On 6 December 1917, the Mont-Blanc munitions ship collided with the Imo in Halifax Harbour. The Mont-Blanc caught fire and subsequently exploded. The incident is called the Halifax Explosion, and it is largest man-made, non-nuclear explosion in history.

The family of James1 Jackson and Elizabeth (Hallaran) Jackson was ravaged in the incident. Six of their children were killed in the blast, all of whom were married and all had children who were also killed in the blast and the fires that followed. More than 40 members of the family lost their lives. James1 Jackson was the son of James0 Jackson and Hannah (Bezanson) Jackson.

Descendants of James Jackson Involved in the Halifax Explosion
Died
Involved
Not Directly Involved
James1 Jackson
b. 10 Feb 1848, d. 4 Jun 1901
Elizabeth Hallaran
b. c 1851, d. 6 Dec 1917
James2 Jackson
b. 22 Jan 1868, d. 8 Jul 1923
Margaret Topping
b. 17 Dec 1870, d. 6 Dec 1917
Minnie3 Jackson
b. 6 May 1889, d. 1973
James C. McGrath
b. c 1892, d. 8 Mar 1916
Clifford4 McGrath
b. c 1915, d. 6 Dec 1917
James A.3 Jackson
b. 6 Feb 1891, d. 4 Feb 1957
Sophye B.3 Jackson
b. 8 Feb 1893, d. 10 Aug 1975
Annie3 Jackson
b. 9 Apr 1895, d. 6 Dec 1917
Louis3 Jackson
b. 4 Jul 1899, d. 13 Dec 1917
Mary E.2 Jackson
b. 19 Feb 1877, d. 8 Aug 1958
Joseph D. Hinch
b. 22 Dec 1865, d. 6 Dec 1917
Clara3 Hinch
b. 5 Jul 1898, d. 6 Dec 1917
Elina3 Hinch
b. 22 Jul 1900, d. 6 Dec 1917
Thomas3 Hinch
b. Apr 1902, d. 6 Dec 1917
Mable3 Hinch
b. Dec 1905, d. 6 Dec 1917
Joseph3 Hinch
b. Nov 1907, d. 6 Dec 1917
Fredrick3 Hinch
b. Jan 1910, d. 6 Dec 1917
Margaret3 Hinch
b. 17 Feb 1912, d. 6 Dec 1917
Annie3 Hinch
b. 17 Feb 1912, d. 6 Dec 1917
Ralph3 Hinch
b. c 1913, d. 6 Dec 1917
Jean3 Hinch
b. c 1915, d. 6 Dec 1917
Ada2 Jackson
b. 23 Apr 1878, d. 8 Apr 1954
Charles Moore
b. May 1870, d. 6 Dec 1917
Mabel3 Moore
b. Nov 1896, d. 1989
Robert3 Moore
b. Feb 1903, d. 6 Dec 1917
Nellie E.3 Moore
b. 18 Nov 1907, d. 6 Jun 1997
Irene E.3 Moore
b. May 1911
John3 Moore
b. c 1913, d. 6 Dec 1917
Margaret3 Moore
b. c Jun 1916, d. 6 Dec 1917
Rupert3 Moore
b. c Jun 1916, d. 6 Dec 1917
Catherine3 Moore
b. c Nov 1917, d. 6 Dec 1917
Margaret2 Jackson
b. 19 Jun 1881, d. 6 Dec 1917
Vincent McDonald
b. 10 May 1878, d. 16 Mar 1962
Mary E.3 McDonald
b. 22 Jul 1900, d. 6 Dec 1917
Carroll F. Boutilier
b. c 1894, d. 6 Dec 1917
Vincent4 Boutilier
b. c 1916, d. 6 Dec 1917
Carroll4 Boutilier
b. c Aug 1917, d. 6 Dec 1917
Ethel3 McDonald
b. Sep 1900, d. 6 Dec 1917
Annie3 McDonald
b. Feb 1903, d. 6 Dec 1917
Charles3 McDonald
b. Sep 1907, d. 6 Dec 1917
Gordon3 McDonald
b. 6 Feb 1910
Arthur R.3 McDonald
b. 23 Mar 1912, d. 6 Dec 1917
Allan3 McDonald
b. c 1914, d. 6 Dec 1917
Carroll3 McDonald
b. c 1916, d. 6 Dec 1917
John A.2 Jackson
b. 11 Jan 1883, d. 6 Dec 1917
Mary L. McDonald
b. c 1887, d. 6 Dec 1917
Dorothy D.3 Jackson
b. 22 Jan 1911, d. 3 Oct 1993
Edward2 Jackson
b. 6 Apr 1885, d. 6 Dec 1917
Ellen M. Sidebottom
b. May 1882, d. 4 Jul 1953
Florence3 Jackson
b. Jun 1904, d. 6 Dec 1917
Ellen3 Jackson
b. Apr 1907
Edward3 Jackson Jr.
b. 17 Mar 1909, d. 6 Dec 1917
Charles F.3 Jackson
b. c 1912, d. 6 Dec 1917
Patricia3 Jackson
b. c Mar 1917, d. 6 Dec 1917
Emma2 Jackson
b. 29 Aug 1887, d. 6 Dec 1917
Leverett E. Baker
b. c 1884, d. 3 Oct 1915
John S.3 Baker
b. 29 Aug 1910
William A.3 Baker
b. 22 Jul 1912
Clyde L.3 Baker
b. c 1914, d. 6 Dec 1917
Frederick2 Jackson
b. 2 May 1892, d. 6 Dec 1917
Bessie Bradley
b. c 1893, d. 24 Dec 1963
William R.3 Jackson
b. 21 Sep 1913
Eva M.3 Jackson
b. 30 Sep 1917, d. 17 Mar 2010
William2 Jackson
b. 16 Jul 1894, d. 6 Dec 1917
Mary E. Boner
b. c 1895, d. 6 Dec 1917
William3 Jackson
b. c Sep 1917, d. 6 Dec 1917
Died
Involved
Not Directly Involved

