or factory explosion, etc will produce the exact same effects-- and being a few miles away is just as dangerous because you can still be well within the blast wave danger radius from shattered windows and hurled objects, while being outside the "blow all the buildings to smithereens" danger zone much closer to the explosion... and still far enough away that the blast wave arrives up to 2-3 minutes later, plenty of time for people to rush to windows to stare at the spectacle and get caught by the blast wave... OL J R :)

[@Sargebri]

The story about the criminal was used in an episode of the radio drama "Tales of the Texas Rangers".

[@Itsfineweerallfine]

I don’t doubt there was genetic damage, given the monsanto plant explosion being involved. I am curious though, what physical expression’s of the damage do you mean/have experienced?

[@Patchdee1]

Same thing happened in Halifax, Nova Scotia during WW1 when a ship blew up in the harbour.

[@119beaker]

@@Patchdee1 And Beirut 2 years ago.

[@EveryFairyDies]

I learned about this just a few months ago on Reddit. Someone posted about how Galveston was set to be one of the biggest ports in America, until 'an industrial accident happened'. Thanks for the extra info. This story reminded me of the explosion in Halifax. Pretty grotesque the courts refused to properly hold those responsible simply because they were government agencies. As the dissenters said, if it'd been a private company, or a single person, there'd have been far more consequences.

[@HobbyOrganist]

Made it so you can sue the Govt, but you never win

[@wonkothesane8691]

One of the events which changed Galveston's destiny, and perhaps the biggest, was the Great Storm, about 1900, I believe.

[@halverde6373]

Scary thing is something like this could happen anytime at any port.

[@GlacialErratic]

I learned of this disaster in secondary school. However the magnitude of carnage was either lost on my young mind or not completely conveyed. I suspect the former. Keeping events such as this alive is absolutely necessary, please keep up the fine work you do at this channel, Thank You.

[@imip1984]

Those opening shots of the burnt out cars and destroyed buildings were very compelling. I was thinking as you were introducing the chemical that I was sure that was the chemical in the Beirut explosion. When you said that there was a crowd gathering to watch 😨. I still get shocked seeing the Beirut explosion that people survived! Another well told story, Thankyou.

[@markpreston6930]

When I saw the Beirut video on the news I saw orange smoke and knew it was ammonium nitrate.

[@resdupbug]

Thank you, just watched my first "well, I never" video. Informing and educating are missions that are close to my heart, I much appreciate your respectful delivery of the story this tragic event.

[@joergmaass]

A similar accident happened in Oppau, Germany, in 1921 when workers used explosives to break up clumped ammonium nitrate. The crater left after the explosion was approximately 500 feet long and 60 feet deep. Close to 600 people lost their lives.

[@kathleenhebert2278]

Wow

[@bunny7741]

The scale of this accident was shocking. I've never heard of this before. Stories like these remind us how lucky we are for improved regulations. I'm curious what the story behind the two aircraft that were "blown out of the sky" was. How absolutely terrifying. Thank you for covering this and the legal aftermath that followed.

[@stevenhokanson448]

I'm 62, born and raised in Houston Tx. My Great Grandfather worked out near that chemical facility. He ended up getting knocked out. At the time of the explosion. My Great Grandmother was at home in Galveston. At the time of the explosion. She was in the bedroom closet putting up clothes. The windows blew out and slammed the door shut. The whole house had shifted. And she was in the closet with the door stuck. The neighbors heard yelling for help and got her out. Now my Great father went missing for 3 days. Before my Great Mother found him in the hospital. He ended up with no major injuries.

[@lhaa]

Some years ago,I visited Texas City on a fishing trip and saw the large anchor in front of the public works building,more than a mile from the explosion site. The plaque stated that it was where the anchor landed in 1947.

[@scottzema3103]

Well edited, narrated, and interesting. The narrator should be hired to narrate other videos on KZbin! Most professional and absorbing in his presentation. A pleasure to listen to.

[@AkoMeiChan]

Hello Sir, I'm from Argentina. I recently discovered your channel and I love it. Most of the topics you cover I didn't know they existed. Keep up the good work! Note: As I said, English is not my native languague. Sorry for my grammar mistakes.

