A view of the dock area and shorelines across from the Seatrain loading crane after the 1947 Texas City Disaster. Clouds of white smoke cover the horizon, and smoke still rises from the debris. The Seatrain loading crane is visible on the far right. Directly across the water from it, unseen firefighters direct a stream of water toward burning debris near shore. The area in the foreground is covered with debris of all kinds including metal and wooden pieces, wire cabling, and an unknown product in fabric bags.
A elevated shot from the rail yards toward the port. View is from above a line of freight cars in the rail yard. Debris lies piled along the line of cars to the far right of the picture. Several men stand on top of one of the cars, while several more stand amid the metal debris below. Another line of rail cars loaded with uniform loads of large forms stands on a parallel set of tracks. In the distance is the grain elevator, a smokestack, two large water towers and the loading structures at the port. Heavy smoke clouds blowing left to right can be seen coming from the port area. The number "#3" is written in the lower right hand corner.
Clouds of very heavy black smoke cover the port area of Texas City after the 1947 Texas City Disaster. An aerial view of some of the residences near the port can be seen in the lower right hand portion of the photograph. On the reverse side is written "Texas City a few hours after the Grandcamp exploded."
Layers of thick black and white smoke hang over the residential area of Texas City after the 1947 Texas City Disaster. In the distance, can be seen a storage tank farm.
An aerial view of burning refinery structures near the port during the Texas City Disaster. Huge clouds of black smoke obscure much of the picture. Two sections of smoke, one in the lower middle, and one on the right, burn white.
An aerial view of burning storage tanks on a storage tank farm near the port in Texas City during the Texas City Disaster. Large clouds of heavy black and white smoke are rising from several of the tanks. A number of the tanks show visible compression and explosion damage. The caption on back of this photograph reads: "White smoke rises for a fire that is burning out. The thick black smoke is being fed by all manner of petroleum products."
An aerial view of a portion of the Texas City port area before the 1947 disaster including the SeaTrain loading crane, warehouses, refinery facilities, and storage tanks.
An aerial view of the refinery facilities and the storage tank farm in Texas City before the 1947 Disaster. The smoke stack and power house is also visible on the far left. A residential area can be seen on the far right in the distance.
An aerial view of Republic's refinery facilities after the 1947 Disaster. In the foreground, the large spherical liquid petroleum tank has been visibly damaged on the left and top portions of the sphere. A spiralling stairway runs from the ground to the top of the tank. Behind the tank are other refinery pipelines and structures, and a line of freight cars.
An aerial view of the Monsanto building and the refinery facilities near the port after the explosions. Dark gray smoke streams from a burning structure near the tall refinery towers. The Monsanto building is very heavily damaged. The Seatrain loading crane is visible on the far left. On the reverse side of the photograph is written: "Site of explosion - looking west. Shows damage to Monsanto plant and port facilities."
An aerial view of refinery structures at the port after the explosions and fires. The Seatrain loading crane is visible in the lower left corner. White and black smoke still rise from burning areas.
An aerial view of the port area of Texas City after the explosions. Residences can be seen in the lower right corner. Beyond and to the left of those homes are refinery structures. Beyond those structures are the piers and docks of the port area. Thick heavy clouds of black smoke come from burning storage tanks to the right of the docks. Thick white smoke comes from the dock areas. Through a gap between the black and white smoke streams can be seen a number of storage tanks.
An aerial view from the north of part of the Monsanto refinery and processing compound with flames visible in several areas and huge clouds of very dark smoke covering most of the photograph. Storage tanks, pipeline control facilities, and two towers can be identified. On the far right in the background are two water towers. The number "#46" is written in the lower right corner.
An aerial view of the refinery structures near the coastline during the Texas City Disaster. Enormous plumes of very heavy black smoke fills most of the image. Flames from a burning storage tank can be seen near the middle of the photograph. Beyond and to the right, through a break in the heavy smoke, can be seen rows of round storage tanks. On the right, a portion of a road with right angle bend can be seen. There are many vehicles parked along the sides of the road.
An aerial view of the boat slips and dock areas impacted by the explosions. Dock area structures near the slips have been totally destroyed and rubble and debris is readily visible. On the far right foreground, refinery tower structures can be seen. In the far right background are the storage tanks of the tank farm. Huge clouds of thick dark smoke and smaller clouds of white smoke blow left to right.
An aerial view of the grain elevator, the damaged Monsanto building, the Seatrain loading crane and the port area after the 1947 Texas City Disaster. The ruined hull of the Wilson B. Keene is partially submerged at Slip 1. In the lower left hand corner is a badly crushed storage tank. The Longhorn II resting on dry ground is visible near the middle of the picture.
An aerial view of the port after the 1947 Texas City Disaster showing the ruined hull of the Wilson B. Keene. The dock and wharf structures lining both sides of this slip have been leveled. On the reverse of the photograph is written: "Hull of the Wilson B. Keene visible in boat slip adjacent to the slip where the Grandcamp exploded".
