Apparently, people were unaware back then that ammonium nitrate was an explosive, and the bags were not marked as such. They were shipped in boxcars carrying a certificate *inside* verifying that the contents were to be handled as munitions, but no markings outside the cars.
Most of the chemical plants were built outside city limits to avoid taxes, and Texas City was so short of funds they sold their only fireboat. The neighborhood nearest the docks was occupied by poor Hispanic families who had few if any legal records, which is largely responsible for the huge uncertainty in the casualty figures -- many of the dockworkers and their families simply vanished in the explosion, and their homes were obliterated.
Texas City was built and organized for the benefit of big corporations -- i.e., a Republican paradise for top management, and a hellhole for anyone not holding company stock. The long ordeal of those attempting to hold the responsible parties accountable does not make American justice look particularly good.
http://www.billminutaglio.com/cityonfire.html
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