He was acting consul at Halifax , Nova Scotia ( in maritime Canada ) , on December 6 , 1917 , when the , a vessel loaded with munitions , exploded in the harbor , razing a large section of the city . The U.S. consular offices , located within three blocks of the waterfront , were wrecked , but Watts managed to survive because , at the time of the explosion , he was late for work
exploded
Halifax Explosion
Ethelbert Watts