This Day in 1916: Explosions Shake Jersey City in Black Tom Attack

This Day in 1916: Explosions Shake Jersey City in Black Tom Attack

On July 30, 1916, before sunrise, a massive explosion shook Jersey City and lit up the sky across New York Harbor. More than two million pounds of war supplies stored in freight cars at the Black Tom railroad yard, now part of Liberty State Park, erupted in a fiery blast that could be felt for miles.The explosion shattered windows in lower Manhattan and Jersey City, sent shrapnel into the Statue of Liberty, and killed three men and a baby. At th…