DISASTERS OF HISTORY: EPISODE 3

To read the Episode 2 of this series, This episode continues to explore disasters of history all over the world.

HALIFAX EXPLOSION (Halifax, Canada 1917)

The collision between two ships near Halifax on 6th December, 1917 occured at a measly speed of just 1 knot (1.5 mph) but it started a small fire on the Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship laden with explosives. As the fire got out of control, the captain frantically gave the order to abandon ship. 20 minutes after the collision, Mont Blanc exploded. It was the largest man made explosion prior to nuclear weapons, releasing the equivalent energy of 2.9 kilotons of TNT. Nearly all buildings with two kilometers were destroyed. 2000 people died and 9000 were injured but, amazingly, the captains decision to abandon Mont-Blanc meant only one of his 41 men died.

TAX BRIDGE COLLAPSE (Dundee, Britain 1879)

The Tay Rail Bridge had been in use for eighteen months before tragedy hit on 28th December, 1879. The bridge collapsed during a storm as a train was passing over it, killing all aboard. There were believed to be 75 victims but while the train was recovered, not all bodies were found. The Tay Rail Bridge had been designed by Thomas Bouch, an experienced engineer who had been knighted for his accomplishments. His design used luttice griders supported by piers with iron columns and cross-bracing. However, the piers were narrower and their cross-bracing was less extensive than on his previous bridges. Bouch believed it wasn't necessary to take into account the force that the wind would put on the bridge and opted for a cheaper design. He also knew that construction workers were reusing griders which had been dropped in the estuary and that they were imperfections in the materials and the maintenance. Bouch died within a year of the disaster.

SPANISH FLU (Worldwide 1918-1920)

At the end of the first world war in 1918, many soldiers would not return, struck down by influenza. The Spanish flu pandemic was usually deadly, killing healthy young adults as opposed the young, elderly or sick. Modern research suggests that it killed through an overreaction of the body's own immune system. So those with a stronger immune system were actually more at risk, and troop movements likely aided it's spread. Countries at war censored reports of deaths in their own countries while reporting the rapid spread of influenza in neutral Spain - hence the nickname. Deaths were reported around the globe, including isolated islands - 22 percent of the population of German Samoa perished. It infected 500 million people across the world and killed 50 to 100 million (3 to 5 percent of the world's population). The use of Facemask did not start this year 2020. People wore it 100 years ago in 1920 during the Spanish flu era which is similar to Coronavirus because both virus attacks the lungs.