The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-12-07
BODIES OF MANY VICTIMS
ARE LYING IN THE RUINS
Heavy Snowstorm Impedes the Work
of Rescue But Is Helping To Ex-
tinguish Flames, the Firemen
Being Well-nigh Helpless

faged, backed away When names bufsf oh'
on the munitions ship and was aban'
doned by the crew. The captain OF the
Mont Blanc also ordered his crew to the
boats, as he realized an explosion was
inevitable. The men reached shore safe
ly before the tremendous blast II min
utes later which blew their ship to pieces
and wrecked large part of the city.
i The business life Of the city had just
begun for the day when the town was
shaken to its foundations by the explo-
sion. Persons i'm the streets were picked
up bodily and hurled to the ground. Oc-
cupants of office buildings covered under
a shower of falling glass and plaster.
| Houses in the Richmond section crum-
pied up and collapsed, burying their ten
ants.
| Vast Ruin.
In the main part OF the city, where the
| buildings are chiefly of stone or concrete
| the damage was confined to the shatter-
| ing of windows and most of the casual
/ ties in this section were caused by fiying
| glass. In the west and northwest ends
the damage was more extensive and
there the walls of many houses were
blown to atoms. 1t was in Richmond,
however, opposite the scene of the ex-
plosion, that the havoc was greatest
Whole blocks of dwellings, mostly of
frame construction, were leyelled.
Street after street is in ruins and the
structures which were left standing by
the explosion were destroyed by fires
which broke out simultaneously in a
score of places and which it was impos-
sible to check until they had burned
themselves out 1t is believed scores of
persons who had been injured by the
collapse of their homes persisted in the
flames from which they were helpless to
flee.
Five minutes after the explosion the |
streets in all parts of Halifax were filled |
with frenzied, panic stricken throngs |
striving to reach the outskirts in an eff
fort to establish what they believed was
a raid by German fleet. Hundreds Of |
them had been cut by the shower of glass
which followed the explosion.
Terrible Scenes.
Tn Richmond section the scenes enacted
defied description. Seriously injured men
and women crawled from the wreckage
of their homes and lay in the streets un-
til they were removed in ambulanees and
to hospitals. Those less Sc
riously hurt aided those more gravely
injured. In the streets piled high with
debris were found the shattered bodies of
many women and children. Several chill.
tren 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 injury or who ,
we're only slightly hurt were bafIied by :
.he flames in their search for members of /,
heir families and were forced to stand :
by impotent while what once had been
heir homes became funeral pyres for j.,
owed ones. I
A government employe named McDon- /;
I'D, who made all speed to reach his :
lome after the explosion, found that his
wife and four children had perished. His U
wo-yearold daughter had been killed g
While playing in the yard of her home o
Among those killed were the chief of !
he fire department and his deputy, who r
we're hurled to death when fire engine u
xploded. c
Scores of those who lost their lives n
vere children in the public schools in the q
orth end Many Others suffered broken :,
mbs and were rescued with difficulty "
rom the ruined buildings. The teachers
Tho escaped injury worked heroically to
ave the lives of the children under their
barge, IA
Lebaron Coleman, manager of the Ca
adam Express company, was killed
hen the roof of the north station col.
lpsed. st
In less than half an hour after the ca
isaster 5000 persons had gathered on s.
he common and thousands of Others had OF
ought refuge in fields outside the city
were reported missing by their
.latives and it was not known whether
ley were alive or dead. "
The work of. rescue and relief was
-omptly organized. The Academy of
usic and many public buildings were Or
rown open to house the homeless. Five d,
indred tents have been erected on the g.
mmon and these viii be occupied bv 80
e troops who have surrendered their ~
Irracks to the women and children. hc
Every nook and Granny in all available w,
Iildings was made ready within an on
,ur to receive the wounded A steady of
resm Of ambulances and automobiles
rived at hospitals, which soon were w,
RS. nurses and volunteers toiled cease or
isly in the work of suecor. Their ranks
on were swelled by others who arrived wa
constantly increasing numbers from
arby towns. Il was announced before to
ghtfall that p of the injured had died str
The force of the explosion was felt at ira
uro, IS miles away, where windows oy,
re shattered. All telegraph and tele- an
one wires were torn down and for sew lar
Il hours Halifax was completely iso-
ed from the outside world. lly
The eoncussion shattered the big gas sci
lks of the city. All power plants are the
t Of commission and newspaper Offices fro
We been 50 badly wrecked that publi- an,
ion is impossible. of
Steamers Mixed Up Signals. nos
Pilot Frank Mackie Of the Mont Blanc ems
'iared last night that the collision re use
ted from a confusion Of whistles THE