The Istoriaphile’s Corner

Everyone has obsessions:  mine are centered around entertainment and art but my husband is obsessed with disasters.   There’s history in these tales and often the tragedy of hubris and the indelible courage of the fallen and the survivors.  Disaster stories are all about humanity at our best, how we recover from the worst and I think that’s why my husband likes them.  Consequently, I’m always on the lookout for a disaster story he may not know.  A few years ago, I learned of the Halifax Explosion and found the book Shattered City.   If disaster tales are your cup of tea, this is a book for you. It was December 6, 1917, ninety-seven years ago last Saturday, and two ships were both in a hurry.  The Imo, a French ship was late leaving Halifax’s harbor with relief supplies for Belgium while the SS Mont Blanc was trying to get into port with a full load of explosives.  They collided and spilled fuel on the Mont Blanc set that ship on fire.  The crew abandoned ship and the Mont Blanc drifted, unmanned, toward the town. In those days, the fanciest houses were set close to the water and they got a…