An aerial view of the port after the explosions. The heavily damaged Monsanto building, the grain elevator, tank farms and storage tanks and the destroyed docks and warehouses are visible. Written on the reverse side of the photograph is: "The Monsanto plant (in right foreground) received extensive damage to office buildings and equipment. There was heavy loss of life among employees."
An aerial view of the port area after the 1947 Texas City Disaster. Refinery facilities, the Monsanto building, the grain elevator and the storage tank farms are visible. Handwritten in ink at top margin of front of print: "Texas City Disaster Photograph."
An aerial view of the port area after the 1947 Texas City Disaster. Storage tanks, some refinery facilities, the grain elevator, docks, slips, and dock warehouse areas are visible.
An aerial view of the port area after the explosions. White smoke rises from the destroyed dock area. The Monsanto building, refinery facilities, storage tanks, and the grain elevator are visible. Many of the storage tanks have visible damage. Piers and docks show almost total destruction.
An aerial view of the refinery structures in the port area and the docks and piers at the slips after the 1947 Texas City Disaster. Heavy clouds of black and white smoke rise from fires still burning near the docks and in storage tanks. Between the black and white layers of smoke can be seen oil storage tanks at a tank farm.
An aerial view of the docks and slips at the Texas City port after the explosions. Docks and pier structures and dock warehouses have been leveled and totally destroyed. Rubble and debris are visible and white smoke still rises from the dock area. The SeaTrain loading crane is visible near the destroyed Monsanto building on the right. Near the middle of the photograph, the grain elevator stands near the ruins of the power house and its smoke stack. In the distance a number of storage tanks showing compression damage and crushing can be seen.
An aerial view of the port area after the 1947 Texas City Disaster. Visible from lower left to top right are the SeaTrain loading crane, the Monsanto Building, the destroyed docks and piers and refinery structures including two refinery towers. On the back of the photograph is written: "Monsanto / part of slip - Grandcamp".
An aerial view of the port area after the 1947 Texas City Disaster. Thick layers of smoke from fire blow from left to right. White smoke comes from the dock area. Black smoke comes from petroleum facilities on fire.
An aerial view of the Texas City port before the 1947 Texas City Disaster. The grain elevator, a tank farm, the port facilities, the Monsanto building, the Seatrain loading crane, a smokestack, some refinery facilities and some residential housing can be seen. The print has a handwritten caption at the top: "Texas City Disaster photograph."
An aerial view of refinery facilities near the port during the Texas City Disaster. Heavy black smoke coming from a source out of view on the right obscures much of the top two-thirds of the picture. A smaller plume of white smoke can be seen on the left. Storage tanks can be seen through a small hole in the smoke near the top middle of the photograph. The lower part of the image shows destroyed areas of the docks.
An aerial view of the Texas City port before the 1947 Disaster. A large cargo ship is in one of the slips. The grain elevator with the conveyor system, the Seatrain loading crane, warehouses, and docks and piers are identifiable. In the background, part of the residential area of the city is visible.
An aerial view of the port area after the 1947 Texas City Disaster. A large cargo ship is moored at one of the slips. Three other smaller ships are on the water. Clearly visible are the grain elevator, the smoke stack, the Seatrain loading crane, the Longhorn II aground, damaged storage tanks and the destroyed warehouses and docks. One wall remains from the power house near the grain elevator, and the heavy damage to the Texas City Terminal building can be seen. The badly damaged hull of the Wilson B. Keene can be seen near the Texas City Terminal building. In the bottom right corner is a badly crushed storage tank.
A group of people gather at the Texas City High School stadium for a memorial service for victims of the 1947 disaster. A small group of speakers stands in the middle, between the crowd standing on the field and a group of choir members standing on the bleachers. At the bottom of the picture is printed "Texas City Disaster, April 16, 1947." On the back of the photograph is written: "Memorial - April 19, 1947 at H.S. Stadium 10th Street."
Three victims of the 1947 Texas City Disaster sit on cots at an outdoor first aid station under trees (possibly behind City Hall). A Red Cross worker is talking to one of the victims with a blanket around his shoulders. The other two victims have bandages on their face or head.
A large amount of wooden debris floats in the harbor in the foreground, completely covering a large area of water. Two firetrucks are parked on the dock extending out on the left with four men dressed in white standing on the edge of the dock holding hoses leading down to the ocean water. Another man in a hard hat stands on the left in a large pile of debris looking down at a large metal object, perhaps an anchor lying on or near the railroad tracks. A large metal loading crane stands just behind the fire engines on the right. Other damaged port structures are visible in the background. The number "#23" is written on the picture in the lower right corner.
A large crowd gathers at the mass funeral service for victims of the 1947 Texas City Disaster. A clergyman is speaking from a temporary dais, surrounded by funeral wreaths while other clergymen, including a Catholic priest, and acolytes stand to the right of the platform.
An honor guard carries in a coffin topped with flowers at the mass funeral service for victims of the 1947 Texas City Disaster held in Memorial Park on June 22, 1947. The honor guard is composed of both veterans and civilians. A large crowd watches as the coffin is brought in.
