Many Explosions Since War Began New York Times, July 31, 1916. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589, The Worst Way to Die: The Erfurt Latrine Disaster, BalloonFest 86 The Cleveland Balloon Disaster, Origin of the Blaster: Han Solos Weapon in Star Wars Rewind, The Invention of WiFi and Hedy Lamarr Rewind, James H. Snook: Known for More Than a Hook, New Years Eve: The TRUE History of the NYE Ball Drop (REBROADCAST of Episode 18) - The Internet Says it's True, New Years Eve: The TRUE History of the NYE Ball Drop, The German Christmas Pickle: Tradition or Marketing? Gilbert King is a contributing writer in history for Smithsonian.com. Five deaths were officially recorded in the attack, including a ten-week-old baby thrown from its crib, but the true death toll was likely much higher, as many of the destroyed barges were commonly used as shelters by vagrants and immigrants. Senate Document 105-2", "The Kaiser Sows Destruction Central Intelligence Agency", "Frequently Asked Questions Statue Of Liberty National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)". "Note: This territory also covered by sheets 84, 85, 86 & 89 of Hudson County, vol. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. James Doherty, a police officer from Jersey City, was killed in the explosion. Aftermath of German bombing and sabotage of Black Tom Railroad train cars in New Jersey on July 30, 1916. It was heard and felt as far away as Philadelphia, and in Baltimore, people spilled from their homes, fearing an earthquake was underway. Survivors quickly evacuated the area around Black Tom Island after the 2:08 a.m. explosion. The Black Tom explosion did massive damage to the pier. All was dark and quiet on Black Tom Island in New York Harbor, not far from the Statue of Liberty, when small fires began to burn on the night of July 30, 1916. In the aftermath of the explosions, law-enforcement agents quickly arrested officials from the railroad, storage company and barge business who operated from the Black Tom site. Sadly, there was no stopping them. Today In History: The Black Tom Explosion Rocked NY Harbor However, that decision came in 1939 the year Hitler invaded Poland and set off World War II. Already packed barges sat tied to piers, ready to cross the Atlantic. JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) Two German spies crossed New York Harbor at midnight, making the journey in a rowboat loaded with dynamite. Why the explosion? In Manhattan, hundreds of shops experienced broken windows because of the blast. All Rights Reserved. "Four shells of three-inch caliber fell on the gravel path in front of the main door and another shell passed through the roof of the coal bunker attached to the power house.". 17 was packed with 50 tons of TNT, and 69 railroad freight cars were storing more than a thousand tons of ammunition, all awaiting shipment to Britain and France. The Mare Island Explosion: A Defining Moment In Bay Area History Genevieve Carlton earned a Ph.D in history from Northwestern University with a focus on early modern Europe and the history of science and medicine before becoming a history professor at the University of Louisville. Kristoff was arrested by the Jersey City police on suspicion of involvement in the blast, but they released him for lack of evidence. The Black Tom Explosion didn't happen in our original universe By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. None of the baggage handlers who were above the magazine survived the sinking. Nearby Ellis island was evacuated. Nearly everyone in Manhattan and Jersey City was jolted awake, and many were thrown from their beds. Even so, the German agents who blew up Black Tom were not identified at the time. As for the other boats Raceta had seen earlier in the night, he said, "It looked as if they all went up in the air. "It meant more to Germany to not have them found responsible for Black Tom than it did for the U.S. to prove Germany was responsible for Black Tom. The Mandela Effect is when a large group of people share a common memory of something that differs from what is generally accepted to be fact. Even the heaviest plate-glass windows in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn shattered, and falling shards of glass preceded a mist of ash from the fire that followed the explosion. The Black Tom explosion (1916) The best-known of the German attacks occurred at Black Tom Island (actually a pier) in what is now Liberty State Park in Jersey City, early on the morning of July 30 . In July that year, the Black Tom explosion an extraordinary but mostly forgotten disaster rocked the harbor when saboteurs destroyed a munitions plant across the water in Jersey City, New . They were right. German intrigues on American soil essentially evaporated. Woolworth Tower Watchmen Pray Chicago Daily Tribune, July 31, 1916. Theme