[@christineparis5607]

You are wonderful, your grammar better than most of my friends who only speak/write English! I have never been to Argentina, but my favorite teacher of all time came to California from Argentina and she was so homesick, she would tell us stories all the time about it. She was the sweetest person, and we introduced her to my friends single uncle in the hope they would fall in love and get married and she would stay here (we were only 4th graders!!). Believe it or not, it worked, and they DID fall in love, and married! Her name was Elizabeth Tatum, and she used to come into the hospital where my mom worked, to have a baby, practically every year! This was so long ago, but I've always thought Argentina must be a wonderful place because of her stories, that stayed with me all my long life.

[@jessicanrose__]

Hello! I am from Texas City, so I was surprised to see this as I have been subscribed to your channel for a while. Good work telling the story of the Texas City Disaster. If anyone ever finds themselves near here, we have a beautiful memorial park as well.

[@genievemcdonald9744]

Job well done. Im familiar with this story. I worked as an agronomist for 30 years. Fertilizer and agri chemicals are very tricky and dangerous to handle. Our "Organic" agri-chemicals can also be damn dangerous in other ways. For instance concentrated Cinnamon and Clove cause serious burns and blindness upon contact. The substances sound safe but under the necessary high concentrations they can be terribly dangerous for the workers.

[@AB-mx1de]

What an incredibly tragic event. I love your storytelling, you definitely have a talent for it. Love your channel.

[@tinaburgard7814]

Great video. The pictures and video clips are just unbelievable. So sad that so many people lost their life.

[@karinac.3378]

Never heard about it😢 I find these historical facts heartbreaking but we must talk about it once in a while and make sure we don't forget ❤️

[@PetroicaRodinogaster264]

don’t forget and hopefully learn from it, but I am not optimistic about that.

[@jeffreybundt9391]

You are not alone, i think some of us came from a parallel universe, and are heavily "Mandela effected. "

[@melodyszadkowski5256]

Superb retelling of this disaster.

[@sherirobinson6867]

The people were drawn to the port by the creaking and screaming of the metal expansion from the ship. Rivets were flying through the air for several hours prior to the actual explosion. Sounding much like fireworks or gunshots and people were drawn to the melee. Little did they know what was to come for the dangers that they were in. They had actually closed the hold to smolder out the fire thinking without oxygen it would die. Instead it expanded and caused the ship to make the most unusual noises as it expanded and even appeared to breathe prior to the actual explosion. According to the old timers that were here at the time. Many of them have passed on now, rest in peace

[@canadiankazz]

Oh man, that volunteer firefighter who stayed home would've had the worst survivor's guilt. I can't even imagine. I hadn't heard of this disaster before, so that was very interesting to me. It's fascinating and horrifying to think that there was a time before we had all the safety precautions that we have now, and that there's always some incident that prompts the need for those precautions.

[@jackflowers2613]

My grandfather was down the road at the union carbide plant when it happened. He and a coworker climbed up on a tower to get a look at what was going on when the fire started. When the explosion went off he was almost blown off the tower.

[@eduardocasas62]

When I want to unwind, relax, and listen to a good story; well I never. 😌

[@carrols.hawkins7770]

This story was scary just hearing it. History is so fascinating to me. Thank you. I look forward to more.

[@sherowtexas]

Thank you for telling this story to the world. My family is from this area and have always been told this history of our home. It has truly been amazing that Texas City/Galveston area was able to build again after such a tragedy. Thank you.

[@KimberWhite1]

Galveston County is fierce.

[@robertbrown5319]

I remember this case from when I studied insurance law. The question for the court was whether the explosion (not the fire) was "reasonably foreseeable" by the defendant. Since the explosive properties of ammonium nitrate were not fully understood in 1947, the defendant was ultimately found not liable.

[@KimberWhite1]

Assuming by defendant, you mean the US government?

[@robertbrown5319]

Correct. The US government was the defendant in this case.

[@susanmitchell3137]

I grew up in Texas City and heard all the stories about this. I have 2 pieces of the ship that landed in my grandparents’ yard

[@Theaddora]

We drive through Texas City going to Galveston all the time and see the huge refineries.. I had no idea!! Very interesting.

[@Thefruitspeaks]

You should check out areas like the dike. There's ship propellers, anchors, and all kinds of debris that was left where it landed as a memorial. It's very sobering.

[@Theaddora]

@@Thefruitspeaks Thanks. We're always looking for things to do when I come to Houston to visit.