A large crowd watches as honor guards carry in the caskets of unidentified victims of the 1940 Texas City Disaster at the mass funeral service on June 22, 1947, at Memorial Park. Identical caskets decorated with floral sprays are lined up in rows. An honor guard carries in a casket to start the fourth row. On the back of the photograph is written: "Mass burial - June 22, 1947 - unidentified remains - 63 indiv caskets attended by 5,000 people 197 Loop North/ 29th Street outside city."
An honor guard is placing a coffin in its designated location at the mass funeral service for victims of the 1947 Texas City Disaster held at Memorial Park on June 22, 1947. The coffin is being placed in the 8th spot of the 2nd row. Seventeen other identical coffins topped with flower sprays are already in place. A large crowd is gathered for the service, standing outside the roped-off area. On the back of the photograph is written: "Caskets were arranged in 3 rows - on either side of location of fountain - six rows all together Mass funeral 22 Jun 47."
Three identical coffins topped with flower sprays await burial at the mass funeral service for unidentified victims of the 1947 Texas City Disaster held in Memorial Park on June 22, 1947. A group of five mourners gather near a coffin. The couple has been identified as Genaro and Ruby Nino Capetillo. Outside the fenced-in area, a number of people are gathered. At the far right a man stands on top of a truck. Just inside the fence on the far left is a man holding a camera. On the back of the photograph is written :"Mass funeral held June 22, 1947 at Memorial Cemetery - land that was purchased for the purpose of burying unidentified dead."
Four men lift a cot holding a blanket-covered body in the temporary morgue after the 1947 Texas City Disaster. Another man stands in the foreground, ready to assist. In the foreground, another blanket-wrapped body lies on a wooden table.
Seen from inside a church, a man is standing on a window sill of a tall window on the right. He is reaching up removing jagged pieces of the glass remaining in the window. On the left, a statue depicting Jesus Christ stands on a shelf above a small altar. A candle in a candleholder, two small votive candles and a dish of flowers sit on the altar which is near the front of the Church, behind the wooden communion rail gates. Hanging on the wall on the right is a depiction of the 14th Station from the Stations of the Cross, showing the placement of Jesus' body in the tomb after the crucifixion.
Large clouds of heavy black and white smoke rise from burning storage tanks near the shoreline in the Texas City port area. This photograph is taken looking across a long wooden pier toward the storage tanks.
Identical coffins decorated with floral sprays are lined up on the porch of the temporary morgue building at Camp Wallace in Hitchcock. Four men dressed in suits carry one coffin to waiting hearses. On the back of the photograph is written: "This is a scene at Camp Wallace in Hitchcock, where the unclaimed bodies were stored in cold storage awaiting identification. The individual caskets were loaded into individual hearses loaned by over 50 funeral homes in southeast Texas. The man carrying casket on right front is John Irwin's brother - don't know name."
An honor guard of three military men and one civilian carries in a coffin at the mass funeral service for the victims of the 1947 Texas City Disaster held at Memorial Park on June 22, 1947. Rows of identical coffins are lined up at the burial site. Funeral wreaths stand at intervals near the coffins and each casket is decorated with a spray of flowers. A large crowd is gathered for the ceremony. In the background, round storage tanks and refinery structures can be seen.
Two groups of men search through debris after the explosions. On the far left, one group is gathered around a bulldozer tractor with a powered arm, perhaps for a bucket attachment. On the right, another group is gathered around a large, badly damaged metal object, perhaps a vehicle. Near them, large pieces of metal debris, apparently from a railroad freight car, lie surrounded by shallow water. Large pieces of metal debris are scattered over the foreground. In the distance there is a lone man and behind him another bulldozer tractor. Further on, on both sides, there are large metal framework structures twisted and bent, probably from a warehouse roof or from the covered conveyor system.
Clergymen from several faiths and acolytes stand near a platform and microphone waiting for the mass burial services to start on June 22, 1947. To the left stand funeral wreaths. Behind the clergymen can be seen a tall cross on a staff held by an acolyte. A large crowd stands behind the roped-off burial area.
Pall bearers, or an honor guard (at least two of the men seem to be in uniform), carry in the casket of an unidentified victim of the 1947 Texas City Disaster at the mass funeral service on June 22, 1947. Two rows of identical caskets have already been brought in and two more caskets stand in a third row. A small group of clergymen awaits the casket. A large crowd of people stand behind a fence or spectator ropes on three sides of the burial site. Funeral wreaths stand at intervals around the caskets. The tops of parked vehicles are visible behind the crowd. In the far distance can be seen some refinery facilities.
Railroad freight cars loaded with wooden structures sit on raised railroad tracks leading to the docks. Part of the support structure for the tracks have collapsed underneath the loaded cars. The dock & pier structures closer to the water have been very heavily damaged.
Two badly crushed train cars sitting on a railroad track lie half buried under debris. Barrels and other debris lie scattered and heaped over most of the visible area. Behind the cars, heavy metal framework, probably from either a warehouse or the covered metal conveyor system, shows heavy damage and twisting.
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