रा य ौ यो गक सं थान - आं दे श 
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ANDHRA PRADESH
Chennai - Srikakulam Highway Near Kondruprolu
TADEPALLIGUDEM – ​534101,​ WEST GODAVARI DIST., ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA.

A concise report on

Texas City Explosion, 1947

Submitted on 25/09/2020

Submitted by

N Appala Reddy - 211811

T Sumanth Reddy - 211824
Rahul N - 211817

Department of Chemical Engineering

Third Year
National Institute of Technology, Andhra Pradesh
 
रा य ौ यो गक सं थान - आं दे श 
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ANDHRA PRADESH
Chennai - Srikakulam Highway Near Kondruprolu
TADEPALLIGUDEM – ​534101,​ WEST GODAVARI DIST., ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA.

Contents​:

Index Content Pg. No

1. About Texas City 3.

2. Overview of the Disaster 3.

3. Initiation of the Disaster 4.

4. Propagation of the Disaster 4.

5. Termination of the Disaster 5.

6. Cause of the Disaster 5.

7. Risks in the storage of Ammonium Nitrate 5.

8. Precautions to be taken in the storage of Ammonium 6.

Nitrate

9. Scale and Aftermath of the Disaster 7.

10. Legal Case 8.

11. References 8.

12. List of figures 9.

 
रा य ौ यो गक सं थान - आं दे श 
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ANDHRA PRADESH
Chennai - Srikakulam Highway Near Kondruprolu
TADEPALLIGUDEM – ​534101,​ WEST GODAVARI DIST., ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA.

About Texas City

Texas City​ is a city in Galveston County in the U.S. state of Texas. Located on the southwest
shoreline of Galveston Bay, Texas City is a busy deepwater port on Texas' Gulf Coast, as well as
a petroleum-refining and petrochemical-manufacturing center.

The population was 16,000 in 1947 and rose upto 50,094 in 2019, making it the third-largest city
in Galveston County, behind League City and Galveston.It is a part of the Houston metropolitan
area.

The city is notable as the site of a major explosion in 1947 that demolished the port and much of
the city.

Overview of the disaster

On the morning of April 16, the SS Grandcamp was preparing to finish loading a consignment of
ammonium nitrate fertilizer at the port of Texas City, near ​Galveston​.

A mid-morning fire started on board the French-registered vessel (docked in the port) and
detonated her cargo of about 2,300 tons (about 2,100 metric tons) of ammonium nitrate. This
started a chain reaction of fires and explosions in other ships and nearby oil-storage facilities,
ultimately killing at least 581 people, including all but one member of the Texas City fire
department.
 
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NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ANDHRA PRADESH
Chennai - Srikakulam Highway Near Kondruprolu
TADEPALLIGUDEM – ​534101,​ WEST GODAVARI DIST., ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA.

Initiation of the Disaster

On April 16, 1947, around 8:00 am smoke was spotted in the cargo hold of the ​SS Grandcamp
containing Ammonium Nitrate, while she was still moored. Over the next hour, attempts to
extinguish the fire or bring it under control failed, as a red glow returned after each effort to
douse the fire.

Shortly before 9:00 a.m., the captain ordered his men to steam the hold, a firefighting method
where steam is piped in to extinguish fires, in order to preserve the cargo. This was unlikely to be
effective, as ammonium nitrate is an oxidizer, thus neutralizing the extinguishing properties of
steam. The steam may have contributed to the fire by converting the ammonium nitrate to nitrous
oxide, while augmenting the already intense heat in the ship's hold.

Propagation of the Disaster

The fire attracted spectators along the shoreline, who believed they were at a safe distance.
Eventually, the steam pressure inside the ship blew the hatches open, and yellow-orange smoke
billowed out. This color is typical for ​nitrogen dioxide​ fumes. The unusual color of the smoke
attracted more spectators and the water around the docked ship was boiling from the heat, and
the splashing water touching the hull was being vaporized into steam. The cargo hold and deck
began to bulge as the pressure of the steam increased inside.

A nearby ship, the SS ​High Flyer​, which was carrying huge amounts of sulfur, also caught fire
and exploded, and crude oil tankers near the site burned for days, consuming massive amounts of
petroleum. The enormous wave triggered by the blast flattened numerous buildings, leaving as
many as 2,000 people homeless.

The resulting fire destroyed the dock area and swept over the nearby Monsanto Chemical
Company plant.

