Wikipedia says the truck (delivering explosives to the Gerretsen Building Supply Company) "was loaded with two tons of dynamite and four-and-a-half tons of the blasting agent nitro carbo nitrate." No fertilizer is mentioned.
Wikipedia continues with "the truck exploded at around 1:14 a.m., destroying buildings in an eight-block radius and severely damaging 30 more blocks."
Finally, Wikipedia says "fourteen people died in the blast and fire and 125 were injured."
Nitro Carbo Nitrate IS fertilizer. I grew up there, and have always been well aware of the devastation fertilizer can cause. Since I have NO interest in bombs; this incident is the source of my expertise. I think the fertilizer caught on fire because of a garbage fire. And it worked as a "blasting agent" for the dynamite!
Nitro carbo nitrate is commonly used as an oxidizer (one ingredient) in fertilizers, but the nitro carbo nitrate in that truck was intended as a blasting agent to supplement the dynamite shipped in that same truck.
I have been a firefighter for 24 years, and I have a huge interest in fire related history. Having said that, today (9-29-10) is the first time I have heard about this incident. Does anyone know how many firefighters were killed? 14 people killed is a terrible tragedy, but when you consider the size of the explosion, it almost seems like a miracle that many more weren't killed.
@ubwaterman I looked at the video today. Pretty amazing stuff, like the two women who were walking away from the explosion. One killed, the other hardly scratched. Thanks for the tip about this video!
a fertiizer truck- i heard of the blast - but never knew what happened, interesting to finally know- ive only been here 15 years, i love history, what happened to make the truck blow up?
I was eleven at the time. We lived four miles east of the site. The explosion woke my parents. I remember visiting the site. The crater was 20 or 30 feet deep. About 10 city blocks were leveled. Windows were blown out as far away as a couple miles, especially along the river. Smoldering fire burned for months with the smell of burning grain. Center Jr. Hi. School, shown at the beginning, was condemned, and all middle school children had to double shift at the other district Jr. Hi.
@Lorenzo8D, I also did not know this old home movie film was digitized on youtube! I was born and raised in Roseburg and was 12 at the time of the blast. We lived miles from downtown over by Lookingglass Rd but were still shaken up by the blast. My dad & I hiked up Mt Nebo & looked down at the devastation. The main thing I remember was smell of burnt hamburger & everything on fire! I had shirttail relative who was in Harris Cafe. Went out to see fire. Dove in ditch when blast hit & was saved.
@prnkstr222000, I was born in Roseburg also, early Dec, 1947 in the now torn down Mercy Hospital. Being in Jr High, I remember having to run two shifts at another school after my Jr High school was condemned after blast. About a year before my class toured the bottling plant downtown which was completely leveled by the blast. I remember having that sunk feeling thinking "no more pop"! I wonder if anyone calculated the energy in that blast? Truck driver was breaking the law parking in town!
Big article in the Oregonian about the man who parked the truck of explosives in downtown Roseburg back on Aug. 7, 1959. Unfortunately, the building he parked it next to caught fire later that night. The truck blew up as he was running back to it. It blew him backwards, but he lived. Lived the rest of his life in guilt, but rarely talked about it. 14 people died. Article was in todays Oregoninan 8-30-09. Happened 50 years ago this month.
unbelievable! Strange seeing the town back then. I couldn't imagine living there back then. That town couldn't be any whiter. Love it but give me a break. However, that was tragic.
The first half of the video belongs to a coworker. His uncle was in the national guard. He was guarding the area from looting. The other half was taken by my father in-law shortly after the blast.
Wow, very interesting..Where did you get the video..who took it...That was the summer before my husband and i started our senior year at Roseburg High.
We were both out of town when it happened but both our parents were home.Amazing to see this after all these years...Thanks for posting it.
Thanks for posting! My mother's husband died in this blast. He saw the fire and tried to put it out while my mother ran for help.
Kristinesmauilife 6 months ago
Thanks for getting this digitized and for sharing!
averagenetfool 8 months ago
Wikipedia says the truck (delivering explosives to the Gerretsen Building Supply Company) "was loaded with two tons of dynamite and four-and-a-half tons of the blasting agent nitro carbo nitrate." No fertilizer is mentioned.
Wikipedia continues with "the truck exploded at around 1:14 a.m., destroying buildings in an eight-block radius and severely damaging 30 more blocks."
Finally, Wikipedia says "fourteen people died in the blast and fire and 125 were injured."
stewartx5 9 months ago
Nitro Carbo Nitrate IS fertilizer. I grew up there, and have always been well aware of the devastation fertilizer can cause. Since I have NO interest in bombs; this incident is the source of my expertise. I think the fertilizer caught on fire because of a garbage fire. And it worked as a "blasting agent" for the dynamite!
kateified 7 months ago
@kateified
Nitro carbo nitrate is commonly used as an oxidizer (one ingredient) in fertilizers, but the nitro carbo nitrate in that truck was intended as a blasting agent to supplement the dynamite shipped in that same truck.
stewartx5 6 months ago
look at the cars back then haha older than my dad!
