[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 56 (Friday, March 30, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REMEMBERING THE 1947 TEXAS CITY DISASTER

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON PAUL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2007

  Mr. PAUL. Madam Speaker, in recognition of the sixtieth anniversary 
of the explosion of the Grand Camp ship in the Texas City harbor on 
April 16, residents of Texas City, in my congressional district, will 
come together to honor those who lost their lives in the 1947 
explosions. I am honored to join my constituents in commemorating those 
who lost their lives in this tragedy.
  Early in the morning of April 16, 1947 the Grand Camp caught fire. As 
the fire combined with the ammonium nitrate on the Grand Camp, a bright 
orange flame lit up the sky and smoke soared an estimated 2,000 feet 
into the air. Within seconds of the explosion, the Monsanto Chemical 
Plant was in flames. The fire spread quickly to the refineries that 
made up the Texas City industrial complex, causing entire buildings to 
collapse.
  The destruction was not limited to Texas City. Windows rattled in 
Baytown, while a mist of black oil reigned in the city of Galveston. 
The tragedy and destruction did not end there. A miniature tidal wave 
resulted when the water from the bay, which had been driven out by the 
explosion, rushed in over the docks and rushed 150 feet inland, 
subsuming everything within its path. By nightfall, rescue workers were 
still searching for those trapped in the wreckage. But the devastation 
would continue.
  At 1:10 a.m., another ship, the High Flyer, which was loaded with 
ammonium nitrate and sulfur, exploded. This explosion destroyed another 
ship, the Wilson B. Keene, as well as a concrete warehouse and a grain 
elevator.
  A week passed before all of the fires were extinguished, and a month 
passed before the last body was pulled from the rubble--although some 
bodies were never recovered. Approximately 600 people lost their lives 
because of this tragedy. Almost every member of the Texas City fire 
department gave his life fighting the first explosion. Plant workers, 
dock workers, and bystanders were among the other victims. Perhaps most 
tragic of all, the flames claimed the lives of several children.
  A memorial cemetery now sits near Loop 197 in Texas City as a silent 
reminder of the 63 unidentified dead who are buried in numbered graves. 
In 1980, a memorial park was created to honor the others who died in 
the tragedy.
  In conclusion, Madam Speaker, I take this opportunity to join my 
constituents in paying my respects to those who lost their lives in the 
1947 explosion of the Grand Camp in Texas City.

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