Veltmann responded that this line of evidence was news to him, too. [86] Finally, on January 6, 1946,[87] the Navy announced that 47 of the 50 men were being released. Many of the legal cases seeking compensation were combined into Elizabeth Dalehite, et al. A series of smaller explosions occurred throughout the day, and a . September 2017 - Fire at Port Arthur refinery releases 1+ million pounds of potentially toxic emissions. In 1944, the town was a little more than a mile from a U.S. Navy munitions depot, the Port Chicago Naval Magazine, which was later expanded and renamed the Concord Naval Weapons Station but is now called the Military Ocean Terminal Concord. More than 800 people were left orphaned or widowed. If we stick together, they can't do anything to us. In March 1945 a Seabee battalion of 1,000 African-American men staged a hunger strike at their base, Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, California, in protest of discriminatory conditions. [2]:2 A column of yellow-orange smoke billowed out, the typical color for nitrogen dioxide fumes. Associated Press, "Final Suit Settled For 1944 Explosion", PortChicagoMutiny.com. The Coast Guard fire boat CG-60014-F was thrown 600ft (180m) upriver, where it sank. The. In principle, this ruling was favorable, but in practice it would benefit the men only if the court had been attentively keeping notes for each accused man. Morehouse confirmed to Veltmann that some of his men had said they were afraid to handle ammunition. Prior to his being sent to command Port Chicago, Kinne had no training in the loading of munitions and very little experience in handling them. [95] Gordon Koller, Chief Petty Officer at the time of the explosion, was interviewed in 1990. [11], "Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the explosion (), just as the Phoenix bird symbolizes resurrection from the ashes of despair, the 'Phoenix Fountain' epitomizes courage and the triumph of the human spirit. .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}380327N 1220147W / 38.05750N 122.02972W / 38.05750; -122.02972. [91] A year before the disaster, in mid-1943, the U.S. Navy had over 100,000 African Americans in service but not one black officer. [28], A boxcar delivery containing a new airborne anti-submarine depth charge design, the Mark47 armed with 252lb (114kg) of torpex, was being loaded into No. Fig. This message seems to have gone unheeded for several hours until it was realized that this indicated a serious problem. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The rest were split into smaller groups and shipped out to various places in the Pacific Theater. [84], Marshallworking as special counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Funddetermined that the first course of action should be a publicity campaign mounted with the aim of gathering public support for the release of the men. [96], In the 1990s, Freddie Meeks, one of the few still alive among the group of 50, was urged to petition the president for a pardon. [79], Coakley's rebuttal witnesses consisted of officers who had interrogated the prisoners at Camp Shoemaker. 110th Congress, 1st Session. Coakley's last rebuttal witness testified on October 19, and the whole court took October 20 off to allow both sides to prepare closing arguments. Captain Harold Stassen recommended in October that the Navy reduce the sentences to just two years for men with good conduct records and three years for the rest, with credit for time served. The City of Port Arthur website is operated and funded by the City. Coakley denied threatening anyone, exclaiming that such an idea was a personal affront. One of the workers suffered serious burn injuries and had to be transported by helicopter to a Houston hospital. ", United States Coast Guard. 5 hold and fragmentation cluster bombs into No. TPC Group 's Port Arthur Refinery, a chemical processing facility, was opened in 1944 by Neches Butane Products Co. [10] On November 27, 2019, two explosions occurred at the plant injuring at least eight people, three of them plant workers who were treated in hospital. Several men refused to give any statement at all. Chosen to head the seven-man court was Rear Admiral Hugo Wilson Osterhaus, United States Naval Academy, class of 1900. [11], Within days of the disaster, major companies that had lost facilities in the explosions announced plans to rebuild in Texas City and in some cases to expand their operations. Shattered glass and a rain of jagged metal and undetonated munitions caused many more injuries among military personnel and civilians, although no one outside the immediate pier area was killed. [20] The ship's chief mate and chief engineer were called to examine the winch but it was never determined whether the brake was made operational. He called attention to three aspects: the Navy policy that put the great majority of African Americans into segregated shore duty, the unsafe munitions handling practices and lack of training that had led to the catastrophic detonationand the unfair manner in which 50 of 258 men had been singled out as mutineers, when their actions concerning loading ammunition after the explosion were not significantly different from the other 208 men. More than 500 homes were destroyed and hundreds damaged, leaving 2,000 homeless. Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905 Naval battle of Port Arthur.Explosion on board the Russian warship 'Tsarevich', flagship of Admiral Witheft . During loading operations on July 15 the winch at No. [27] In all, the munitions on the pier and in the ship contained the equivalent of approximately 2,000 short tons (1,800t) of TNT. [22] Visitors with prior reservations are asked to allow 90minutes per visit and are shuttled to the site in NPS vehicles from the John Muir National Historic Site. He said that the men he had spoken with were willing to follow any order except to load munitions; that each man expressed fear of another explosion. ". [80], In his closing argument, Coakley described a chronological sequence of mutinous occurrences, beginning at Camp Shoemaker shortly after the explosion when two and a half companies were mixed together for two weeks. Texas Refinery Explosion Lawyer |Valero Port Arthur Refinery Fire Lawyer Coakley was challenged by Veltmann when he attempted to bring the men's signed statements in as evidence but the court allowed the statements to be used to refresh the men's memories of their answers to interrogation. The rebuttal fared poorly, as Veltmann was able to elicit from them: that some of the accused men had not been informed they could refuse to make a statement; that some of the interrogations had taken place with an armed sentry standing guard; that very few of the prisoners' explanations that they had been afraid of another explosion had been included in the statements; and that the officers had emphasized portions of the interrogations that would satisfy Coakley's requirement for evidence of conspiracy. Refusal to obey an order was not mutiny. A firetruck was already standing by . On Wednesday, November 27th, three people were injured in a massive explosion that took place at the TPC Group plant in Port Neches, Texas. Hours after explosions rocked a Texas chemical plant, a chemical - CNN Wright sent an incident report of this mutiny to Washington, D.C., telling his superior officers that the men's "refusal to perform the required work arises from a mass fear arising out of the Port Chicago explosion. Burning wreckage ignited everything within miles, including dozens of oil and chemical tanks. 4 required immediate repair. Call today if you were injured or sustained losses because of the TPC explosion. #1: Motiva Port Arthur Manufacturing Complex, Texas According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Motiva's Port Arthur Manufacturing Complex ranks as the nation's largest refining operation and can process a staggering 607,000 BPD. [15] The average rate achieved at Port Chicago in the months leading up to July 1944 was 8.2 short tons (7.4t) per hatch per hour; commercial stevedores at Mare Island performed only slightly better at 8.7 short tons (7.9t) per hatch per hour. The prosecution team was led by Lieutenant Commander James F. Coakley who had recently served as deputy chief prosecutor in Alameda County under district attorney Earl Warren. A Segregated Navy, .http://www.jag.navy.mil/library/investigations/PORT%20CHICAGO%20EXPLOSION.pdf, James S. Gracey interview #2, February 28, 2001. [18] No enlisted man stationed at Port Chicago had ever received formal training in the handling and loading of explosives into ships. "The Fall of Port Arthur: Explosion and Burning of the Powder-Magazine on the Sungshoo Forts, Port Arthur", A Photographic-Album of the Japan-China War [Nisshin Sens-zu ], Tokyo: Hakubund, 1894-95. [91] The mutiny trial was seen as underscoring the tense race relations in the armed forces at the time. Comprehensive List of Refineries in Texas - Arnold & Itkin LLP [50] Civilian stevedore contractors were called to replace the imprisoned men in loading the Sangay. [68], Coakley summed up his prosecution case on September 22. Marshall said, that from a review of the proceedings and his conversations with the accused, he could see these men being tried only for lesser charges of individual insubordination, not mass mutiny. On April 13, 1950, the district court found the United States government responsible for a litany of negligent acts of omission and commission by 168 named agencies and their representatives, in the manufacture, packaging, and