A mushroom cloud rose​ 2,000 feet (600 metres) into the air, and two small planes passing above
were destroyed.

Burning shrapnel was sent flying, with much of it landing in industrial areas, setting fires or
causing other damage. The explosions killed 581 and injured over 5,000 people.
 
रा य ौ यो गक सं थान - आं दे श 
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ANDHRA PRADESH
Chennai - Srikakulam Highway Near Kondruprolu
TADEPALLIGUDEM – ​534101,​ WEST GODAVARI DIST., ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA.

The fact that the initial explosion had killed many of the town’s fire crew and ruined its
firefighting equipment made the situation worse and led to a great destruction.

The explosions were so powerful and intense that many of the bodies of the emergency workers
who responded to the initial explosion were never accounted for. The entire Texas City and Port
Terminal Fire departments were wiped out.

Termination of the Disaster

All the combustible materials were consumed in the process.

Cause of the Disaster

The cause of the initial fire on board the ​Grandcamp​ was never determined. It may have been
started by a cigarette discarded the previous day, meaning the ship's cargo had been smouldering
throughout the night when the fire was discovered on the morning of the day of the explosion.

Risks in the storage of Ammonium Nitrate

There are certain risks involved with the storage of Ammonium Nitrate, which can be
summarised as follows.

1. Ammonium nitrate has a melting point of 1700 degrees centigrade and decomposes
above 2100 degrees centigrade. It is not in itself combustible but, as it is an oxidising
agent, it can assist other materials to burn, even if air is excluded.
2. Ammonium nitrate will not explode due to the friction and impact found in normal
handling, but it can be detonated under heat and confinement or severe shock.
3. In a fire, all types of ammonium nitrate may melt and decompose with the release of
toxic fumes (mainly oxides of nitrogen) which may be yellow or brown. Most types do
not continue to decompose once the fire has been extinguished.
4. The risk of fire or explosion is greatly increased if ammonium nitrate is mixed with
 
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NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ANDHRA PRADESH
Chennai - Srikakulam Highway Near Kondruprolu
TADEPALLIGUDEM – ​534101,​ WEST GODAVARI DIST., ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA.

combustible or incompatible materials, such as powdered metals, alkali metals, urea,

chromium or copper salts, organic and carbonaceous materials, sulphur, nitrites, alkalis,
acids, chlorates and reducing agents.

Precautions to be taken in the storage of Ammonium Nitrate

The precautions that can be taken in the storage of Ammonium Nitrate are as follows:

1. Ammonium nitrate should normally be stored in single storey, dedicated, well-ventilated

buildings that are constructed from materials that will not burn, such as concrete, bricks
or steel. Cleaning the storey must be done before it is used for ammonium nitrate.
2. In some circumstances, such as where the storeys are located near to densely populated
areas, it may be better to store ammonium nitrate outside, provided it is in a secure area
away from combustible materials and sources of contamination. Such outdoor storage can
remove or reduce the risk of, for example, fires due to electric lights and other equipment.
3. Locate storage away from possible sources of heat, fire or explosion, such as oil storage,
gas pipelines, timber yards, flammable liquids, flammable solids and combustible
materials.
4. Faulty or damaged electrical equipment are major risk factors for warehouse fires, so
prevent unauthorised access to the store.
5. Ensure regular inspection and maintenance of electrical equipment and fittings.
6. Damage from animals can be limited by implementing a pest control system.
7. Self-confinement of straight ammonium nitrate in large stacks can increase the risk of a
detonation of the whole stack in a fire, so limit stacks to a maximum of 300 tonnes.
8. For ease of movement and stability of the stacks keep 50 kg bags palletised.
9. To prevent spillage and contamination make sure that the bags have been completely
sealed on filling, are made of a material that is impermeable to water or oil, and are
strong enough to withstand damage during normal storage, handling and conveyance.
10. Paper packaging alone is therefore unsuitable. It is recommended that 50 kg bags have
microvents to avoid ballooning and consequent instability in stacks.
 
रा य ौ यो गक सं थान - आं दे श 
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ANDHRA PRADESH
Chennai - Srikakulam Highway Near Kondruprolu
TADEPALLIGUDEM – ​534101,​ WEST GODAVARI DIST., ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA.