[@wonkothesane182]

This reminds me a little of the Port Chicago disaster in 1944; at a munitions depot in California. My job is to transport military ordnance so we had to watch a video on the devastation caused by the mishandling of ordnance and munitions, then a video about the Badger State, a ship that exploded due to improper stowage of bombs. Heavy stuff, just like this story.

[@ItsJustLisa]

Excellent video, Paul! I’m going to share this with my friend Suzi because she has direct family ties to this disaster. That quick photo you showed near the end with the people on the field and a choir on bleachers looks like it’s from the survivors’ photo taken every year on the anniversary. Her father was boy when this happened and has been in every annual picture to date. And by the way, the city in Minnesota is pronounced /Du-LŪTH/ (rhymes with tooth). It’s named for a French explorer named Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, the first European to explore the area. It’s also a port city, the westernmost large port city on the Great Lakes.

[@KimberWhite1]

I heard that, too and the CCs showed “Dulleth”. 😂

[@deannamahone6616]

Thank you for your research into so many tragedies. I just recently found your channel, and have now subscribed. I appreciate the concise, yet detailed, reporting of historical events, and your use of photos. God bless.

[@laurarent3322]

This is the most interesting case I have encountered. Thank you for your time in researching the tale.

[@gingerleake8385]

I’m from TC/LM and this was good. Downtown TC has a small museum with a wonderful film about the explosion. I’ve moved from the area now but hope it’s still open, it’s worth going to.

[@connorsmith9244]

Amazing, I grew up in Houston with a history teacher father and several local history enthusiasts in the family. Grandmother's family worked for Dow Chemical in a nearby company town, and Galveston is only an hour's drive from Houston (which is a comfortable weekend day-trip, for scale). And yet, I've never heard of this event.

[@kayevans2964]

Wow, what an incredible story. I knew nothing of this event. Such devastation and so many needless deaths. A gallon jug of water and two fire extinguishers! 😳

[@brianjones7660]

To be sure the captain attempted to quell it with steam hoses pumping into the hold, which would work in an ordinary fire by starving the oxygen with water vapor. As he pointed out ammonium nitrate needs no oxygen in such circumstances.

[@cmgraham]

My dad was 18 and working as an ambulance driver in southern Arkansas when this happened. He went down to help out with transportation and was shocked at the scope of the disaster; such a tragedy.😔

[@eurekasquared9853]

Your dad was a hero.

[@melissalove2463]

Your look , your voice & the way you deliver the stories are perfect for your channel ! 💞👍🏻💞

[@stxrynn]

Very well done. I really do enjoy your productions. I was on a service call back in the late 90's, just after the 50th anniversary, in Texas City. I wandered by the propeller, and it was amazing how far that thing flew.

[@AbnEngrDan]

Yep. Got lots of family in the area. I'm from Alvin. This tragedy is still close to many hearts in this area, belive it or not. I know the story well, but you framed in such a great way. Just the facts, just enough information to convey the story. Becoming a lost art. Bravo!

[@pameversole5886]

Thank you, Sir! I learn something new from you every time!

[@christianwilson4895]

Great video! Could you do a video on the Halifax Explosion next. It’s similar to this incident except it was much deadlier.

[@DPSFSU]

Great job! You guys should cover all the hurricanes that have destroyed Galveston. Some so bad they had to use the beaches for holding all the body bags.

[@hpharridan]

Isaac's Storm is a great documentary about the hurricane which flattened galveston in 1900. afterward the seawall was built, and though the city part of the island can still flood, it won't be steam rollered again. we mark time on the gulf coast by storms; before or after Katrina, Carla, etc. one of the few houses which survived in texas city was owned by a railroad owner, the frame was railroad track, the walls brick. corrections welcome, it's been awhile since i was there.

[@chrijemmae1111]

There are some terrifying stories from the Storm of 1900. The orphanage that tethered themselves to each other... I could only imagine the horror of finding them on the beach afterwards. That always stuck with me as a kid.

[@Croonerrich]

LOVE your stories and you talents at telling them!!!!!!!

[@WellINever]

Thank you! 🙏😁

[@MsSwitchblade13]

Well, I never... Have caught a video this early. :) Thanks for covering this incident. Love your content. - Claudia from Texas

[@miklcucco51]

My grandma lived only a few miles away from Texas City. She said when the explosion happened it knocked the pictures off the walls. The house shook. Scary

[@youxkio]

Thank you for this formidable documentary. I watched this same story somewhere on other channels, but being a Portuguese passioned about disasters and phenomena, I just could not help and watch this, and learn again about this terrific event. Good job as always, great quality!

