Halifax Explotion Tsunami

Until discussing tsunamis yesterday in class, I didn't realize that Halifax had ever been affected by one. Although not caused by geological processes like most tsunamis are, it still managed to reach heights of 18 metres above the high water mark in Halifax. The wave was so strong that it washed the ship Imo ashore on the Dartmouth side where it stayed until the following spring. It is inateresting to find out that there are no official records or accounts of the tsunami itself. Many people were already dead form the explotion, and the people and buildings that were in the immediate downtown areas had already been destroyed before this wave hit. However, in 1918 a man by the name of Archibald Macpherson interviewed survivors and wrote an article about their accounts of the explotions. A firefigter named William Wells survived both the explotion and then encountered the tsunami, and this is what he told of his experience:

"The force of the explosion flung (Wells) across the street against a telegraph, or electric light pole. His own account is that he left the engine, or the engine left him, he did not know which, but anyhow they parted company. There he lay until the sea drove over the road, washing him as far as the middle of Mulgrave Park. He was drenched and almost drowned and when picked up was not expected to live. He did, however, recover and regained his usual health."