| Comments | On August 10th at 9:50am (local), a boxcar loaded with 5,000 lbs of nitro-glycerin exploded near the Essex Railway Station in Essex, ON. The explosives were being shipped by rail to Amherstburg, via Essex, to help dredge the Detroit River. In the heat of the August morning, the dynamite/nitro-glycerin began to melt and drip through the floor of the car onto the tracks when the shunting trains ignited them. Two rail workers were killed in the blast which left a 6 m by 3 m crater. A church, 2 mills, the electricity plant, several industrial facilities and homes were destroyed, while nearly every building in the community was damaged. Several individuals were injured. The damage was estimated to be $250,000 (1907 CAD). |