Scale and Aftermath of the Disaster

The Texas City disaster is generally considered the worst industrial accident in American history.
Witnesses compared the scene to the fairly recent images of the 1943 air raid on Bari and the
much larger devastation after the atom bomb was dropped at Nagasaki. Of the dead, 405 were
identified and 63 have never been identified.

More than 5,000 people were injured, with 1,784 admitted to 21 area hospitals. More than 500
homes were destroyed and hundreds damaged, leaving 2,000 homeless. The seaport was
destroyed, and many businesses were flattened or burned. Over 1,100 vehicles were damaged
and 362 freight cars were obliterated; the property damage was estimated at $100
million(equivalent to $1.1 billion in 2019).

Burning wreckage ignited everything within miles, including dozens of ​oil​ storage tanks and
chemical tanks. The nearby city of Galveston, Texas, was covered with an oily fog that left
deposits over every exposed outdoor surface.

A 2-short-ton (1.8-metric-ton) anchor of ​Grandcamp​ was hurled 1.62 miles (2.61 km) and found
in a 10-foot (3 m) crater. It was installed at a memorial park. The other main 5-short-ton
(4.5-metric-ton) anchor was hurled 1​​ ⁄​2​ mile (800 m) to the entrance of the Texas City Dike. It
rests on a "Texas-shaped" memorial at the entrance.

Within days of the disaster, major companies that had lost facilities in the explosions announced
plans to rebuild in Texas City and in some cases to expand their operations. Some companies
implemented policies of retaining all of the hourly workers who had previously worked at
destroyed facilities with plans to use them in the rebuilding.​ ​Cost estimates of the industrial
reconstruction were estimated at approximately $100 million ($1.15 billion adjusted for
inflation)
 
रा य ौ यो गक सं थान - आं दे श 
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ANDHRA PRADESH
Chennai - Srikakulam Highway Near Kondruprolu
TADEPALLIGUDEM – ​534101,​ WEST GODAVARI DIST., ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA.

Legal Case

Many of the legal cases seeking compensation were combined into ​Elizabeth Dalehite, et al. v.
United States​, under the recently enacted Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). On April 13, 1950,
the district court found the United States responsible for a litany of negligent acts of omission
and commission by 168 named agencies and their representatives, in the manufacture,
packaging, and labeling of ammonium nitrate. This was further compounded by errors in
transport, storage, loading, fire prevention, and fire suppression, all of which led to the
explosions and the subsequent carnage.

On June 10, 1952, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned this decision, finding that
the United States maintained the right to exercise its own "discretion" in vital national matters.
The Supreme Court affirmed that decision (346 U.S. 15, June 8, 1953), in a 4-to-3 opinion,
noting that the district court had no jurisdiction under the federal statute to find the U.S.
government liable for "negligent planning decisions" which were properly delegated to various
departments and agencies. In short, the FTCA clearly exempts "failure to exercise or perform a
discretionary function or duty", and the court found that all of the alleged acts in this case were
discretionary in nature

References​.

1. https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg230.pdf
2. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fertilizer-explosion-kills-581-in-texas
3. https://www.britannica.com/event/Texas-City-explosion-of-1947
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_disaster
 
रा य ौ यो गक सं थान - आं दे श 
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ANDHRA PRADESH
Chennai - Srikakulam Highway Near Kondruprolu
TADEPALLIGUDEM – ​534101,​ WEST GODAVARI DIST., ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA.

List of Figures

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/images/tx/TXTEXanchorblown_mogel.jpg
https://cdn.historycollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Untitled-1-31.jpg
 
रा य ौ यो गक सं थान - आं दे श 
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ANDHRA PRADESH
Chennai - Srikakulam Highway Near Kondruprolu
TADEPALLIGUDEM – ​534101,​ WEST GODAVARI DIST., ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_disaster#/media/File:Grandcamp_Anchor.jpg
https://www.local1259iaff.org/disaster8.JPG

https://www.britannica.com/event/Texas-City-explosion-of-1947
 
रा य ौ यो गक सं थान - आं दे श 
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ANDHRA PRADESH
Chennai - Srikakulam Highway Near Kondruprolu
TADEPALLIGUDEM – ​534101,​ WEST GODAVARI DIST., ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA.

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/galvnews.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial
/c/75/c752ca4e-4bac-55e8-ac7c-a420fb51ed26/58f2b27fe4bc0.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C961

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fertilizer-explosion-kills-581-in-texas