The Great Port Chicago Explosion

An overwhelming explosion of thousands of tons of naval munitions blew up an American city killing hundreds in July 1944. With the help of many of the Contra Costa historical societies, local students put together a documentary of this tragic event. The video also touches on the racism that influenced this disaster.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• African-American
• explosion
• WorldWar
• Two
• Port
• Chicago
• disaster

[CityOFMartinez]

good posting

my aunt lived in Walnut Creek at the time

and she told me it blew all the windows out of her house !!

[mauiluver]

Yes-they even had scientists from Los Alamos investigate Port Cost on the extent of the radius of damage from a large explosion would do. Of course nobody suspected they were working on atomic bomb.

[TakeBackFreedom]

Nigger smoking around 5000 tons of explosive ordanance, whos carelessness set off Said' Charge

[mrlimmysal]

its was called a Hydrodynamic surface expolsion

[mrlimmysal]

yeah im doing a U.S. report on it as im typing this.. its inconclusive whether it was a low yield atomic or even ammunitions.. The government reclassified a document that could shed light on the actual cause.. once a report was aired claiming that it could have nuclear.. at this time this was the only way to transport...

[MMAmachinhead92]

Though not in a good way of course..

[MMAmachinhead92]

I live in Pittsburg, CA, which is like 4 miles away from where this happen. Not long ago I found out that I lived not far way from the biggest explosion casuality to ever occur in the US. It fascinated me to live somewhere where national history happened..

[archaedemos]

nice vid!!

[fernandomfernandes]

Interesting... I know that Port Chicago disaster led the Navy to change its practices. At least *sounds* like we've learnt something from it. Anyway, very good documentary. Thanks for posting!