labeling of ammonium nitrate. American Civil War, Engagement between Confederate ironclad 'Merrimac' and Union ironclad 'Monitor', March 8, 1852. Official casualty estimates came to a total of 567, including all the crewmen who remained aboard Grandcamp. [citation needed], At 10p.m. on July 17, Division Three's 98 men were loading E. A. Bryan with 1,000-pound (450kg) bombs into No. [9] The explosion blew the almost 6,350 short tons (5,760t) of the ship's steel into the air, some at supersonic speed. The two cooks had responded "no" when asked if they would load munitions. "[48] Wright's report was passed to President Franklin D. Roosevelt by Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal who added his opinion that it was "mass fear" motivating the work stoppage. Coakley entered into the record his definition of mutiny: "Collective insubordination, collective disobedience of lawful orders of a superior officer, is mutiny. 1947 - Texas City Ship Explosions & Fire 220663-05 | Footage Farm footagefarm 81.6K subscribers Subscribe 39K views 7 years ago Footage Farm is a historical audio-visual library. Tobin affirmed that one of the accused men from Division Two was permanently assigned the job of cook because he weighed 104lb (47kg) and was considered too small to safely load ammo. Falling bales of burning twine from Grandcamp's cargo added to the damage, and her anchor was hurled across the city. .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}292239N 945329W / 29.37750N 94.89139W / 29.37750; -94.89139, This article is about an industrial accident in 1947. [50], The Navy would not countenance such conduct, especially in time of war. . Frequently Asked Questions. Port Chicago disaster - Wikipedia Wright soon began implementing a plan to have two groups of white sailors load ammunition in rotation with black sailors: one division of 100 men at Mare Island and another at Port Chicago. A month later, unsafe conditions inspired hundreds of servicemen to refuse to load munitions, an act known as the Port Chicago Mutiny. [13] The junior officers placed bets with each other in support of their own 100-man crewscalled "divisions" at Port Chicagoand coaxed their crews to load more than the others. [53], Throughout August, all 258 sailors were taken to Camp Shoemaker and questioned. Frequently Asked Questions. My aim is to responsibility in the workplace. 2019 Port Neches Plant & Refinery Explosion. [2]:2. Port Arthur Plant Explosion Lawyers | Arnold & Itkin LLP News coverage highlights of groundbreaking ceremony at the Shell/Motiva Port Arthur Refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. In 2004, author Robert L. Allen was reported as saying "even for today it's important to have these convictions set aside. For the 2005 oil refinery fire, see, Largest artificial non-nuclear explosions, "Fertilizer explosion kills 581 in Texas", "Hundreds killed, thousands injured in Texas City disaster of 1947", "The First Explosion 1947 Texas City Disaster", "Fertilizer explosion kills 581 in Texas Apr 16, 1947 HISTORY.com", "FindLaw's United States Supreme Court case and opinions", "Public Law 378 Chapter 864 69 Stat. We are here for you in your time of need. A yet-to-be-explained explosion at a Chevron Phillips chemical plant in Port Arthur, Texas, last night has the community in a bit of an uproar, judging by Facebook updates I've been. Captain Kinne's posted division tonnage results came to light in the inquiry but Kinne stated that the competition to load the most tonnage did not make for unsafe conditions; he implied that any junior officers who said so did not know what they were talking about. [62] Coakley opposed with a brief stating that, under military law, a persistent refusal to work by two or more mensomething that might be called a "strike" among civilianswas sufficient proof of a conspiracy to override superior military authority and was equivalent to mutiny. [101] This effort did not result in a change of status. Large piles of pipe and lumber are stacked in the picture foreground. History of Vladivostok - Wikipedia In 2006, a local newspaper article highlighted the precarious position of the disused chapel within the grounds of the Concord Naval Weapons Station, a chapel that had been previously dedicated to the memory of those fallen in the explosion. The first ship to dock at Port Chicago was loaded on December 8, 1942. Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial. At 5 p.m. Texas Highway 225, the Pasadena Freeway, was closed because of a nuclear incident. Forty-nine of the 50 "mutineers" were imprisoned in the camp's brig. Find Battle Of Port Arthur stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Instead, he ordered all hatches sealed and the hold to be filled with steam in an attempt to smother the fire.