A Little Known Reminder of World War I: The Split Rock Explosion Monument

Syracuse, NY. Oakwood Cemetery. Monument to the Victims of the Split Rock Explosion. Photo: Samuel D. Gruber 2016

Syracuse, NY. Billings Park, Monument to
Soldiers of Thirty Eighth Infantry United States Army (World War I). Photo: Samuel D. Gruber 2011

A Little Known Reminder of World War I: The Split Rock Explosion Monument
by Samuel D. Gruber


I've written about many public monuments on this blog, especially war monuments, such as the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument at Clinton Square and The Hiker at Billings Park.  But one of the most unexpected war monuments in Central New York and probably among the least known is the striking memorial erected to the victims of the terrible Split Rock Explosion of 1918 and located in Oakwood Cemetery. Since we are in the midst of commemoration of the centennial of American entry into World War I, let's take a look.

The elegant stone monument is a large high thin slab flanked by two low stone urns, and it sits on the edge of Oakwood's raised section B, originally part of Morningside Cemetery, not far from Comstock Ave.  It is in distinct contrast to traditional war monuments with their heroic statues of fighting men, such as the one in Billing Park to the Soldiers of Thirty Eighth Infantry United States Army, shown above). Although the dead remembered here were victims of the World War I effort, their deaths came far from combat, and thus their remembrance is largely outside the mainstream of World War commemoration. the explosion is more often mentioned in the context of catastrophic industrial accidents then in lists of casualties of war.

The Semet-Solvay Company manufactured explosives during World War I, for which work they purchased an abandoned quarry called Split Rock in the western hills of Syracuse, where they began producing TNT on site in 1915. On July 2nd, 1918 a mixing motor in the main TNT building overheated and ignited nearly three tons of explosives. The building was destroyed, fifty people were killed, and dozens  injured.  From my reading it is not clear to me how many died in the explosion and how many fighting the fire.

The Semet-Solvay Company erected this monument which mentions those who "voluntarily gave their lives" fighting the fire. It seems, based on a newspaper article, that fifteen victims must be buried here.

Syracuse, NY. Oakwood Cemetery. Monument to the Victims of the Split Rock Explosion. Photo: Samuel D. Gruber 2017

Syracuse, NY. Oakwood Cemetery. Monument to the Victims of the Split Rock Explosion. Photo: Samuel D. Gruber 2017

Syracuse, NY. Oakwood Cemetery. Monument to the Victims of the Split Rock Explosion. Inscription on front (east) side. Photo: Samuel D. Gruber 2017

The main inscription on the monument reads:

In memory of those workers in munitions during the War for Civilization who voluntarily gave their lives in fighting fire at Split Rock July 2, 1918. This monument is erected by the Semet-Solvay Co.

Syracuse, NY. Oakwood Cemetery. Monument to the Victims of the Split Rock Explosion. Inscription on south side. Photo: Samuel D. Gruber 2017

Syracuse, NY. Oakwood Cemetery. Monument to the Victims of the Split Rock Explosion. Inscription on north side. Photo: Samuel D. Gruber 2017

On the sides of the monument are lists of names of victims, but on the back of the monument is inscribed:

"These - the unidentified dead - are buried here"

Then fifteen names are listed - is it that the remains could not be separated and identified? 
These are probably the fifteen mentioned in the newspaper article of August 6, 1918, since Protestant, Catholic and Jewish clergy officiated - and the names listed suggest victims of all three faiths.

Syracuse, NY. Oakwood Cemetery. Monument to the Victims of the Split Rock Explosion. Inscription on back (north) side. Photo: Samuel D. Gruber 2017

Syracuse, NY. Oakwood Cemetery. Monument to the Victims of the Split Rock Explosion. Photo: Samuel D. Gruber 2017

Next time you are in Oakwood, go pay your respects.