The Robesonian., 1917-12-10
1000 PEOPLE KILLED


When French Munition Steamer
Blows Up in Harbor at Halifax,
N. S.-Was Result of Collision
With Another Boat. .
Halifax, N. S., Dispatch, Dec. 6.
With the toll of dead steadily
mounting it was believed early this
morning that more than 1000 persons
perlshed In the explosion and fire
which followed the collision yesterday
morning in Halifax harbor between a
munitions laden French ship and an
other vessel, the Imo, loaded with sup
Plies for the Belgian relief commits
sion.
Dazed With Horror.
The disaster, which has plunged the
Dominion into mourning, probably will
rank as the most fearful that ever
occurred on the American continent.
Residents of Halifax and thousands of
volunteer relief workers who have
come into the city have been almost
dazed at the extent of the horror.
Temporary morgues have been es-
tablished in many buildings to which
a steady procession Of vehicles of all
kinds have been carrying for hours
the bodies of men, women and chill
dren. Most of them were so charred
that they were unrecognizable. Thou
sands of persons seeking trace of rel
4 atlves and friends have passed by the
3 long, silent rows, attempting by the
flickering light of lamps and lanterns,
to Identify the ones they sought.
Wounded Fills Building.
Virtually every building in the city
which could be converted into hos
pital is filled with wounded, many Of
them SO desperately injured that there
is no hope of their recovery. Scores
= already have died in these temporary
hospitals. An increasing num-
Der is being taken from the complete
ly devastated Richmond district to the
relief station.
The city was in darkness tonight
except for the flames from the fires
still burning in the wrecked buildings
in the north end. Kerosene lamps fur
nished the illumination by means of
which surgeons and doctors toiled he
roically throughout the night caring
for the injured.
Soldiers, sailors and police patroled
the streets tonight and upon them fell
the major portion of the burden Of
searching among the ruins for the
dead and wounded. The Canadians
we're assisted in this work by sailors
from an American warship in the har.
Dor.
Large Area Flame-Swept.
The flame-swept area covers ap
proximately two and a half square
miles. It begins at what is known az
the North street bridge extending
north to Pier on the Richmond wa
Il terfront and back to a point running
parallel with Gottingen street. Moth
ing has been left standing in this sec
smouldering ruins marks the spo
81 where the great building of the Amer
81 lean Suger Refining company stood
7 The drydccS and ali the building
a which surrounded it, we're destroyed
I The Richmond school that housed hu,1
] drads Ct children was demolished an
e it is reported only three escaped.
Canadian officers who have see
long service in France eharacteriz
81 the catastrophe as "the most fearf,
which has befallen any city in tn
r. world".
ID Chief of Police Hanrahan late las
. night estimated the number of kille
at 1000 and other city officers e,
i
ceed that number.
Raging Blizzard Adds to Horror
Halifax.
Halifax Dispatch, Dec. Z.
Five thousand casualties-two tho
sand dead, three thousand others i
jured. This is tonight's official e
innate of the toll exacted in hum;
life and suffering by the explosi'
and fire of yesterday.
Blizzard Sweeps City.
Stricken Halifax was swept tonig
by raging blizzard. So fierce W
the storm that rescue workers we
forced to suspend their. operations
the devastated section: 1t IS believ
certain that all the injured buried U
der the ruins of shattered buildin
have perished Of cold and hunger.
Battered by a biting wind a
/ binding snow, the plight of the 81
| vivors Of yesterdays holocaust is
tie short of desperate. The windo
and doors Of virtually every house
the city were shattered by the {
plosion which wrecked the Richmo
section and devastated large part
the water front. Improved barricat
. of boards give little protection again
the elements and attempts to h
\ buildings into which the snow
steadily drifting are hopeless.
The city is again in darkness
night except for the illumination
forded by scanty supply Of oil Ian
and unless these are carefully sore
ed they are extinguished as soon
IIlighted by the gale, which whist
through the crude shutters. Onl,
l. small percentage Of the buildi
have even this slight protection fl
the storm.
Sufferings Increased.
The sufferings of those who esca
4 injury have been increased by the
that every available blanket, q
and comfort has been requisitioned
r the hundreds Of injured in the t
porary hospitals. Many of these
so gravely wounded their only