The Black Tom explosion was an act of sabotage by agents of the German Empire, to destroy U.S.-made munitions that were to be supplied to the Allies in World War I. Authorities recovered munitions from the blast site without knowing whether they were live. He said the isolation of the island, along with the decreased influx of immigrants to nearby Ellis Island at the time other countries were deterring their citizens from leaving and escaping the draft lowered the casualty count. Why the explosion? The Black Tom explosion was the peak act of German sabotage on American soil during the First World War. The Little-Known Story Of The Black Tom Explosion That Rocked New York In 1916 Genevieve Carlton 4 weeks ago During World War I, German saboteurs ignited 2 million pounds of munitions on Black Tom Island in New York Harbor, triggering one of the largest explosions to ever occur on American soil. [36][37] Irish socialist and labour union leader James Larkin asserted that he had not participated in sabotage, but admitted to having encouraged work stoppages and strike actions in munitions factories, in an affidavit to McCloy in 1934. After years of deliberating, the German-American Mixed Claims Commission ultimately ordered Germany to pay $50 million in reparations. German Master Spy Franz Von Rintelen and his "pencil bomb" were responsible for acts of sabotage in the United States during World War I. The National Park Service's Statue of Liberty website cites the Black Tom explosion as the reason the torch is closed off, though it is unclear why, a century later, guests are still not allowed inside. Barges sank, collapsed warehouses buried freight cars, and eventually the entire pier went under. The island and the depot were completely destroyed. "It was a terrific explosion the worst that had ever happened in New York," said Kenneth Jackson, a history professor at Columbia University and one of the country's foremost scholars on New York history. In Manhattan, hundreds of shops experienced broken windows because of the blast. The bottom stained-glass windows have text in Polish to commemorate the explosion in 1916. Spotting the smoke, guards eventually ran to call the fire department. [4] Being largely built up from city refuse, it developed a reputation as an unseemly environmental hazard. While that incident caused anger, it did not galvanize the American public to action. At eight minutes past two o'clock on the morning of Sunday, July 30, 1916, a thundering explosion at the Black Tom munitions depot sent sleeping residents of New York City and surrounding areas tumbling from their beds. Decades would pass, however, before Germany settled it. On the 30th July 1916, an explosion took place in New York that was the equivalent of an earthquake measuring between 5.0 and 5.5 on the Richter scale and was felt as far away as Philadelphia. This explosion was so large, it was heard all the way in Philadelphia. If designed and placed properly, a pencil bomb could be timed to detonate days later, while ships and their cargo were at sea. Photo: Wikipedia. The first of the Black Tom explosions was felt at 2:08 a.m. followed half an hour later by a second blast. The Mixed Claims Commission decided, at last, that there must have been "foul play" behind the Black Tom explosion. In the aftermath of the explosion, Americans tried to identify the saboteurs behind the devastating attack. Category:Black Tom explosion. According to Chad Millman, who wrote The Detonators: The Secret Plot to Destroy America and an Epic Hunt for Justice," there were two main reasons that the investigation took so long. The sinking of the Lusitania occurred over a year earlier. The aftermath of the Black Tom explosion, an act of sabotage on American ammunition supplies by German agents that took place on July 30, 1916, in Jersey City . One of the things that was blamed was the lighting of smudge pots to keep mosquitos away. By the early 1900s, it became known as Black Tom Island. Long: Terrorism's 100th anniversary. The lawyers sued Germany in the Mixed Claims Commission at The Hague, and in 1939 won the case. Nearby at the Statue of Liberty, a legacy of the disaster remains: Due to the damage the statue sustained on July 30, 1916, its torch has been closed to the public for the last century. The Black Tom event was the largest and the deadliest.We know all of this now, but without any sort of unified investigative body in 1916, this info took years to uncover. Without a formal intelligence service on the national level, the United States only had rudimentary communications security and no federal laws forbidding espionage or sabotage except during wartime,[3] making the connections to the saboteurs and accomplices almost impossible to track. Windows were broken as far as 25 miles (40 km) away, including thousands in Lower Manhattan. Peter Raceta was captaining a barge in the harbor when the blast shook the air. The Black Tom explosion of July 30th, 1916, was so large it could be felt in Philadelphia, ninety miles away. "And it wasn't really until it got into the late 1930s, and there was such animus again towards Germany because of Hitler, that all of the sudden the U.S. just became more interested in the case.". Part of the WCBE Podcast Experience. Damaged canal boats in the wreckage after the explosion. One of the largest examples of sabotage during World War I happened half a mile from the Statue of Liberty and hardly anyone knows the story. All Rights Reserved. 