The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-12-07
POLICE ESTIMATE 1000
DEAD in HALIFAX HORROR

a wide area of this city, causing mil
lions of dollars damage.
Practically all the northern and older
part of Halifax, known as Richmond,
was shattered BY the terrific concus
sion or wiped out by the fires that
started al once. The more modern
part between North street and Pleas
ant Point. was shaken as by an earth
quake, hut the more solid buildings re-
sisted serious damage TO large cx-
tent.
The monstrous energy suddenly Ie
leased hv the blast swept irregularly |
over the country about Halifax, did |
vast damage III Dartmouth, across the !
bay: broke windows 81 miles off, ana |
bv the force Of its coneussion killed |
telegrapher at his desk four miles |
from the bay.
The munitions ship, bound in from
New York, had almost passed through
the narrowa leading from the oute1
harbor into Bedford Basin to the north
west. when the collision occurred. The
limo. westward bound, was Just put
ing to sea.
The weather was clear and the two
/ SillDS ntlt IbOitt III WHICH 10 IftA1. -
! cause of a misunderstanding of sig
mails, however. they headed for each
| other. Their efforts TO avoid each 9th
| or were unsuccessful and the Mont
| Blanc was pierced on the port dde. !
/ few minutes later flames burst from
| the wrcc ckagc.
| The plot OF the Belgian relief ship,
| who is a survivor saws tina: the Mont
= m
! and that soon after the collision ti2
burning oil spread fcrcelv over the
/ forc part Of the ship.
Witnesses Of the disaster who IS
capped reported that the crew, Of tne
| Mont Blame began TO work desperate
| III t. check the flames, knowing that
their own lives. at least were al stake.
Men on the waterfront and On ship,
in tire harbor within sight Of til"
| Mont Blanc saw the crew driven back
! step by step hv the flames until final
In they abandoned hope and rushed for
the boats. They rowed as nard as thev
could toward the shore. while the Mont
Blanc drifted
The harbor at the point where the
explosion took place is less than halt
mile wide On the south shore is
| tlt lAtHuIpt&N HttNtpV VI liOtIAdN. 1i
the north shore is the town Of Dart
mouth On each side the land slopes
rather sharply upward from the wa
terfrout, So as TO form a trough, con
fiuiug the explosion in some degree and
increasing its destruttiyencss'
The main waterfront works. piers tol
S loading ships, and warehouses OF sup
plies Of nunit ions, arc located between
!. the ocean and a point some distant,
1 70 tAc uthward of the scene of th,
/ cvI losion, SO that they escaped III,
q fan effect OF the blast; 1nes- wcr,
0 damaged badly, but reports late las
c night indicated that the explosion ha,
k not crippled the principal waterfron
l. developments used by the governmen
. in loading transports and munition
d ships
d The finest buildings and best resi-
q dences of the town are on slopes OF til
7 hills lying back OF the principal Wa
terfront works, and thus at distanc
from the explosion. This section
& which includes the public buildings an
d fine residences near the Citadel whic
&c oyerlooks the city. escaped the withei
j, ing blast Of flames The shock. how
a ever, rocked it tremendously and shat
n tered windows everywhere.
J. The great loss of life was in tn
= Richmond district. This is built II
-e for the most part Of small woode
houses on narrow streets. Because {
their situation on a slope, the root
of the houses were lifted above thos
nearer to the waterfront, So that mo.
OF the dwellings were exposed to th
4 full violence Of the blow.
l" Much Of this section was nattene
' to the ground. Women at home, hi
r. drcn at school and men at work WEI
caught and crushed in twinklir
- when their buildings sprung down {
them like traps. The terrific heat of Il
blast from consuming gases Of the MN
tons swept an area strewn with tho
III sands Of tons Of kindling wood.
al When those who had escaped cruS
ing in the wreckage could recoy
all themselves they found fire raeiI
through splintered woodwork in sev,
. al spots IN the Richmond section. Not
ing could save great tracts from bell
burned over, and last night it appear
that nearly half Of the area Of the ci
=, was in ruins
Ia The dead will probably never
rh more than approximately known |
cause of the many families of whom
. trace except burned bones are left