Johnson Barge No. 17
Barge · United States · Lost 1916 · New York Harbor
A munitions barge destroyed in the 1916 Black Tom explosion, a German sabotage attack in New York Harbor that ranks among the largest man-made explosions in American history.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
Moored at the Black Tom munitions depot in Jersey City, this barge was loaded with about 50 tons of TNT awaiting shipment to the Allies during World War I. On the night of July 30, 1916, German agents set incendiary devices that ignited the barge and adjacent stockpiled munitions, producing a massive explosion felt as far as Philadelphia and Maryland and damaging the nearby Statue of Liberty. At least seven people were killed.
Vessel
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- None (unpowered barge)
- National Dock and Storage Company / Lehigh Valley Railroad
Loss
- July 30, 1916
- Fire
- Black Tom pier, Jersey City, New York Harbor
- New York Harbor
- Not established
- Approximately 50 tons of TNT
- Not established
- At least seven people died in the wider Black Tom explosion; deaths specific to the barge itself are not separately established
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- 40.69° N 74.06° W
- Approximate position
- Black Tom Island (former), Liberty State Park, Jersey City, New York Harbor
Coordinates are for the former Black Tom Island site, not a confirmed wreck position
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (55/100)
The barge's final resting position and any surviving physical remains are not established in sources reviewed; the site of the former Black Tom pier is now part of Liberty State Park's landfill.
Narrative of the explosion, cargo tonnage, timeline
Wikipedia, citing contemporary and historical sources
Casualty count, date, and location detail
