This explosion was so large, it was heard all the way in Philadelphia. 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. Woolworth Tower Watchmen Pray Chicago Daily Tribune, July 31, 1916. 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. The Black Tom Explosion was an act of sabotage made by agents of Imperial Germany. Citing Black Tom Terminal by name, the message told Hilken that "Kristoff, Wo1fgang and that Hoboken bunch" were to be paid, and was signed "Hinch." Hinch, or Graentnor, was a shadowy figure who was never found. Watchmen in the Woolworth building in Lower Manhattan saw the blast, and thinking their time had come, got down on their knees and prayed, one newspaper reported. German intrigues on American soil essentially evaporated. The island was the location of 2 million pounds of small arms and artillery ammunition. that the bombing involved some of the techniques developed by German agents working for Ambassador Count Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff, who covertly acted as a spymaster while under German Foreign Office cover, and Captain Franz von Rintelen of the intelligence wing of the German Imperial Navy, using the cigar bombs developed by Dr. Walter Scheele[de]. Forgotten history, bizarre tales & facts that seem too strange to be true! Hours after the blasts, with the Black Tom fires still burning out of control, The New York Times printed a story listing 42 explosions at American munitions and chemical facilities since war. Explosion on Black Tom Island packed the force of an earthquake. Hurricane Sandy - October 29, 2012. Entire structures vanished into the water after a massive explosion ripped through the air at 2:08 a.m. on July 30, 1916. It starts, You are standing on a site which saw one of the worst acts of sabotage in American history!. None of the baggage handlers who were above the magazine survived the sinking. [44], The Statue of Liberty's torch was closed to the public following the explosion, due to structural damages. Around 2:08 a.m. the munitions started to explode. The explosions, which occurred on July 30, 1916, in New York Harbor, killed four people and destroyed some $20,000,000 ($500 million in 2023 dollars) worth of military goods. cites the Black Tom explosion as the reason the torch is closed off, $50 million in damages were awarded to plaintiffs. No one stopped them. and our Black Tom Explosion: German Sabotage on US Soil During WWI Property damage was estimated at $20 million. The island received its name from a local legend of an African American resident named . [10] All were waiting to be shipped to Russia. Sign up to access all of it today! Scan this QR code to download the app now. Onlookers in Manhattan watched as munition shells rocketed across the water and exploded a mile from the fires on Black Tom Island. [9], On the night of the Black Tom explosion, July 30, 1916, about 2,000,000 pounds (910,000kg) of small arms and artillery ammunition were stored at the depot in freight cars and on barges, including 100,000 pounds (45,000kg) of TNT on Johnson Barge No. Black Tom Explosion | Encyclopedia.com The explosions, which occurred on July 30, 1916, in New York Harbor, "killed four people and destroyed some $20,000,000 ($500 million in 2022 dollars) worth of military goods." But the stock of US supplies and financial support were offered to the Allies, and Great Britain welcomed the help. But writing off the explosion as an accident also downplayed its role in American history, and few remember the explosive event today. In addition to scholarly publications with top presses, she has written for Atlas Obscura and Ranker. the-terror-attack-on-nj-that-america-forgot On the evening of July 29, 1916, the three saboteurs easily infiltrated the lightly-guarded depot, with one entering on foot as the other two approached by rowboat. With debris raining down, authorities were forced to evacuate hundreds of terrified immigrants having just escaped from war-torn Europe from Ellis Island to the mainland. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The Mixed Claims Commission, set up after World War I to handle damage claims by companies and governments affected by German sabotage, awarded $50 million to plaintiffs in the Black Tom explosionthe largest damage claim of any in the war. And they couldnt imagine that Germans would have done this. It was 1939 and Germany had other plans happening at the time. The U.S. government had a plan for Mare Island and intended to convert it into one of first major Pacific shipyards for the American Navy. Authorities assess the damage after the Black Tom explosion, which left the munitions depot in tatters. The United States remained officially neutral, but the U.S. also sold millions of dollars in weapons to Britain and France. Gilbert King Explosions rocked One of the barges was loaded with 50 tons of TNT. Survey map of ammunition storage facilities, industrial plants, warehouses, railroad tracks, wharves, and piers damaged by a German sabotage operation during World War I. [6] By 1880, the island was transformed into a 25-acre (10ha) promontory,[7] and a causeway and railroad had been built to connect it with the mainland to use as a shipping depot. (We recount the entire story in our podcast from 2016 about the Black Tom 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. Employees on the island started frantically trying to fight the fires, and eventually called the Jersey City Fire Department for help. [8] Between 1905 and 1916, the Lehigh Valley Railroad, which owned the island and causeway, expanded the island with land fill, and the entire area was annexed by Jersey City. At 2:08 am, five million people were awakened by an explosion that was heard as far away as Maryland. After escaping from internment, Witzke traveled to San Francisco, where he met with the German Consul General there and was paired to work with Jahnke. The several federal bureaus should be welded into one and that one should be eternally and comprehensively vigilant. Shrapnel flew in all directions. [14] The explosion created a detonation wave that traveled at 24,000 feet per second (7,300m/s) with enough force to lift firefighters out of their boots and into the air. They knew a fire had started the chain of events. The incident also influenced public safety legislation. He bribed officials, which included some of the security men responsible for guarding the pier at Black Tom Island. You are walking on a site which saw one of the worse [sic] acts of terrorism in American history. Windows were broken as far as 25 miles (40 km) away, including thousands in Lower Manhattan. And the reason it was closed? At least five people were killed, including a baby in Jersey City who was thrown from his crib, and there was an estimated $20 millionthe equivalent of some $500 million todayin property damage. INTEL - Black Tom Island Explodes Firefighters battled the flames well into the next day after the massive explosion. Black Tom Explosion: The Bombing That Rocked New York In 1916 And during the great war, there were at least 10 instances of attempted terrorist attacks in America by Germany. ON THE MAP; Explosion by the Hudson, Foreign Espionage, Local Fear He returned to the United States with anthrax and glanders with the intention of infecting and killing livestock. Library Guides: Black Tom Explosion: Black Tom Explosion One thing the authorities initially seemed to agree on was that the explosions werent the work of foreign saboteurs. In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, two watchmen who had lit smudge pots to keep away mosquitoes were questioned by police but the police soon determined that the smudge pots had not caused the fire and that the blast had likely been an accident. The noise of the explosion was heard as far away as Maryland and Connecticut. The damage was estimated at $20 million the equivalent of more than $500 million in 2021 dollars. Investigators later learned from Kristoffs landlord that he kept odd hours and sometimes came home at night with filthy hands and clothing, smelling of fuel. Just Southwest of Liberty Island, which used to be known as Bedloes island there was a munitions depot called Black Tom Island. The Black Tom Explosion: Proof of the Mandela Effect? The Bureau of Investigationthe FBIs predecessorlikewise did what it could, but it was held back by its small size (260 employees in a handful of offices) and lack of jurisdiction. Theyve likely been up to the crown, which is open to the public, but the public hasnt visited the torch since 1916. [3], The Russian government[40] sued the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company operating the Black Tom Terminal on grounds that lax security (there was no entrance gate; the territory was unlit)[41] permitted the loss of their ammunition and argued that due to the failure to deliver them the manufacturer was obliged by the contract to replace them. Just after 2:00 am, slow burning pencil bombs planted by the German agents ignited an explosion so colossal it registered 5.5 on. The Secret Service, by presidential order, was able to investigate some German attacks and intrigues. The nearby Statue of Liberty suffered severe shrapnel damage, closing visitor access to the Statues torch for good. "Tony's Lab" | National Archives