Silvertown explosion
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  Map sources for Silvertown explosion at grid reference TQ4179
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The Silvertown explosion occurred in Silvertown in London, United Kingdom on Friday, 19 January 1917 at 18.52. The blast occurred at a munitions factory which was producing explosives for Britain's World War I military effort. Approximately 50 tons of TNT detonated, killing 73 people and injuring over 400, and also causing substantial damage to buildings and property in the local area.
This was possibly the largest single explosion to occur in London or its vicinity, though this is difficult to ascertain as there is not an obvious way to measure the size of past explosions.
[edit] Factory operation
The factory was built in 1893 by Brunner Mond, a forerunner of ICI, to produce soda crystals and caustic soda. Production of caustic soda ceased in 1912, which left part of the factory idle. Two years into the War, the Army was facing a crippling shell shortage. The War Office decided to use the surplus manufacturing capacity of the factory to produce TNT. The factory was in a highly populated area, but this was obviously not the prime concern for the military authorities. The plant continued to manufacture TNT until it was destroyed by the explosion.
[edit] Explosion
On 19 January a fire broke out, and efforts to put it out were under way when the TNT ignited at 18.52. The plant was destroyed instantly, as were many nearby buildings, including the Silvertown Fire Station. Much of the TNT was in railway wagons awaiting transport. Debris was strewn for miles around, with red-hot chunks of rubble causing fires.
Seventy-three people were killed, and over 400 injured. Up to 70,000 properties were damaged, the cost of which was put at £2.5 million. The comparatively low death toll for such a large blast was due to the time of day. The factories were largely empty of workers, but it was too early for the upper floors of houses (which sustained the worst of the flying debris damage) to be heavily populated. Also, it occurred on a Friday, when fewer people were around the factory.
The blast was heard up to 100 miles (160 km) away. It is cited in physics textbooks to illustrate the manner in which sound is transmitted. Although the blast was heard at a great distance, it was not heard uniformly across the whole intermediate distance. The explanation is that the sound was transmitted by the wind, which caused the sound waves to be raised into the air, thus they were not audible until they were brought back to ground level. As with the difficulties in measuring the relative size of the explosion, no experimental observations of the "footfall" of the explosion were possible, but contemporary anecdotal evidence suggests that the sound was more audible and travelled further in the downwind direction.
[edit] References
- The Silvertown Explosion.
- Fires in the port.
- Cockney history.
- The Newham Story.PDF
- Sainsbury, Frank (1977). "Largest Wartime Explosions: Silvertown, London, January, 19, 1917". After the Battle, 18, Pp 30 - 34. ISSN 0306-154X.
