Black Tom Disaster

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Description

This photograph shows the aftermath of explosions at the Black Tom railroad yard during World War I. In 1916, before the United States formally entered the war, German agents blew up train cars at the yard that were packed with war materials to ship to Great Britain.

The original caption for this photograph reads: Black Tom disaster. Scene after explosion at Black Tom, N.J.

Citation

This primary source comes from the Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs.

National Archives Identifier: 31478104

Full Citation: Photograph 165-WW-158A-30; Black Tom Disaster; c. 7/30/1916; Enemy Activities – Destruction by Enemy in U.S.; American Unofficial Collection of World War I Photographs, 1917 – 1918; Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs, Record Group 165; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/black-tom-disaster/, March 29, 2026]

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