12/10/2024
Halifax Harbour Ferry "Vincent Coleman" shuttling people across the now peaceful Halifax Harbour. Just over a century ago, this harbour was a bustling wartime harbour. This ferry's namesake was a dispatcher who was on duty during the Halifax Explosion. The Halifax Explosion was the largest man-made explosion prior to the atomic bomb.
🌅✨ On the morning of December 6, 1917, the dedication of two brave men, 45-year-old Coleman and Chief Clerk William Lovett, became a story of heroism amidst tragedy in Halifax. 🚂⚓
As experienced railway dispatchers working at the Richmond station near Pier 6, they were suddenly faced with an unimaginable crisis: a collision between the SS Mont-Blanc, a French munitions ship, and the Norwegian vessel SS Imo. The Mont-Blanc, laden with high explosives, caught fire and drifted perilously close to the pier. 🚢🔥
Amidst the chaos, Coleman and Lovett received a grave warning about the ship's cargo. The overnight express train No. 10 from Saint John, New Brunswick, was due to arrive with nearly 300 passengers. Time was running out. ⏳
With unwavering courage, Coleman returned to the telegraph office, sending a final, urgent message to stop the inbound trains:
"Hold up the train. Ammunition ship afire in harbour making for Pier 6 and will explode. Guess this will be my last message. Good-bye, boys."
His warning was heeded, and the No. 10 passenger train was halted just in time, sparing many lives. The explosion that followed was devastating, but Coleman's message ensured that relief efforts could be swiftly mobilized, bringing aid from across Canada and the United States. 🇨🇦🇺🇸
Both Coleman and Lovett were tragically killed in the explosion, but their bravery and quick thinking left a lasting legacy. Their actions on that fateful day remind us of the profound impact that a single moment of courage can have.
In moments of crisis, what legacy of bravery and compassion will you leave behind? 💭🌟
