The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-12-11
H...LIFtX IS BENDING IT'S
ENEAGlES 70 ORGANIZATIONS
FOR RELIES

IVI
Halifax, Dee. 7.--Stunned by the
magnitude of the disaster which over
whelmed the garrison city by the
sea-" people here today bent their
energies to relieving the injured, fee@-
ing the hungry heltering the home
less and gathering the dead. A heavy
snowstorm this morning impeded the
work Of relief and rescue, but aided
the fremen in fighting the flames
in many places in the devastated dis
trict.
Reports from all sources seemed 20
bear OFT last nights estimate that
at least 2 009 lives were lost when
the Pelgirn rolief ship Imo. collided
with the French munitions ship Monte
Blanc, cavsing the detonation Of A.
900 tons trinitortulere1 one of the
most powerful explosives manufactrr-
ell.
Help from o"t=i7e reeon to reach
the stricken citv todar Virtually all
business is suspended and schools
are closed
To noon thera had been no change
in the rolice estimate Of 2oHO dead.
Abort the same number were iniur-
ed. two-thirds Of whom are suffering
from cuts from flying glass.
4 GraDhic Dissertation.
William Barton. former NEWSPAPER
man. now travelling auditor of the
Canadian imperial munitions board,
related today his exrerience: He was
at breakfast in a Halifax hotel when
the explosion occurred.
In ten schools it was all over"
Parton said. "a low rumbling, quake
shock, with everything vibrating, then
an indescribeble noise, with a. fall
of plaster and smashing of glass"
He said he made for a street, where
he met two friends, also unscratched
After comparing notes they accepted
as the most plausible theory of the
cause the blowing up Of munition
ship. He wended his way to capitol
hill, and the further he went, the
more horrid the aftermath. Wounded
were everywhere. Everything that
could be was impressed into service
as stretchers. AS he reached the
armory the soldiers were already turn
ed out on the march toward the de-
vastated area with orders to COM
manieer all vehicles for rescue work.
twenty-five minutes elasped after
the collision before the explosion oc-
Cured. At the first shock houses
rocked and vessels broke from their
moorings, bits of she'll whistled
through the. air. buildings fell upon
occupants and shrieks and means rose
above the awful din.
In all parts Of the city men, women
and children rushed into the streets.
many insufficientlv clad. Then fire
broke out in a hundred places. Orders
were first given to everybody to fee
south. Soon Barrinrton street re-
sembled a road in Belgium when the
inhabitants fed before tho Germans.
When later flving automobiles
brought word that the danger was un.
der control, the crowds returned to
find their homes a mass of wreckage
and friends and relatives dead or
wounded.
Death List Growing.
Smouldering ruins and piles Of the
debris Of demonlishad houses con-
tinued today to give un their dead
victims of yesterdays EXPLOSION. The
morgues were filed rapidly and in
creasing numbers OF deaths are report-
ed from hospitals. private homes.
churches and schools, where hum
dreds of the injured are being cared
for.
Hospitals were beseiged by persons
seeking news Of the missing and
meanwhile relief parties continued
their work of succor among the in
jured whom they found in the devast-
ated Richmond and Dartmouth. Sec
tions.
Aid from the outside in the form Of
tons of supplies gave evidence that
fears Of food shortage were untound-
ed and left the city and government
Officials froo RI