Why you can’t climb to the Statue of Liberty’s torch anymore

German Saboteurs’ Devastating Attack on Black Tom Island

In 1916, German spies set their sights on Black Tom Island in New York Harbor. The tiny spot held two million pounds of bombs and ammo bound for Europe.

On July 30, at 2:08 am, the night sky lit up as the first blast rocked the city. Windows broke miles away.

The Statue of Liberty took hits from flying metal, which is why her torch stays closed to this day. Five people died, and the damage hit $20 million.

The attack left such a mark that Germany was still paying for it in 1979.

The blast site now sits within Liberty State Park, where a memorial plaque tells this forgotten war story.

New York Harbor Became a Wartime Weapons Hub

By 1916, Black Tom Island grew into a huge 25-acre weapons depot in New York Harbor.

This small man-made island turned into the main shipping point for weapons going to Britain and France during World War I.

About 75% of all ammo and weapons sent from America to Europe came from within five miles of Lower Manhattan. The Royal Navy stopped Germany from buying American weapons while Allied countries ordered tons.

Lehigh Valley Railroad built warehouses, a mile-long pier, and train tracks to handle all the explosive cargo.

A Spy Chief Posed as a Friendly Ambassador

Count Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff came to America in 1914 looking like a normal German diplomat. Behind his friendly smile, he ran spies and saboteurs across the United States.

Berlin gave him $150 million in bonds to pay for attacks on American weapons shipments. During the day, Bernstorff met with American officials as a respected ambassador.

At night, he worked as Germany’s top spy boss, planning ways to stop weapons from reaching German enemies. His team worked throughout New York Harbor looking for ways to mess up shipments without getting caught.

Tiny "Pencil Bombs" Sank Dozens of Ships

Captain Franz von Rintelen snuck into America in April 1915 using a fake Swiss passport. The German naval spy teamed up with chemist Dr. Walter Scheele to make clever weapons. Their “pencil bombs” looked like cigars but held deadly acids in copper tubes.

These bombs could blow up days after being planted, making them hard to trace.

Von Rintelen’s spy network put these devices on cargo ships, destroying $10 million worth of supplies on 36 different vessels. The delayed explosions let the saboteurs escape long before anyone knew a bomb was there.

Cash Bribes Turned Immigrants Into Saboteurs

Von Rintelen built a spy network that included Michael Kristoff, a Slovak immigrant who needed money. German agents paid Kristoff cash to help them get into the weapons depot.

His landlord got suspicious when Kristoff started coming home at odd hours with dirty clothes that smelled like fuel. Two German agents, Kurt Jahnke and Lothar Witzke, joined the plot.

The team watched Black Tom Island for weeks, noticing how few guards protected the massive weapons stockpile. They mapped out the best ways to sneak in and plant bombs where they would do the most damage.

Two Million Pounds of Explosives Sat Nearly Unguarded

On July 29, 1916, Black Tom Island held enough weapons to supply Allied armies for weeks. The depot stored two million pounds of ammo, artillery shells, and explosives waiting to be shipped.

Johnson Barge No. 17 floated nearby loaded with 100,000 pounds of TNT.

The barge captain illegally docked there to avoid paying a $25 towing fee. Only two night watchmen guarded this enormous pile of explosives.

The depot lacked proper security gates or fencing despite being filled with enough firepower to flatten a small city.

Fires Started Just After Midnight

German saboteurs slipped onto Black Tom Island late on July 29, 1916. They planted fire-starting devices throughout the depot, focusing on areas near ammo storage.

Small fires broke out around midnight, quickly spreading toward the main warehouses. Some guards ran away in fear while others tried to put out the flames before calling the Jersey City Fire Department.

Fire trucks raced toward the island but turned back when firefighters realized the whole depot might blow up.

No one knows for sure who lit the first fuse, though later investigations pointed to Kristoff and his German handlers.

The Blast Shook Three States

At 2:08 AM on July 30, the Johnson Barge blew up with a force equal to a 5. 5 earthquake.

A second huge blast followed at 2:40 AM, setting off a chain reaction that kept going until dawn. People heard the explosion as far away as Maryland and Connecticut.

The blast threw Manhattan residents from their beds across the harbor. Windows broke up to 25 miles away.

The explosion ranks as one of the largest non-nuclear blasts in American history. The fireball lit up the night sky so brightly that people thought the sun was rising early.

Lady Liberty Got Her Battle Scars

The Statue of Liberty stood just 2,000 feet from Black Tom Island and took heavy damage in the blast. Metal pieces scarred her copper skin and damaged her torch, which has stayed closed to visitors ever since.

Thousands of windows broke in Lower Manhattan and Jersey City as the shock wave rolled through. Officials moved everyone from Ellis Island by ferry as burning debris fell on the immigrant center.

At least five people died, including a baby thrown from his crib in Jersey City. Hundreds more got hurt from flying glass and falling debris.

The property damage reached $20 million, about $500 million in today’s money.

Bomb Squad Detective Tracked Down the Culprits

NYPD bomb squad inspector Thomas Tunney formed America’s first anti-terrorist task force after the explosion.

His team traced the attack to Michael Kristoff through witness statements about his odd behavior before the blast.

When questioned, Kristoff broke down and admitted working for German agents who paid him to help access the pier.

British intelligence helped American investigators identify German operatives Jahnke and Witzke as the masterminds behind the plot. The investigation marked the beginning of modern counterterrorism work in America.

Germany Fought the Lawsuit for 20 Years

After World War I ended, the Mixed Claims Commission formed with German, American, and neutral representatives to handle damage claims.

Lehigh Valley Railroad sued Germany for destroying their property under the Treaty of Berlin. The legal battle dragged on for decades as lawyers gathered evidence against the German government.

In 1939, the commission finally ruled that Imperial Germany was responsible and ordered a $50 million payment.

The Nazi government refused to pay, and the case continued through another world war as victims waited for justice.

The Final Check Arrived 63 Years Later

Germany made its first reparation payment in 1953, eight years after the Nazis were defeated.

The final settlement of $50 million (worth about $490 million today) wrapped up in 1979, a full 63 years after the explosion.

The Black Tom case created new legal standards for holding countries responsible for terrorism committed by their agents. Congress passed the Espionage Act of 1917 directly because of the attack.

The FBI expanded its powers to investigate foreign spies on American soil.

The explosion changed how America handled national security forever, creating many of the counterintelligence systems we still use today.

Visiting Liberty Science Center, NJ

You can learn about the Black Tom explosion at Liberty Science Center in Liberty State Park at 222 Jersey City Blvd. General admission gets you into the museum, which is open weekdays 10am-4pm and weekends 10am-5pm.

Take the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to Liberty State Park station for a three-minute walk. Parking costs $7.

While you’re there, check out the Black Tom explosion memorial plaque in Flag Plaza area of the park.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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