[@avampiresdestiny6101]

Thank you for working so hard to make all these wonderful videos . I hope you’re doing well !

[@brianw612]

I watched a video of the 2020 Beirut explosion, it absolutely shocked me. This video was taken from a high rise several km away from blast. The shock and pressure waves were unbelievable. These are high velocity events that can kill anything nearby.

[@brenmanock]

Ive never heard of this tragic event. Thanks for your narration. Very sad 😢

[@KittyNoodlesPPC]

"The captain ordered that hoses not be used, fearing the water would damage the cargo." SIR YOU WERE SHIPPING LEGITIMATELY EXPLOSIVE CHEMICALS AND FUEL I'M PRETTY DAMN SURE THE PRESERVATION OF PROPERTY AND HUMAN LIFE SHOULD HAVE BEEN WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE CARGO.

[@kkerr1953]

Yes, but they didn’t know about it’s explosive properties then. All they knew was it was a boat full of fertilizer….they didn’t realize it was literally a ticking time bomb.

[@KittyNoodlesPPC]

@@kkerr1953 I'll grant that they were unaware of the sheer level of damage it could cause, but there had already been disasters involving ammonium nitrate explosions prior to this incident - one in the US in 1916, and one in Germany in 1921. And besides that, they were shipping live ammunition alongside the nitrate, which means they had some form of gunpowder in the hold that would also explode under too much heat.

[@dennismitchell5414]

If I remember correctly during the American Civil War there was an explosion in a cartridge making factory in Richmond Virginia in which the majority of the people killed were young women doing their part aiding the war effort for the Confederate States of America . This might be something that you could possibly use in a future video .

[@silversurfer3202]

You mean They died aiding the Union win the war don't you? (😝)🇺🇲!!!!

[@dennismitchell5414]

@@silversurfer3202 Lol , yeah you could look at it that way .

[@georgiahaynes3853]

Boohoo a group of traitors get blown up for supplying a war effort to preserve slavery for a bunch of wealthy elites.

[@nadapenny8592]

@@silversurfer3202 funny you mention that - they were never able to prove that it wasn't intentional/sabotage

[@hillbillyhullabaloo]

More blood on Lincoln's hands.

[@basbleupeaunoire]

What a fascinating story. I don't think I'd heard of it before. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to hear & feel those blasts. Reminds me of a lyric from Sting's "The Last Ship" - "The noise at the end of the world in your ears."

[@spiritedaway0tutu]

I’ve spent a fair amount of time in Galveston, and am moving to the area for work pretty soon. I knew a lot about this disaster, but it was still nice to hear someone covering it, especially in the detail you did.

[@kimhohlmayer7018]

Glad I found your channel. I enjoy the added history behind the tragedy.

[@duckygibson2075]

Great video! Thanks for making awesome content

[@kwyorman]

I've heard this story before, but never before told so well. Love your channel!

[@BCATC.250r]

First time ever watching your channel. Im a huge history Buff I mean anything an everything an I love how well you describe everything vary clearly an the accent makes me feel like I listening to audiobooks! Great Channel thanks for the history lesson

[@brendanfoehr5086]

Duluth, Minnesota is pronounced "da-LOOTH," it rhymes with "uncouth"

[@Cologne.1948]

Great channel, great video, great commentary - thank you very much for the high quality content. A video about the Halifax disaster would be entertaining too.

[@aprilgraham-tash1124]

Wow, I'd never heard of this terrible tragedy. 😢💔

[@carrotred7640]

Thank you Mr Brodie, you are a great story teller. Great story. Always looking forward to your videos. ❤️

[@dward8146]

Just to inform you, the city of Duluth is pronounced "dooLOOTH". I LOVE your vids! 2 thumbs up!👍🏻👍🏻

[@coldlakealta4043]

It is pronounced that way if you have an American accent. This gentleman has a British accent and therefore pronounces things differently. So what? Could you correctly pronounce the sometimes strange names of the cities in Great Britain?

[@fiona-lyons]

I'm binge watching this channel. So calm and informative despite the topics lending themselves to an overly dramatic presentation. Perfect respectful tone.

