An aerial view of the refinery facilities near the port, the dock areas, the Seatrain loading crane, the grain elevator, the storage tanks and the wharves where the explosions occured. Identified from left to right rear are: Ludlow Mfg. and Sales Co., Where High Flyer blew up, Wharf area, Propane tank, Texas City term. General Offices, Tex. City Term. Co. Freight Office, Grain Elevator (Tex. City Term. Co.), Seatrain Loading crane, S.W. Sugar and Molasses C., Humble Tank Farm, Sid Richardson Oil Co., Monsanto Offices, Republic Oil C. Areas identified in the middle of the photograph are: Where Grand Camp blew up, and Old Sugar Refinery (now part of Monsanto) and Monsanto plant. Copyright Houston Metropolitan Research Center
Most of the Texas City Terminal Railways' warehouses along the docks were a complete loss. Hundreds of employees, pedestrians and bystanders were killed. At the time of the Grandcamp's explosion, only two additional vessels were docked in port: the S.S. High Flyer and the Wilson B. Keene, both American C-2 cargo ships similar to the Grandcamp. [1, 6].
A view of the docks near the port after the Grandcamp's explosion. Notice all the debris floating in the harbor.