The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-12-10
death LIST N
HALIFAX BLAST
IS OVER 5000
AS Weather Clears in Stricken
City, Relief Task Becomes
More Simple .-
SUPPLIES ARRIVE IN ..
LARGE QUANTITIES
Members of limo Crew Blame Ac-
cident Upon the French Mu-
nition Boat D..

nition Boat D..
Halifax, N. s., Dec. 10.-Daybreak
today found Halifax rapidly emerging
from the chaos into which the city
was plunged by the explosion OF last
Thursday. The successive snow and
transforms which followed the disas-
ter greatly affected all efforts to alle-
viate the sufferings of thousands of
injured and homeless people, but the
return Of fair weather made possible
more systematic work.
Relief coordinated.
All relief agencies now have been
coOrdinated. Enough doctors and
nurses have reached the city to take
care Of the hospital duties. A con.
siderable quantity of supplies already
have arrived and more are on the way
so that the danger of the famine has
been averted and there is clothing for
all.
Lumber, glass and other building
material, are needed in great quaint.
ties to make repairs.
There was a slight furry of snow
early today, but during the forenoon
the skies frightened and clearing
weather was Indicated Snow, which
covered the streets. was a frozen
mass at daylight Soldiers were sent
early to the burned areas to begin
search for hundreds of bodies in the
| ruins. aa 81. a'4,. ~
Trains brought hundreds Of visitors
despite the urgent request that peO
pie not neeIed stay away. ~
Supplies from New York arrived
last night on special train and were
promptly distributed. - "r ''2s' ~ =.
Blamed on Monte Blanc.
! Members of the crew of the Belgian
steamer ImO assert that the French
munitions steamer Monte Blanc was
to blame for the collision which caus.
, ed the explosion Thursday. ta.rJa ~
Their 4. version of the tragedy fol.
lows: .,.n tn .r .r.ogu ~ AlG
"''The limo was proceeding down the
har5or toward the sea when the Monte
Blanc was seen coming toward her
apparently steaming for the Bedford
Basin. The French vessel was on the
Dartmouth side Of the narrOWs. Sho
blew two blasts Of the whistle, irdt-
eating that she was going to star.
board. The lmo replied win wv
blasts. The Monte Blanc turned and
the crew of the lmo thought that they
could pass in safety, but the distance
between the two vessels was too short
and the Imo rammed the Monte Elanc
on the starboard side"
Neither vessel appeared to be SER
iously damaged by the collision.
After they separated, the Monte
Blanc headed for one of the city piers.
The limo went on, the shippers inten-
tion being, the crew believed, to get
into shallow water in order to fnd
out exactly what damage had been
done.
Flames Detected.
The seamen received their first
warning of the danger when they saw
flames leaping from the decks OF the
Monte Blanc. Then came the ex-
plosion. The limo was caught In The
tidal wave and riding on its crest was
hurled on the rocky beach. The sail
Ors declared that no attempt was
made to leave the ship until she
struck and that every man was In his
place. The captain was standing on
the bridge and his head was blown
off. The wheelman was at his post,
and his body was found in that posi-
tion when the steamer was examined
later The body Of the pilot was found
along the shore near the hull, and It Is
thought he was blown from the deck.
Every man above the deck was killed.
When the vessel reached the beach
the survivors rushed up from be-
meath decks and scrambled ashore.
Thirty-one men escaped. Naval relief
parties found them wandering about
in the brush.
The deck cargo OF the British steam.
er Pickton laden with munitions
caught fire last night and only the
quick and courageous work of Can
adian company of riflemen precented
another big explosion in the harbor.
The men boarded the ship, threw the
cargo overheard and checked the
flames before they could spread to
the holds. The vessel was taken to
sea today and sunk.
Arrest of Germans.
Wholesale arrests Of German resi-
dents OF Halifax were begun by the
police today. This action was taken
under instructions from the military
authorities.
Sixteen Germans were taken in Gus
tody within a short time. Military
officers after an inquiry released .
few of them. The others are In the
county Jail.
The authorities refused to disclose
whether they had obtained evidence
associating Germans with the explo.
sion A number Of citizens of Ger
man birth heretofore have been allow.
ed full liberty with the exception that
they were required to report once .
month
Burial of the victims of the explo-
sion and fire here Thursday was be.
gun today.