There are numerous books written about the Halifax Explosion, and last week I acquired a very scarce and very early book on the topic. But I think there was an element of exploitation surrounding the little book. Have a read and make up your own mind.
Heart Throbs of the Halifax Horror; by Stanley K. Smith, collaborator in the writing of The Glorious Story of the fighting 26th; 60 Illustrations from actual photographs , Map of City, Showing Devastated Area and List of Dead; published by Gerald E. Weir, 223 Hollis Street, Halifax, Canada; copyrighted 1918, by Gerald E. Weir.
Here is the description used in our Abebooks listing:
From Chapter I, Out of a Clear Sky – Unsuspectingly the people of Halifax went about their usual occupations on that fateful Thursday, December 6th, 1917. Stores had just opened, business men were on their way to offices, the older grades were at morning prayer in the schools, many of the little ones were at the breakfast table for a hasty meal, the mother with loving hands preparing their food. In half a hundred factories the wheels of industry were turning and along the historic waterfront – so valuable as asset for the Allies in the War of Nations – men worked like ants in all forms of labor. Out of a clear sky the blow fell. The French munitions steamer Mont Blanc, loaded at New York with a deadly cargo of T. N. T., picric acid and benzine, came up the harbor seeking a convoy and was ordered to anchorage in Bedford Basin. There was a mist on the water and this, no doubt, contributed to the tragedy which followed. The Norwegian steamer Imo, in the Belgian Relief service, Captain Fron in charge, was coming out of the basin, outward bound. The Imo cut into the Mont Blanc about a third through the deck and hold and the benzol poured into the picric acid, igniting it, and causing a cloud of smoke to arise from the vessel forward. In twenty minutes, it was all over. More than 1500 died within the hour in the cataclysm which followed. My whole book scarcely suffices to convey what that awful concussion brought to the Citadel City. It was at a hotel in Halifax two days later after the explosion that I greeted my friend Weir, who has since become instrumental in placing this story in the reader’s hands. The title page indicated that there was a list of the dead and a map of the devasted area, but to get that information you had to send in a coupon stating that you bought a copy of the book and request that the listing of the dead and the map be sent to you. The stub of the coupon is present in this book, between pages 112 and 113, so the purchaser of this book sent for the information. A copy of the coupon is shown in the accompanying photos. However, the book does have a rather gruesome listing of descriptions of unclaimed unidentified bodies which have been interred. The last page of the book was an offer to pay for unpublished stories called – Letters of Experience. See photo.
This softcover book, 120 pages is in very-good condition. This book about the Halifax Explosion, was issued early in 1918 and is extremely scarce.