7. 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. Some guards on the island sent for the Jersey City Fire Department, but others fled as quickly as they could, and for good reason: Black Tom was a major munitions depot, with several large powder piers. That night, Johnson Barge No. Captain Franz von Rintelen had arrived in the U.S. the previous year. There are a ton of people alive today who claim to remember visiting the statue of liberty and climbing the stairs all the way up to the torch, where they looked out over the New York Harbor. Then, read about how flour caused the 1878 Washburn Mill explosion that killed four people in Minneapolis. Rocketing munition shells spread the damage well beyond Black Tom Island. The Black Tom explosion was a peak act of German sabotage on American soil during the first World War. 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? [16] The outer wall of Jersey City's City Hall was cracked and the Brooklyn Bridge was shaken. German agents who were determined to prevent American munitions shippers from supplying its English enemy during the First World War. The explosion,. [5] On January 26, 1875, an accidental explosion killed four. View of the Statue of Liberty from the site of the explosion: The explosion caused $100,000 worth of damage to the statue, and from then onward the torch has been closed to tourists. Very. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Aluminum powder explosion, advanced by Patrick O'Sullivan. James Doherty, a police officer from Jersey City, was killed in the explosion. For days, artillery shells and other munitions continued to explode, showering New York Harbor, to include Ellis Island, with embers and shell fragments. After shrapnel from the blast hit the Statue of Liberty, its torch, which was once used as a viewpoint from which visitors could enjoy spectacular views of the city, became unsafe for visitors and guests are still barred from entering the torch to this day. So the men that were initially arrested were freed. Liberty State ParkFollowing the explosion, the Jersey Journal warned of as many as 50 deaths. And during the great war, there were at least 10 instances of attempted terrorist attacks in America by Germany. It had 417 cases of detonating fuses. At 2:08 am, five million people were awakened by an explosion that was heard as far away as Maryland. Owen Fitzpatrick worked on nearby Ellis Island as a telephone operator. Others attempted to fight the fires. Despite the enormity of the explosions, only four persons were reported killed. Explosions rocked Listen to TONS of bonus content including: Three men were eventually recruited to carry out the operation: Michael Kristoff, a 23-year-old Austrian immigrant who served briefly in the U.S. Army; Kurt Jahnke, a naturalized American citizen and former U.S. Marine, who was recruited as an operative by the German Consul General in San Francisco; and Polish-born Lothar Witzke, a young German naval lieutenant who survived his ships sinking by the British Navy off the South American coast in late 1915. It is the early morning hours of July 30, 1916, minutes before the Black Tom Island munitions dump explosion in Jersey City, N.J. will awaken half the east coast, changing history. Even so, the German agents who blew up Black Tom were not identified at the time. Officially, around four people died due to the explosion. By blowing up a munitions depot on Black Tom Island in New York Harbor, Germany slowed the shipment of supplies to Britain and France from the ostensibly neutral United States. Nearer to Black Tom Island, blackened, twisted metal and debris covered an area several city blocks wide. How successful were they? Explosion. On July 30, 1916, Kaiser Wilhelm's German agents, exploded the largest munitions depot on the east coast, Black Tom Island. "Violating the Law of One Price: Should We Make a Federal Case Out of It? The total damage came to an estimated $20 million - a massive sum in 1916 equivalent to more than half a billion dollars today. The explosion also caused enormous physical damage to the surrounding area . [49] In an interview with Jules Witcover, McCloy noted that as assistant secretary of the navy under Wilson, Roosevelt "knew all about Black Tom." The violent blast, one of the largest explosions on U.S. soil, occurred on Black Tom Island, a peninsula jutting out into Upper New York Bay situated across from the Statue of Liberty. The blast excavated a hole so deep that it extended below sea level; water seeped in until a vast pond was created, strewn with the wreckage.. The damage was estimated at $20 million the equivalent of more than $500 million in 2021 dollars. [26] Suspicion at the time fell solely upon suspected German intelligence operatives Kurt Jahnke and Lothar Witzke, who are still judged as legally responsible. All Rights Reserved. We strive for accuracy and fairness. When the explosions, fire and smoke cleared on Monday afternoon, the pier, warehouses, rail cars, locomotives, barges and even Black Tom Island had been obliterated. A dozen homes were destroyed and there were several injuries, though thankfully no casualties. 