The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-12-07
DEATH and DESTRUCTION
FOLLOWS MUNITIONS BLAST

smoke hanging over the north end of
the city. This strengthened their ori-
ginal conviction of an attack from the
air.
A part of the town OF Dartmouth,
across the harbor from Halifax, also
was wrecked. Nearly all the buildings
In the dOckyard there are in ruins.
The zone of destruction in Halifax
itself extends from the North street
railway station as far north as Afric-
vile to Bedford basin and covers an
area of about two square miles in the
district known as Richmond
The buildings which were not de-
mOlished by the force of the terrific
explosion were destroyed by the fire
which followed
Persons Injured in Collapse.
Scores of persons were injured by
the collapse of the railway station,
Arena rink, military gymnasium, su-
gar refinery and elevator All business
has been suspended. Armed guards of
soldiers and sailors are patrolling the
city. Not a street car is moving and
part of Halifax was in darkness last
night.
The collision occurred on the wa
ter front off Rockingham, suburb on
the opposite shore of the harbOr from
the City of Halifax, shortly before
s 80 o'clock in the morning.
Tons of Explosives.
The Mont Blanc, which arrived at
a United States Atlantic port on No
vember 9, was laden with 5000 tons of
munitions for France AS she was
leaving her berth, presumably for the
outward voyage across the Atlantic,
she was rammed broadside by the Bel
gian relief ship
The impact caused the ammunition
in the French ship to explode, setting
the vessel afire. The flames spread to
the piers and adjoining buildings.
many of which had been wrecked by
the explosion.
Try to Fight Fire.
The ships crew was quickly called
to quarters and an attempt was made
to eXtinquish the flames. This failed,
and as the fire approached the holds
where the explosives were stored the
captain ordered the seacockS opened.
and the crew took to the boats, rowing
for their lives.
But the vessel drifted toward one of
the piers and a few moments later an
explosion occurred. tearing the Mont
Blanc to pieces.
Overwhelming Blast.
What happened after that can onIy
be conjectured in large measure
Everybody seems dazed by the result
The concussion must have been posi-
lively overwhelming.
1t killed telegraph operators at their
desks four miles away.
1t broke windows in Truro. It blew
heavily laden freight trucks off the
railway lines.
It caused the collapse or partial col
lapse of nearly every building along
21a miles of thoroughfares from the
/ Union station to the Queens hotel
1t sent the harbor shed and wharves
to wreck and ruin.
destroys criminals.
1t shook the magnificent new ocean
terminals at the lower end of the har-
/ Dor, which cost over $35,0O0,O0O and
were the finest of their kind in the
world. into smithereens.
1t laid waste to acre after acre Of
resident and commercial districts.
1t brought elevators tumbing to the
ground with roars that sounded like
the incessant rolling of thunder, and
above all rose the cries and shrieks Of
the dying and the injured.
Stricken in Moment
In a moment the entire city was
stricken as if by Il gigantic blast Of
consuming earthquake.
Indeed, it is doubtful if an earth
quake could have done more damage.
Every telegraph wire, every cable
connection was put out of commission
by the shock. The entire lighting and
/ telephone system was disorganized.
For while Halifax was cut off COM
pletely from the outside world
The area of destruction includes
uulhSlOuS HlSulutlOlS, DduhS anu gov
ernment buildings.
Includes Citadel Hill.
Citadel Hill, the eminence which
dominates the entire city, is located
within the stricken territory and the
most important part of the water front
was in this zone
In addition to many churches and
schools, 1.-The railway station, govern
ment dockyard, Wellington barracks,
Admiralty House (the official residence
of the admiral in command of the
North american British squadron), the
military hospital, post office, provision
al parliament building, city hall, the
Ordance department most of the de-
partment stores, all of the telegraph
and cable offices and few hotels were
located there.
Station CoIIapses.
The concussiOn resulting from the
explosion caused the roof of the Cana
dian Pacific railway station at North
street to collapse, while all the ware
houses on the water front for a mile
and half were damaged
The devastated district was the old
er part of Halifax and thickly popu-
lated.
Rockingham, where the explosion
occurred Is q suburban. village about