New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-12-13
INVESTIGATION Of
HALIFAX HORROR
GETS UNDER Way
Governments, Owners Of Colidin8
} Vessels and Other Parties Rep
resented at Official Hearing
SNOWSTORM BURSTS OUT
AGAIN; COLD CONTINUES

Relief Vessel From Boston Arrives
With Window Glass and Roofing
Paper-Oculists Needed to Prevent
Thousands From Becoming Blind
for Life-Heroism of Women Dur
ing Conflagration.
Halifax, Nov. 13.-Oficial inquiry
was begun by the government today
to determine, if possible, responsibility
for the explosion in the harbor with
its resultant fire and loss of thou
sands of lives a week ago today.
II Attorneys present represent the Ca
madam and Nova Scotia governments,
1owners of the two colliding vessels,
. the French munition ship Mont Blanc
p and the Norwegian Belgian relief ship
limo; the City of Halifax and the Hal
flax Pilotage commission.
Citizens were still so occupied today
with the rehabilitation of their city
that there was no public attendance
when the taking of testimony began.
Among the first witnesses were Pilot
: Mckay and Captain Lamode of the
Mont Blanc and Alex Johansen, stew
. ard of the Imo.
Insists Pilot Was Not Drunk.
Captain Lamodes examined by w.
A. Henry, counsel for the government,
y said the Mont Blanc was loaded at
GraNesend Bay, New York, with a
cargo of T. N. T. gun cotton, and dry
picric acid and deck load of ben
Fol for the French government He
described the distribution of the ex-
plosives in the hold and said the T.
N. T. was separated from the acid by
special wooden partitions. The acid
was in wooden kegs and cases.
Captain Lamodes said the ship came
to Halifax to receive orders where to
Join her convoy He received his ora
ders from the British Pilot Mckay.
Mckay was absolutely sober" said
the witness. No liquor was on the
Mont Blanc he said. The morning
Of the collision was quite clear.
Proceeding up to Bedford Basin his
ship sighted the limo, continued the
commander. She was heading to sea
on the west side but was taking dl-
rection across his course. The star
board side of the limo was visible. She
was two points on his port bow. He
gave one short blast on his whistle
to indicate he had seen the 1mo and
to show the Mont Blanc was going
to the right.
- The Ino gave two short blasts when
the ships were about $50 feet apart.
The collision was inevitable at this
point. The limo, judging by the force
of the collision, seemed to have
great speed
The effect of the collision was i'm
) mediate Thick black smoke poured
from the hold. It was impossible to
put out the fire. In order not to
uselessly sacrifice lives he ordered the
crew to abandon the ship. He called
the roll when they landed and found
only one man missing. Eighteen to
twenty minutes elapsed before the ex-
plosion which thew them all fiat on
their faces.
Captain Lamode admitted it was
the first time he had been in Halifax
harbor. Cross examined by c. j.
BurcheI, counsel for the owners OF
q the limo, the witness testified the
Mont Blanc was not carrying a red
flag or anything to indicate that the
ship had explosives on board. He de-
clared the International navigation
rules did not call for the flying OF
az red flag on a ship except when il
Stories of WOmens HerOiSm.
Belated credit was given today tt
two young women for their conduct
following the explos on. When the ex.
plosion came the naval hospital hac
only two nurses on duty, Sister Alice
Boutin and her assistant. Although
the roof crashed in and the building
was damaged. not a. patient was lost
T~
patients, many injured from outsid
were brought in. With a fractured Ri
and a dislocated shoulder, Sister Bou
tin remained on duty until late in tn
evening, when she became exhausted
Miss Jean Groves. operator at tn
private branch telephone exchange a
the dockyards, remained at her pos
and sent out calls for doctors, fire de
partments and other aid until ordere
ont of the building which was badl
DAMAGED. Less than half an hou
later she was at the Lorne exchange
reporting for duty.
Boston Relief Ship Arrives.
The relief ship Northland, the sec
ond vessel sent out from Boston wit
supplies and clothing for the destitut
here, arrived today.
The Northland brought larg
quantity of winI ow glass. roofin
paper and other supplies badly neede
30 make the remaining homes MOI
comfortable and to, provide more sui
ublc temporary quarters for the hom|
loss.
The weather was intensely cold t.
1av and an early sno vstorm gave il
m Do