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. On July 30th of 1916, German agents detonated a munition depot in New York harbor which resulted in 4 deaths, hundreds of injuries, and damage to the Statue of Liberty. The blasts also wreaked havoc at the site. The Black Tom explosion was an apparent act of sabotage by German agents. It was irreparably damaged in a massive explosion only 3,000 feet away. Aftermath of German bombing and sabotage of Black Tom Railroad train cars in New Jersey on July 30, 1916. Two hours later, at 2:08 in the morning, a huge explosion rocked the island. The force of the Black Tom explosion was equivalent to a 5.5 magnitude earthquake. Firemen Work in Rain of Bullets New York Times, July 31, 1916. [32] Von Rintelen used many resources at his disposal, including a large amount of money. Three men and an infant were killed by the sheer explosive energy, with over 100 more people wounded. "When the explosion came, it seemed as if it was from abovezumpf!like a Zeppelin bomb," he said, according to Smithsonian Magazine. No one stopped them. The process of sorting through the wreckage required extreme care. [1][2] This incident, which happened prior to U.S. entry into World War I, also damaged the Statue of Liberty. One thing the authorities initially seemed to agree on was that the explosions werent the work of foreign saboteurs. He had worked with a chemist to perfect a particular type of tiny bomb with a time-delayed incendiary device and he told Admiral von Tripitz back in Berlin Ill buy what I can and blow up what I cant.. It was the center of, and was destroyed by, the terrorist bombing of 1916. Cookie Policy Divers recovered shells lost in the harbor after the explosion. Barges sank, collapsed warehouses buried freight cars, and eventually the entire pier went under. The Black Tom Explosion. Many Explosions Since War Began New York Times, July 31, 1916. The first of the Black Tom explosions was felt at 2:08 a.m. followed half an hour later by a second blast. 9." Watermark: Permalife, 25% cotton content. 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. How Eyewitnesses Survived Explosion New York Times, July 31, 1916. Sadly, there was no stopping them. [13] A notable location for one of the first major explosions was around the Johnson Barge No. On July 30, 1916, at just after 2 in the morning, a massive explosion ripped apart the island of Black Tom on the shoreline near Jersey City, sending a shockwave through the region and thousands of pounds of wartime shrapnel into the neighboring Ellis Island and Bedloe's Island (home to the Statue of Liberty). Producer Credits For centuries, humans used tallow in skin moisturizers and healing balms, but unfortunately, the topical application of these fats seemed to stop around the same time that animal fats stopped being considered part of a healthy diet. As far away as Philadelphia and Baltimore, people felt the blast. Photo: Wikimedia Commons. No one has been allowed inside the torch of Lady Liberty ever since the explosion in 1916. Germany. After the terrifying 2:08 a.m. blast, the well-stocked arsenal was ablaze, casting the barges at Black Tom afloat in New York Harbor. Because while the statue was built for the torch to be accessed by tourists, its been closed from visitors since 1916. In the early 20th century, enemy attacks on American soil were so rare that many assumed the Black Tom explosion was an accident. CLARK TO FIX BLAME FOR BIG EXPLOSION; Wilson Sends Commerce Commissioner Here to Continue Investigation. Following the explosion, the Jersey Journal warned of as many as 50 deaths. Due to the blockade of Germany by the Royal Navy, however, only the Allied Governments were able to purchase American munitions. In addition to scholarly publications with top presses, she has written for Atlas Obscura and Ranker. Railroad officials, warehouse owners and barge operators were immediately arrested. Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589Bonus episodes and content available athttp://Patreon.com/MichaelKentFor special discounts, visithttp://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals. Well, as reported in many of the newspapers in the aftermath, they thought it was negligence. The most successful and experienced anti-sabotage investigators turned out to be the detectives of the New York Police Departments Bomb Squad. A second explosion occurred at 2:40 a.m. On July 30, 1916 the Black Tom munitions depot exploded rocking New York Harbor and sending residents tumbling from their beds. In this episode, we talk about German Saboteurs and then chat with Author of "Branding Democrats," Ken Weber. 17, which contained 50 tons of TNT and 417 cases of detonating fuses. And now you can tell them why. It is not known how many died. None of the baggage handlers who were above the magazine survived the sinking. Cookie Settings, http://www.faqs.org/espionage/Bl-Ch/Black-Tom-Explosion.html, https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol46no1/article02.html, Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America, Five Places Where You Can Still Find Gold in the United States, Scientists Taught Pet Parrots to Video Call Each Otherand the Birds Loved It, Balto's DNA Provides a New Look at the Intrepid Sled Dog, The Science of California's 'Super Bloom,' Visible From Space, The True Story of the Koh-i-Noor Diamondand Why the British Won't Give It Back.
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