New London Texas School Explosion

On the afternoon of March 18 1937 a shop teacher at New London Elementary school switched on a power sander and triggered a massive explosion that ultimately killed an estimated 298 teachers and pupils. Of the 540+ people in the building only 120 escaped serious injury. The pictures above show the school immediately after the explosion and the recovery efforts afterward. The tasks these people accomplished is amazing especially under the circumstances of a very small town with 1930s technology.