by ILoveWP.com. On July 30, 1916, Kaiser Wilhelm's German agents, exploded the largest munitions depot on the east coast, Black Tom Island. The history of Mare Island started in 1853 when the United States government purchased the slender, 3.5 miles long peninsula-like island off Vallejo for around $83,000. The devastating explosion on Black Tom was carried out by three men, one of whom worked at the depot. However, the damage was estimated at more than $20 million, (nearly half a billion dollars today), and investigations eventually determined that the Black Tom explosions resulted from an enemy attackwhat some historians regard as the first major terrorist attack on the United States by a foreign power. Educated, industrious and neatly dressed, German-Americans perceived patriotism and commitment to life in America allowed them to integrate into society with less initial friction than other ethnic groups. Police arrested three railroad-company officials on charges of manslaughter, on the assumption that the fires began in two freight cars. Nearby Ellis Island had to be evacuated after the explosion, which also damaged the Statue of Liberty. It looked as if they all went up in the air. Of the two men he was with, she said, I didnt see where they went, but I think they must be dead.. Visitors have not been allowed inside the torch for over a century after a massive explosion. Then, read about how flour caused the 1878 Washburn Mill explosion that killed four people in Minneapolis. First, a lack of documentation made it incredibly difficult to prove Germany was guilty of the crime. So everyone just thought it was another accident like the one that had happened in 1875. "Violating the Law of One Price: Should We Make a Federal Case Out of It? But writing off the explosion as an accident also downplayed its role in American history, and few remember the explosive event today. Most people had never heard of that island, they don't even know where it is.". A dozen homes were destroyed and there were several injuries, though thankfully no casualties. It was the center of, and was destroyed by, the terrorist bombing of 1916. The Mixed Claims Commission, set up after World War I to handle damage claims by companies and governments affected by German sabotage, awarded $50 million to plaintiffs in the Black Tom explosionthe largest damage claim of any in the war. The blast was the equivalent of a 5.5 magnitude earthquake. Meanwhile, the U.S. Bureau of Investigations immediately claims the explosion at Black Tom is, "an accident." President Wilson, vacationing in Chesapeake Bay, calls the devastation at Black . On the night of July 30, 1916, Americas largest ammunition depot sat unguarded. Hurricane Sandy - October 29, 2012. [26] Von Rintelen used these resources to make generous cash bribes, one of which was notably given to Michael Kristoff in exchange for access to the pier. With generous cash bribes, Von Rintelen had little problem gaining access to pierswhich is how Michael Kristoff, a Slovak immigrant living in Bayonne, New Jersey, is believed to have gotten to the Black Tom munitions depot in July of 1916. Authorities assess the damage after the Black Tom explosion, which left the munitions depot in tatters. [38][39], The United States did not have an established national intelligence service, other than diplomats and few military and naval attaches, making the investigation difficult. The Black Tom Explosion (1916) From Redditor u/ finlay_mcwalter: A terrorist attack, a massive explosion, a huge pall of smoke hangs over New York harbor. Part of the WCBE Podcast Experience. The final payment was made in 1979, 63 years after the Black Tom explosion. From Lower Manhattan to Times Square, windows shattered. And they couldnt imagine that Germans would have done this. The exhibit is divided into two sections presenting historical and judicial points of view. But in the aftermath of the catastrophic explosions on Black Tom Island, the agencies investigating sort of preemptively decided it wasnt the work of foreign saboteurs. The total damage came to an estimated $20 million a massive sum in 1916 equivalent to more than half a billion dollars today. But it took until after World War II for Germany to initiate the payout prolonging the saga until 1979. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), https://www.history.com/news/the-black-tom-explosion, In 1916, German Terrorists Launched an Attack on American Soil. He was lucky to escape with his life. Anton Dilger was an American who sympathized with Germany after studying there. 7. There still is a cloak of secrecy about what happened on July 30, 1916. Investigators later learned from Kristoffs landlord that he kept odd hours and sometimes came home at night with filthy hands and clothing, smelling of fuel.
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