On the morning of December 6th 1917 Halifax seemed unreasonably warm and busy. Ship after ship were coming into the harbour which was a gathering point for ships being escorted by convoy to Europe. Many ships successfully made it to the harbour that morning but unfortunately the Mont Blanc and the IMO did not. The Mont Blanc was an old french freighter ship and was carrying up to 3000 tonnes of explosives, 2000 tonnes being TNT and 35 being benzyl. Both of these materials being flammable and dangerous substances.
The IMO was a Norwegian relief ship which was dropping supplies and soldiers off in Halifax. Both ships were heading in the same direction in the crowded and busy harbour of Halifax. The Mont Blanc was travelling at speeds that were way too fast and the ships were unable to correct …show more content…
Overall I believe the person to blame for this is Aimee Le Medec. Aimee Le Medec thought about himself and his crew and didn’t think about the civilians of Halifax that were unaware of what was going on. Although they saved themselves nothing was done to prevent these deaths and the disaster that came out of the colliding of the Mont Blanc and the IMO ship.
Francis Mackey who was aboard the Mont Blanc was trialed and was said to have wanted to help prevent this disaster from happening. Everyone blamed him for this disaster until his trial and he was found not guilty. He said he wanted to try to fight the fire, then sink the ship and raise the red munitions flag. AImee Le Medec faced him with a life or death situation he either had to abandon ship with the rest of his crew and jump into a lifeboat or try to fight the fire,sink the ship and raise the flag all on his own and be left basically to blow up with the ship. Like anyone Mackey chose his life versus his death and I am glad he is not guilty and at least considered the thought of us