On April 16, 1947, three ships—the Grandcamp, the High Flyer, and the Wilson B. Keene—were docked in the Texas City port carrying cargo that included ammonium nitrate fertilizer bound for Europe to aid post-World War II recovery. At 8:33 a.m., the Texas City fire department answered a call for help with a fire on the Grandcamp, and as smoke rose from the ship, spectators gathered nearby. The Grandcamp exploded at 9:12 a.m. with tremendous force felt for miles, and a second explosion followed at 1:10 a.m. on April 17 when the High Flyer’s cargo caught fire, destroying the Wilson B. Keene as well. More than 550 people, including 27 firemen, were killed, thousands more were injured by flying concrete, steel, and glass, and the resulting fires took days to put out. Relief efforts began immediately under the coordination of the American Red Cross, and the disaster led to safety standards and revised emergency medical treatment procedures. Citizens were determined to rebuild, and by 1950 few physical reminders remained, though the event kept a prominent place in state and national history.

Photo: Courtesy of the University of Houston Libraries Special Collections via Wikipedia. By unknown

Photo: Gregory Walker

Photo: James Hulse

Photo: James Hulse

Texas City, Texas · USA