Firebird Times

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Firebird Times
SPECIAL EDITION
The Halifax Explosion Edition Dec 6th, 2006
Editor Abbey Troup -8-5 Journalist Paige
Dobson- 8-5
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The Halifax Explosion, a history
of benzol, and more than 300 rounds of
ammunitions. The Mont-Blanc was instantly on fire
and drifted to and up against a pier, setting it
on fire. Hundreds of people on their way to work
or school flocked to the docks to watch the
blazing ship, and also went to windows to watch.
Just moments after setting the dock afire, the
Mont-Blanc exploded. It was 905 a.m. The force
of the explosion blew the 3 000 ton ship onto
metal fragments, causing a little tidal wave to
sweep over the Halifax dock area and blew the
equally large Imo to the Dartmouth bank. The
devastation was immediate, and huge. The people
not instantly killed by falling objects of flying
glass and metal, were trampled by running people,
or hurt themselves by landing on something. These
people were taken to hospitals

• Today is a very special
• day, though it may not seem
• like one. Maybe today is your
• birthday, or your friends
• birthday, or maybe its an
• anniversary. Well, today is an
• anniversary. Its December
• 6th, the anniversary of the
• Halifax Explosion. An
• explosion that occurred before
• the nuclear bomb. Now, you
• may be thinking, Why should
• I care?, you should care
• because its a part of you.
• Whether you have lived all
• your life in Halifax, or
• have just moved here, our
• history is a part of you. If you
• havent guessed by now, Im

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• where many people died,
• and waited to be treated.
• To make matters worse,
• that night and all the next
• Day a blizzard roared,
• hampering rescue efforts
• and killing even more
• people in the cold. The
• death toll was well over 2
• 000, and the injured and/or
• missing list well over 9 000.
• The explosion literally
• knocked Halifax flat. It was
• said that it looked like a
• card city that someone
• blew over. Pieces of the
• Mont-Blanc like the cannon,
• of the anchor were found
• miles away in Windsor and

makeshift hospitals. It brought out the best
in people, like Boston. The State of Boston sent
us many men to help down to help us. Ever since
that fateful day, we are eternally grateful to
the State of Boston and to this day, we send the
biggest and the best Christmas tree we can find
down to Boston as thanks. Today at 905,
Haligonians will stop the left side of the clock
tower at exactly 905, and at the same time they
will shoot one round on ammunition at the same
time. So today take a minute out of your math
class or hockey game to remember all the people
who died that fateful day 89 years ago. I know I
will. Paige Dobson