Texas Blows up!!!

[DaveBen]

I read in the news today that you all had an explosion in Port Arther this morning. The chemical plant blew up for some unknown reason, but no injurys were reported.

Dave

 

[95_stroker]

Story here.

 

[rgdillon]

Didn't Port Arthur blow up before, like a long time ago - or am I thinking of a different place down there.

Ron

 

[95_stroker]

Didn't Port Arthur blow up before, like a long time ago - or am I thinking of a different place down there.

Ron

Back in '77 there was an explosion in a refinery (Texco) in P.A. 7 dead.

 

[DaveBen]

There was another one in the 50's that leveled the town and killed many more. I remember seeing black and white tv pictures of the port all destroyed. An oil tanker blew up as I recall.

Dave

 

[95_stroker]

There was another one in the 50's that leveled the town and killed many more. I remember seeing black and white tv pictures of the port all destroyed. An oil tanker blew up as I recall.

Dave

That was in Texas City, April 16 1947. A ship (The Grandcamp) being loaded with amonium nitrate from The Monsanto Plant caught on fire and subsequently blew up. The blast created a local tidal wave that was powerful enough to wash another 150' barge completely ashore and tore another ship loose from its moorings and eventually that ship (The Highflyer) also caught fire and exploded. The death toll was in the neighborhood of 600 people with injuries to approx 3500 more, roughly 1/4 of the population of Texas City at the time and it goes down as Americas worst industrial accident to date.

Some interesting reading HERE & HERE.

 

[Black_Mamba]

Crap I was just in Port Arthur not 3 weeks ago for work. That sucks. We had to drive by that plant everyday till we left.

 

[DaveBen]

That is the one I was thinking about Mike. Thanks for the information. Bad scene.

Dave