The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-18
DRAMATIC TALE
OF HALIFAX Is
TOLD BY FARGO
NAN IN LETTER
Brown Worked SO Hours
With Rescue Corps and
Removed Many Victims
TRAGIC STORIES
ARE UNFOLDED
Suffering of Women Pic
tured as Among Most
Fearful Results

I'VE went into burning build
ings and houses after them. and
we sure GOT q cheer when we
BROUGHT any ouz. Saiemme was
burned q Iittle--he went into .
house on the second floor and tell
to the basement. God, but J
thought he was gone, but we got
him o. &, and he stuck Ike
man.
That's the vein in which Charles
Brown, of Fargo, son Of Mr.. and
Mrs. C. M. Brown, writes Of rescue
work in Halifax, in which ne and
two fellow Americans OF the Y. >. ,.
Old Colony participated, from Z
o'clock on the afternoon that that
the fateful explosion in Halifax har-
Dor laid so much of the great city
waste. until Sunday at midnight,
stretch of SO hours in which they
didn't rest for a moment.
The u. S. s. Colony was In the
harbor when the terrific explosion
occurred, and 1t wasn't Till seyerai
days later that the parents or Mr..
Brown were advised that he was
safe.
The first letter from the Fargo boy
was received yesterday, addressed to
his mother, and his is most drastic
recital of the stirring times in the
aThe first niuht we transported
TO the hospitals 81 living, and TO
the moruues, God knows how
many dead. Some without heads,
mind you-Iegs and arms gone,
and some burned so their Hesh
hung in shreds. u was not
pleasant work, but IL had 70 oe
doneT, writes Mr.. Brown at one
point in his striking recital.
:aThe dirty baby killers (the Ger
xnansl / hope to God they go after
them, because I'll go in the first gang
that goes after them, he writes fur
fher along in his missiye, recittng
Canadian resentment against Ger
The conduct OF the three volun-
feers. Frank Salemme and Walter
Wade being the other members OF
the hospital ships crew to volunteer,
was praised in q letter from Lit. ADJ.
Chas. Saiger in q letter to the ship >
commander. and a copy was sent 70
Washington TO be entered upon their
Nr Browns letter follows:
u. s. s. Old Colony,
Halifax, N. S.
Care. U. S. Consul.
Received a. telegram from YOU to-
day. but ] sent one day before yes
ferday, but i suppose on account OF
The thousands going out that you
have not received 1t yet. 1t is all
Tirht though. / haven't anything but
:, bad foot received while on duty.
/ volunteered for the ambulance
service as there was only three OF us
who had the nerve, / guess.
I am sending a copy of the letter
the adjutant of the military hosplsal
sent out captain for our conduct. The
orig4hal has been sent to Washing
TON to the navy department, and
entered on our records.
We were the only three Americans
To receive credit for rescue work.
We went into burning buildings
and houses after them and we sure
mi a cheer when we brought any
ant Salemme was burned a little,
ne went into a house on the second
moor and fell to the basement, God,
but I thought he, was gone, but we
got him o. X. and he stuck ike
man.
lance No. 2 at / p. m. Thursday, the
dav OF the explosion and stayed on
without rest or sleep until Sunday at
midnight, or SO hours steady work.
The first night we transported 70
hosuitals 81 living, and to the morgues
Cod knows how many dead.
some without heads, mind you, arms
and legs gone, and some burned SO
fhat their flesh hung In shreds. II
was not pleasant work. out 1t had
one woman gave birth toa
child while on the way to the
hospital, and died before we got
there, although the child IVed
until morning.
"a ~ "a froze to death. and 10 or
Is women were confined. me
reason that / am telling you OF
these incidents, is that the papers
do not mention them.
One woman asked me to locate
eaar husband--they had just been
she had both feet
annufated. I found him in another
hospital the next day. but he had
died 20 minutes before | got there.
These are some Of the little STORIES
the newspapers never got, but they
contain the cause Of the disaster ana
the loss Of life.
Two OF our officers shot and
killed two thieves who were
stealing and robbing the dead.
/ have asked for an examination
as gunners' mate, but / doubt IL
get Il until this is over. We may
be until March, so send mail here
as usual. We have about $50
patients on board, and our own
Red Cross nurses and doctors.
All Germans have been arrested
and the town Is under martial law,
and there are rumors Of mob
violence as there are 800 or 400
fnterned or imprisoned here.
The dirty baby killers, ! hope 70
Cod they do 60 after them, because
mi 70 in the first gang that goes aft
er them.
The explosion was felt and vim
dows broken f50 miles away. Food
is given away, but in some cases
rotfers were found overcharging, out
places found doing this were com
pleteIy wrecked BY the sailors and
soldiers.
our work has Just begun as we are
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