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This Saturday, July 30, 2016, will be the 100 year anniversary of the explosion on Black Tom Island. The Davis Library is fortunate to have the records of the Special Committee on Black Tom Island Disaster, a group of insurance companies organized to make sabotage claims against Germany.
The case was heard by the German-American Mixed Claims Commission and Germany was originally found not liable, but after a rehearing in 1939, several Germans were found responsible for the explosion. The result was a settlement of $50 million to be paid out to a group of 72 insurance companies.
This collection is available for research by appointment only. The finding aid can be viewed here.
*Click images to zoom in.
Newspaper clippings about the insurance claims, a scrapbook of meeting minutes and correspondence of the special committee, a bill from the house of representatives, and a pamphlet of photographs of the aftermath of the explosion taken by Pathé News.
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