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| Photo of Francis Mackey by http://www.pilotmackey.ca/ |
On December 6, 1917, two pilots, Francis Mackey and his good friend William Hayes were assigned to guide ships safely through Halifax Harbour. Mackey was given the Mont Blanc, a munitions ship, and Hayes, the Imo, a cargo ship. Early that morning, both ships headed into the harbor from opposite sides. While in the narrowest section of the harbor, their two vessels collided. As the ships separated, a fire started on the Mont Blanc. Over the next 20 minutes, the fire spread causing its cargo to explode.
Prior to the explosion, Mackey and the men aboard the Mont Blanc abandoned ship and made their way to shore. All but one member of their crew survived. Hayes and the captain, on board the Imo, perished. The sections of Dartmouth and Halifax closest to the blast were leveled - nearly two thousand lives were lost. There was a public outcry for answers to this horrific devastation - someone should be held accountable.
In 2007, Janet Maybee would buy a house in the north end of Halifax, on Cabot Street. She discovered that, not only had the house survived the Halifax Explosion, but there was a family connection to the man who was forced to carry the blame for the explosion, Francis Mackey. Janet promised Mackey’s last surviving daughter, Mona Mackey Homes, that she would do her best to clear her father’s name. Janet set out to do so, with the passion of a defense attorney. Extensive research, interviews with family members, and the unearthing of “newly exposed government documents” are revealed in her book Aftershock.
This book has been an inspiration to me, as I continue my research for my family’s memoir. When I think of giving up because I’ve hit another road block, her work encourages me to keep going. The answer might be in the next search or maybe in finding the right people to connect with.
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