GanjaTaco12 10 months ago
I have been a firefighter for 24 years, and I have a huge interest in fire related history. Having said that, today (9-29-10) is the first time I have heard about this incident. Does anyone know how many firefighters were killed? 14 people killed is a terrible tragedy, but when you consider the size of the explosion, it almost seems like a miracle that many more weren't killed.
PoppaBlue59 1 year ago
@PoppaBlue59 Check out the documentary that Southern Oregon Public Broadcasting made in 2005. soptv.org/roseburg-blast-catastrophe-heroes//
ubwaterman 1 year ago
@PoppaBlue59 Check out the documentary that Southern Oregon Public Broadcasting made in 2005. soptv.org/roseburg-blast-catastrophe-heroes//
ubwaterman 1 year ago
@ubwaterman I looked at the video today. Pretty amazing stuff, like the two women who were walking away from the explosion. One killed, the other hardly scratched. Thanks for the tip about this video!
PoppaBlue59 1 year ago
@PoppaBlue59 Wow 9-29 is my bday!
Tman2997 1 year ago
a fertiizer truck- i heard of the blast - but never knew what happened, interesting to finally know- ive only been here 15 years, i love history, what happened to make the truck blow up?
berbaby1980 1 year ago
@berbaby1980 A fire started in a trash dumpster, spread to the building. The truck was parked next to the building.
ubwaterman 1 year ago
at 1:33 thats where hansen chev was right across from honda lot.
zigzag024 1 year ago
knew about the blast from friends who worked at the hospital the day it happened......didnt know there was any video clips
slayer55907 1 year ago
Fifty years ago looked weeeeird.
Where was this taken? It's hard to tell with all the differences, but it looks kind of like the intersection by where the courthouse is now, I think?
poggg 1 year ago
I was eleven at the time. We lived four miles east of the site. The explosion woke my parents. I remember visiting the site. The crater was 20 or 30 feet deep. About 10 city blocks were leveled. Windows were blown out as far away as a couple miles, especially along the river. Smoldering fire burned for months with the smell of burning grain. Center Jr. Hi. School, shown at the beginning, was condemned, and all middle school children had to double shift at the other district Jr. Hi.
Lorenzo8D 1 year ago
@Lorenzo8D, I also did not know this old home movie film was digitized on youtube! I was born and raised in Roseburg and was 12 at the time of the blast. We lived miles from downtown over by Lookingglass Rd but were still shaken up by the blast. My dad & I hiked up Mt Nebo & looked down at the devastation. The main thing I remember was smell of burnt hamburger & everything on fire! I had shirttail relative who was in Harris Cafe. Went out to see fire. Dove in ditch when blast hit & was saved.
tinkerrbill 6 months ago
i was born in 1958 Roseburg !
prnkstr222000 2 years ago
@prnkstr222000, I was born in Roseburg also, early Dec, 1947 in the now torn down Mercy Hospital. Being in Jr High, I remember having to run two shifts at another school after my Jr High school was condemned after blast. About a year before my class toured the bottling plant downtown which was completely leveled by the blast. I remember having that sunk feeling thinking "no more pop"! I wonder if anyone calculated the energy in that blast? Truck driver was breaking the law parking in town!
tinkerrbill 6 months ago
Comment removed
lilmisspinkrose 2 years ago
heard of it, never seen anything.
bpl711 2 years ago
Big article in the Oregonian about the man who parked the truck of explosives in downtown Roseburg back on Aug. 7, 1959. Unfortunately, the building he parked it next to caught fire later that night. The truck blew up as he was running back to it. It blew him backwards, but he lived. Lived the rest of his life in guilt, but rarely talked about it. 14 people died. Article was in todays Oregoninan 8-30-09. Happened 50 years ago this month.
HermanJ06 2 years ago
unbelievable! Strange seeing the town back then. I couldn't imagine living there back then. That town couldn't be any whiter. Love it but give me a break. However, that was tragic.
doberg 2 years ago
i live in roseburg and i nevr herd of that
kalsacall 2 years ago
The first half of the video belongs to a coworker. His uncle was in the national guard. He was guarding the area from looting. The other half was taken by my father in-law shortly after the blast.
ubwaterman 2 years ago
Wow, very interesting..Where did you get the video..who took it...That was the summer before my husband and i started our senior year at Roseburg High.
We were both out of town when it happened but both our parents were home.Amazing to see this after all these years...Thanks for posting it.
blakfris 2 years ago
Wow !!! Rare indeed. I had no idea this footage existed either. This is deffinatley video that the dougl;as county museum would be interested in.
kissedtokill 2 years ago
i was born then
Ding59o 2 years ago
I was born
Ding59o 2 years ago
I grew up in Roseburg. I knew of the explosion. I had no idea the aftermath footage existed. THANKS for posting it.
hudsonregular 3 years ago