Arizona republican., 1917-12-07


 and later proceeded to the harbor to render a said that all of North Halifax destroyed three ships sunk and many others damaged The ruins of buildings are now burning fiercely in North Halifax" the dispatch con cludes
 HALIFAN, N. s. Dec '. - With the toll of dead steadily mounting it believed early this morning that more than 200O persons perished in the explosion and fire which followed the collision yesterday morning i'll Halifax harbor between munitions-laden French ship and another vessel loaded with supplies for the Belgian relief commission.
 The disaster which has plunged the Dominion into mourning probably will rank the most fearful that ever occurred on the American continent Residents of Halifax and thousands of volunteer relief workers who have into the city have been almost dazed at the extent of the horror.
 Temporary morgues have been established in many buildings to which steady procession of vehicles of all kinds have been carrying for hours the bodies of women and children Most of them charred that they were unrccogniZable.
 Thousands of persons seeking trace of relatives and friends have passed by the long silent rows, attempting by the fickering light of lamps and lanterns to identify the ones they sought.
 Virtually every building in the city which could be converted into hospital is filled with wounded many of
 them desperately injured that there is hope of their recovery Scores already have died in these temporary hospitals. An ever-increasng number is being taken from the completely devastated Richmond district to the relief station An army of workers is searching among the ruins for bodies and for those who have vved amidst the wreckage left by the explosion and fire
 The city darkness tonight except for the flames from the fires still burning ill the wrecked buildings in the north end The electric light and gas plants have been virtually destroyed and the only lights available kerosene lamps. They furnished the illumination by means of which surgeons and doctors toied heroicaly throughout the night caring for the injured.
 Soldiers, sailors and police patroed the streets to- night and upon them fell the major portion of the burden of searching among the ruins for dead and wounded The Canadians assisted ill this work by sailors from American warshp in the harbor The flame e-SWept covers approximately two and onehaf square miles. It begins at what is known as the North Street bridge, extending north to Pier Eight the Richmond waterfront and back to point running paral Tel with Gotingen street Nothing has been left standing in this section of the city, Only pile of smoulderng ruins marks the spot where the great building of the American Sugar Refining company stood. The drydock and all the buildings which surrounded it destroyed The Richmond school that housed hundreds of children demolished and it is reported only three escaped Il Canadian officers who have seen long service ill France characterize the catastrophe the mot fearful which has befallen any city in the world.'
 Chief of Police Hanrahan late last night estimated the number of killed at two thousand and other city of fcals expressed the belief that 1t would exceed that number
 Among the dead are Edward Condon chief of the fire department; William Brunt deputy fire chief Captain Peter Frederick of the fire departments the wife and of Rev w. J. Sweatman of the Kaye Street Methodist N church and Dr. Murdock Chisholm. The collision which resulted in probably the worst disaster in the history of the Dominion occurred Pier Number Eight in the leading from the har Dor to Bedford basin. The munitions ship was bound from New York for Bedford basin when the relief ship s Imo. bound for sea, crashed into her The Mont Blanc pierced on the port side almost at the engine The other ship which only slight
 y damaged, backed away when flames burst out the munitions ship and was abandoned by the The captain of the Mont Blanc also ordered his to the boats he realized explosion inevitable. The reached shore safely before the tremendous blast IT
 minutes later which blew their ship pieces and wrecked : large part of the city,
 a The business life of the city had just begun for the day when the town shaken to it's foundations by the Il Continued on Page Two