Have you ever heard of the Black Tom Explosion, and if so, when was the first time you ever heard of it?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Let the polling begin :slight_smile:

2

Are we voting on when we first heard of it? What is being polled here?

3

The poll is: a) have you ever heard of it and b) if you have, when was the first time you ever heard of it?

I just searched the archives of these boards, and the only time this incident has ever been mentioned is once, back in February three months ago.

4

Never heard of it. Never heard of it when discussing the Statue of Liberty, never heard of it in regard to WWI sabotage, never heard of it in regard to ‘large explosions’.

5

It has been mentioned at least seven times before this:

https://boards.straightdope.com/search?context=topic&context_id=941581&q=%22black%20tom%22%20explosion%20&skip_context=true

Edit: direct link doesn’t seem to work-- search for “black tom” explosion.

6

Be a great name for a jazz trio.

I think I maybe heard of it, in that my brain didn’t think “What? No way!” but more “Ah, yeah… that?” No idea for sure or where I would have soaked it in (unless it was one of the seven previous times on this board)

7

No, this is the first time I’d heard about it.

8

I had never heard of it. When I saw the thread title, I wasn’t thinking “explosion as in bomb”. I briefly thought it might be about feline overpopulation.
You’d think such an event would be better known.

9

I think I might have read about it once. But if so, I had completely forgotten by this morning.

10

Nope. I’ve only ever heard of the Black Betty Bamalam.

11

I heard about it in 2020 during the pandemic when I started binge watching videos from the History Guy.

12

I have either not heard of it before, or, if I did hear of it, I’d forgotten about it.

13

No I don’t recall having heard of this before, you think it would have been talked about as much as the Zimmerman telegram or the sinking of the Lusitania.

But in just reading the thread title I would have thought this was yet another thread about modern day black republicans being traitors to their race. I am pleased that it wasn’t and that it is about learning new knowledge for I am sick of political baiting threads.

14

Don’t recall hearing anything about it until now. If I had I think I’d remember the name if no other details.

15

Yes! I’ve known the story since I was a kid. Grew up in Jersey City. Driven right past the spot the island was in liberty state park.

When you’re down there on the water, seems like it ought to be more than a mile to the Jersey Journal building (fragments hit it)

16

Yes, I heard of it but not by that name. I think the damage to the statue was mentioned during the 1980s restoration, perhaps as one of the issues to be addressed.

17

Here’s one that’s been waiting to happen. Since 1944…

18

I figured it would be another “Forgotten/buried achievements of African-Americans” tidbit like Black Wall Street.

19

I’ve heard of it, quite a long time ago. But I am fuzzy on the details. I believe the site is currently part of Liberty State Park in Jersey City. The excellent Liberty Science Center is nearby and we use to take the kids there yearly. Also one of the 2 ferry docks for the Statue of Liberty.

Back to the explosions, you occasionally see claims that windows as far away as Bloomfield were broken. (About 10 miles).

20

Familiar with the story from a book read many years ago (probably Jules Witcover’s “Sabotage at Black Tom”).