Joel Zemel - Betrayal of Trust: Commander Wyatt and the Halifax Explosion

Betrayal of Trust

Commander Wyatt and the Halifax Explosion

Joel Zemel

NEW WORLD PUBLISHING (CANADA)
PO Box 36075, Halifax, NS B3J 3S9
1-877-211-3334
www.newworldpublishing.com

Although all sources have been thoroughly researched to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or inconsistencies included herein. Any perceived slights to individuals or organizations other than within an historical context are unintentional. All individuals named in this book were real people and the content true.

Published by : New World Publishing (Canada)
PO Box 36075, Halifax, N. S. B3J 3S9
Telephone: 1-877-211-3334 Website: www.newworldpublishing.com

Copyright: 2017 Joel Zemel

First printed: 2017 (New World Publishing)

New World Publishing is pleased to work in partnership with the Province of Nova Scotia and Access Copyright to develop and promote our creative industries for the benefit of all Nova Scotians and Canadians.

Managing Editor: Francis Mitchell
Editorial advisor: William Barker
Proofer: Virginia Houston
Photographic scans, preparation, covers, book design & layout: SVP Productions
Font: Adobe Garamond Pro

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Zemel, Joel, 1950-, author

Betrayal of Trust : Commander Wyatt and the Halifax Explosion / Joel Zemel.

Edited by Francis Mitchell; proofed by Virginia Houston.

Includes bibliographical references and index. Issued in print and electronic formats.

ISBN 978-1-895814-76-7 (softcover)--ISBN 978-1-895814-77-4 (PDF)

1. Wyatt, F. Evan (Frederick Evan), 1877-1967. 2. Wyatt, F. Evan (Frederick Evan), 1877-1967--Trials, litigation, etc. 3. Halifax Explosion, Halifax, N.S., 1917. 4. Halifax (N.S.)--Biography. I. Mitchell, Francis, 1942-, editor II. Title.

FC2346.26.W96Z46 2017971.622503092C2017-901395-5C2017-901396-3

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles. In the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a license must be obtained from Access Copyright, 1 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario M5E 1E5. (1-800-893-5777)

Printed & bound in Canada by Marquis.
Printings: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

For Bud

Map of Halifax / Dartmouth ca. 1917

Admiralty Map depicting Bedford Basin. X marks where SS Imo was moored before the collision / explosion.

Acknowledgments

Nearly five years have passed since I self-published Scapegoat, the extraordinary legal proceedings following the 1917 Halifax Explosion. My gratitude to those who influenced and assisted me on that project was still keenly felt as I worked away on this new biography. When I began the long journey of assembling my Scapegoat research into book form, Jeanne Howell and Barry Cahill kindly offered their assistance as editorial advisors. Their guidance was crucial in my achieving the accuracy necessary to make the endeavour a success. The important books available at the time - Shattered City by Janet Kitz, The Halifax Explosion and the Royal Canadian Navy by John G. Armstrong and Ground Zero, edited by Alan Ruffman and Colin Howell - were invaluable foundations on which to build my own research. I was a rookie, to be sure - a novice attempting to fill the demanding role of author and historian. I eventually discovered that by doing the work in a most diligent manner, one ultimately becomes both.

Over time, the man at the center of much of the legal proceedings in 1918 became an ongoing focus of interest for me, and writing Acting Commander F. Evan Wyatts biography seemed inevitable. I also realized this book would require a more intimate approach than my previous work. Presenting one mans role in a catastrophic event and its impact upon him, as well as providing an interesting story arc, came with its own unique set of challenges. A colleague, Dr. William Barker, filled the vital role of editorial advisor, sharing his expertise as an educator, scholar, and avid reader to help guide me through a series of drafts. The senior reference archivist at the Nova Scotia Archives, Garry Shutlak, graciously made himself available for discussion throughout and also offered commentary on the early stages of the book. My publisher and editor, Francis Mitchell, has never wavered in his continued support of my projects.

Two of F. Evan Wyatts descendants, Ted Edwards and Evan B. Wyatt, provided crucial archival material as well as the many rare photographs of the commanders British and American families displayed within this volume. I expound upon their contributions in my Preface. Added thanks to author Michael Dupuis for his encouragement over the years. To all of the aforementioned and many others, too numerous to mention within this limited space, your kind assistance and encouragement is greatly appreciated.

Preface

Its too easy to criticize a man when hes out of favour, and to make him shoulder the blame for everybody elses mistakes.

- Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

They talk of a man betraying his country, his friends, his sweetheart. There must be a moral bond first. All a man can betray is his conscience.

- Joseph Conrad, Under Western Skies

On 6 december 1917, ss Mont-Blanc, a French munitions ship heavily laden with a cargo of volatile explosives collided with a Norwegian vessel under charter for Belgian Relief, SS Imo. A resultant fire aboard Mont-Blanc led to the detonation of the largest man-made explosion before the Trinity nuclear test in July 1945. Commander F. Evan Wyatt, the chief examination officer (CXO) in charge of the traffic in the harbour, ended up a key figure in a succession of legal proceedings following the disaster. An inquiry to find the cause of the collision concluded with the arrest of the CXO along with Captain Aim Le Medec and Pilot Francis Mackey of the ill-fated French ship on charges of manslaughter. At the preliminary hearing, a stipendiary magistrate determined there was sufficient evidence to warrant charges of manslaughter and criminal negligence. Afterwards, Justice Benjamin Russell released Le Mdec and Mackey on writs of