The ''Alum Chine'' explosion was a disaster that occurred in the

Patapsco River The Patapsco River mainstem is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 river in central Maryland that flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The river's tidal port ...

near

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

on March 7, 1913. The

tramp steamer A boat or ship engaged in the tramp trade is one which does not have a fixed schedule, itinerary nor published ports of call, and trades on the spot market as opposed to freight liners. A steamship engaged in the tramp trade is sometimes call ...

''Alum Chine'' exploded while loading dynamite, killing 33 and injuring 60.

Incident

The 1767-ton freighter ''Alum Chine'' was built in 1905. The ship was named after

Alum Chine Alum Chine is the largest chine in Bournemouth, England. The gorge was crossed by a suspension bridge by the early part of the twentieth century. History In early maps the place was often transposed with Durley Chine. During World War II, Robe ...

, the largest

chine A chine () is a steep-sided coastal gorge where a river flows to the sea through, typically, soft eroding cliffs of sandstone or clays. The word is still in use in central Southern England—notably in East Devon, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isl ...

Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the English ...

, England. On March 7, 1913 it was loading of dynamite bound for the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a Channel ( ...

near

Fort Carroll Fort Carroll is a artificial island and abandoned hexagonal sea fort in the middle of the Patapsco River, just south of Baltimore, Maryland. It is named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737–1832), a signer of the Declaration of Independ ...

in the outer portion of

Baltimore Harbor Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore is a shipping port along the tidal basins of the three branches of the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland on the upper northwest shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It is the nation's largest port facilities fo ...

, when, at about 10:00 in the morning, smoke appeared from the ship's hold. The crew and stevedores who had been loading from a barge attempted to flee, assisted by the tug ''Atlantic'', but the ''Alum Chine'' exploded at 10:30. The explosion of the ship and the dynamite remaining on the barge killed 33 near and aboard the ''Alum Chine'', including several aboard the ''Atlantic'' and the nearby U.S. Navy collier ''Jason''. Debris was found over a radius. The Baltimore Quarantine Hospital at Wagner's Point lost all of its windows, and the concussion was said to have been felt in Philadelphia and Atlantic City.

Aftermath

At the

inquest An inquest is a judicial inquiry in common law jurisdictions, particularly one held to determine the cause of a person's death. Conducted by a judge, jury, or government official, an inquest may or may not require an autopsy carried out by a co ...

into the incident, suspicion fell on the assistant foreman of the stevedores loading the ship, William J. Bomhardt, who was arrested on suspicion that he had struck a box of dynamite with a bale hook, causing the box to explode and leading to the eventual larger explosion. A theory was advanced during the inquest that the dynamite, which had been frozen for loading, was starting to thaw and form blisters of

nitroglycerine Nitroglycerin (NG), (alternative spelling of nitroglycerine) also known as trinitroglycerin (TNG), nitro, glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), or 1,2,3-trinitroxypropane, is a dense, colorless, oily, explosive liquid most commonly produced by nitrating g ...

. Despite testimony from an explosives expert that such an action by Bornhardt would not cause an explosion, and that the more likely cause was fire in the ship's coal bunker, the jury found Bomhardt responsible for the explosion. Debris attributed to the ''Alum Chine'' was found during construction of the

Fort McHenry Tunnel The Fort McHenry Tunnel is a four-tube, bi-directional tunnel that carries traffic on Interstate 95 (I-95) underneath the Baltimore Harbor. The lowest point in the Interstate System under water, the tunnel is named for nearby Fort McHenry. The ...

under Baltimore Harbor.

References

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Alum Chine'' explosion 1913 disasters in the United States 1913 in Maryland Explosions in 1913 Maritime incidents in 1913 Industrial fires and explosions in the United States Ship fires 1913 fires in the United States