Map

The map below is a section of the Plan Showing Devastated Area of Halifax City, N.S. available on the Nova Scotia Archives site. It shows the locations of six homes occupied by members of the Jackson family, all of which were within 1200 feet of the Mont-Blanc when it exploded.

The Mont-Blanc caught fire after colliding with the Imo near pier 8. The crew abandoned ship after recognizing that they could not control the fires and an explosion was imminent. The unmanned ship drifted near pier 6, the location indicated by the "X".

Red=Burned ruins — Blue=Totally collapsed — Orange=Badly wrecked
1
3
2
4
5
6
X
  1. 5 Duffus Street – The home of Edward Jackson and his family.
  2. 224 Campbell Road – The home of Ada (Jackson) Moore and her family, as well as the family of her sister Emma (Jackson) Baker.
  3. 220 Campbell Road – The home of Margaret (Jackson) McDonald and her family.
  4. 1 Roome Street – The home of John Jackson and his family, William Jackson and his family, and also Elizabeth (Hallaran) Jackson, their mother.
  5. 18 Duffus Street – The home of James2 Jackson and his family. James2 survived, but his wife Margaret Topping and two of his children died.
  6. 66 Veith Street – The home of Mary (Jackson) Hinch and her family. Mary survived, but her husband and ten of her children did not.

The full map on at the Nova Scotia Archives includes a legend that describes the red, blue, and orange borders used to categorize the damage to buildings. Red represents "burned ruins" and all six homes are enclosed in red borders.

The map uses old street names. In 1917, Pleasant Street, Lockman Street and Campbell Road were combined and renamed Barrington Street. In the Halifax Explosion Remembrance Book, 220 Campbell Road is described as 1498 Barrington Street, and 224 Campbell Road is described as 1496 Barrington Street.

It's hard to imagine that another Halifax family had the fatal misfortune of having six homes located so close to ground zero.

A few family members were not at home at the time of the explosion. Unfortunately, several of them were working in the railroad yard or the docks and were even closer to the explosion than the homes listed above. Brothers Edward Jackson, Frederick Jackson, and William Jackson were working at a nearby pier. Their bodies were never found. William lived at 7 Merkel Street and his family survived the explosion.

Florence Jackson, age 13, was supposed to be on her way to school, but she took a detour to get a closer look at the ship that was on fire. Her body was never found.