[@Eurynomea]

My mom was working at Todd Shipyard back then and it blew out the windows. It happened well before I was born, but I always heard stories of the disaster.

[@shhteeeve]

Love the content. Keep up the good work.

[@PetroicaRodinogaster264]

I have never heard of this disaster. Have they kept it pretty quite to avoid scrutiny. The only blessing from that would have been that those closest to the explosion would not have known what hit them. But those further away would probably have been terrible hurt. But Monsanto is despicable anyway.

[@michaelbrooks4483]

Very interesting, thank you. Have you thought about covering the December 1917 Halifax explosion? Still the largest non-nuclear explosion in history. Perhaps a series of countdown videos of the top 5 or 10 largest explosions. Just a thought.

[@109367]

I remembered this incident when that explosion in Beirut happened a few years ago, because it was also ammonium nitrate

[@leannkaiser1608]

The picture of the firefighter (9:35) is William Kaiser. On this day he was packed and leaving to go to California to visit relatives. He heard the fire alarms, put his hat on, and proceeded to the docks. When the explosion occurred pieces of the ship came through the roof of William Kaisers grocery store. In order for his son to enter Texas City he was given a ride in a hurst as the city was on a lockdown. He was unable to find his father and William is still on the missing persons list. William is honored at the Texas State Capitol on the firefighter monument with the other firefighters who lost their lives that day.

[@leannkaiser1608]

9:44 center sorry

[@hellbornbrat]

I’m from Galveston County and this was something I actually learned about a couple of years ago, surprisingly. I’ve gone to Texas City my whole life and never realized. Although i always wondered why the city was so behind. I’m happy to tell y’all that they are actively trying to bring it back to life! Loved this video!!

[@purplebutterfly7257]

Wow that is quite the ripple effect wow and yes I would like to hear more of these disasters thank you

[@suekantz9588]

I'm 62. My family moved to Texas City in 1964. One of the men killed was a school friend of my grandfather. My father called him Uncle B.

[@shawnkeith1164]

Great video. Well presented. How about a video on the Lady Elgin or the Eastland, stunning shipwrecks on the Great Lakes?

[@kathypappas6867]

Love your channel ! Thanks !

[@terriehumphries6028]

My Dad was a teen when this happened and was in the next town over when the explosion happened. He said he heard the explosion and he saw the smoke rising. I remember adults talking about it all my life. Those who were around when it happened are starting to die off, but you could go anywhere in that part of Texas and people would either know something about it, know someone who lived there are someone who was killed. I lived in Daisetta Texas which was a couple hours away. All Daisetta is known for is a monstrous sink hole. It is a tiny town.

[@KittyNoodlesPPC]

Gods, I feel so much for the one surviving volunteer firefighter. Can you imagine the survivor's guilt he must have felt, knowing everyone he had trained and fought fires alongside was dead and he had only survived because he'd stayed home that day? It wasn't his fault, it could never be his fault, but I doubt he ever stopped blaming himself all the same...

[@sisuguillam5109]

@@derklavierspieler7491 Überlebende fühlen sich oft schuldig auch wenn sie nicht verantwortlich sind.

[@eurekasquared9853]

No such thing as gods-only One

[@goodpplz123]

Also West, TX explosion in 2013 at the West Fertilizer Company killed 15 and injured 160. So it keeps happening.

[@TXnine7nine]

and Beirut in 2020

[@dianeambrose683]

Your presentation is spot on!

[@dw1232]

Great Narrating! Thank you!

[@healfdeane]

Many thanks for another great upload. I always enjoy your watching your channel.

[@deenichols491]

Thank you for the content you provide... I love learning from you...

[@bradbell3744]

Well done video. The Halifax explosion was the largest non-nuclear explosion in history if I’m not mistaken.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

The propeller and anchor ⚓, shown @15:17 are damaged, l'm thinking from the explosion, I can't understand why the propeller, would be that damaged, it's under the hull. Or was it damaged after it fell, a mile away? One of the anchors' flukes is missing, assuming it's from the hard landing, of it. Or could this also have been done, by the force of the explosion 💥🤔??

[@halverde6373]

Was similar to an atom- bomb going off.

[@elainelewis6724]

Great presentation and research! Thank you for showcasing USA stories as well. Subbed. 🙂

[@crimeteetee]

Oh what a lovely time to upload, just having lunch and can watch at same time 😀

[@BJKage]

That was intense, thanks.