The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-12-07

shower of falling glass and plaster
Houses in the Richmond section
cfumpled up and collapsed, burying
their tenants
In the main part of the city, where
the buildings are chiefly of stone OF
concrete, the damage was confined 10
the shattering OF windows and most
of the casualties in this section were
caused by flying glass.
1t was in Richmond. however. op-
posite the scene of the explosion
that the havoc was greatest. Whole
blocks of dwellings,, mostly OF
frame construction. We're leveled
Street after street is in ruins and the
structures which were left standing
by the explosion were destroyed by
fires which broke out simultaneous
Is In score of places and which II
was impossible To- check until they
had burned themselves out.
Five minutes after the explosion
the streets in all part, of Halifax were
filed with frenzied panic-stricken
throngs striving to reach the out
skirts in an effort to escape what
they believed was a raid by a Ger.
man fleet. Hundreds of them had
been cut by the shower OF glass
which followed the explosion.
In tile Richmond section the scenes
enacted defed description. Serious
ly injured men and women crawled
from the wreckage of their homes
and lay in the streets until they were
removed in ambulances and autmo.
biles to hospitals. Those less seri.
ously hurt aided those more grayely
injured In the streets piled high
with debris were found the shattered
bodies of many women and children
Several children were crushed to
death when they were hurled against
telegraph poles by the force of the
explosion.
In scores of cases occupants OF
houses who had escaped without in,
Jury or who were only slightly hurt
we're baffied by the flames in search
Tor members OF their families and
were forced to stand by impotent
while what once had been their
homes became funeral pyres for their
loved ones.
Among those killed were the chief
of the fire department and his dep
uty who were hurled to death when
a fire engine exploded.
Scores of those who lost their
lives were children in the public
schools in the north end. Many 9th
ers suffered broken limbs and were
rescued with difficulty from the ruin.
ed buildings. The teachers who es'
capped injury worked heroically TO
save the lives of the children under
their charge.
In less than half an hour after the
disaster 5000 persons had gathered
on the common and thousands of 9th
ers had sought refuge in fields out
side the city. Hundreds were report
ed missing by their relatives and it
was not known whether they We're
alive or dead
The work of rescue and relief was
promptly organized. Doctors. nurses
anu NOluutttIo iOilcu III
the work of succor. Their ranks soon
were swelled by others who arrived
in constantly increasing number from
nearby towns. 1t wss announced be
fore nightfall that 25 of the injured
had died.
The mayors of all towns in the
province have been asked to rush
supplies to Halifax.
The force of the explosion was felt
at Truro, rs miles away, where win.
dows were shattered.
Col Mackenzie Bell who spent two
years on the firing line in Flanders.
said last night he never had seen
anything on the battle front to equal
the scenes of destruction he witness
cd in Halifax yesterday