The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-12-08
HORRORS TOLD
BY SURVIVORS
Halifax Dead Piled Like Cord
wOOd-WOrse Than Battle
field, Says Soldier.
BEDLAM RULED IN CITY
Parents and Children Crazed
by Terrifying Sights
and Shock.
BEDLAM RULED IN CITY

Sr. JOHN, n. B.. Dec. IA story Of
bodies piled like SO much cord wood. Of
to-day from passengers who arrived
from Halifax. Among tho first Of the
soul narrowing narratives was ono from
passenger that he had seen nfty bodies
piled In heap, and that In q walk from
Halifax to Needham l69 bodies had been
counted scattered in the fields.
c. H. Frizzell. who was one OF tho
early arrivals. left this city wednesdc,
night and on Thursday was an eye wit
ness to the horrors OF Halifax. A train
came along as he watched the scene.
Near its track walked continuous pro-
cesson Of men. women and children.
terrified and benumbed. They were
taken on board the train. Among the
refugees was one little fellow who had
lost both OF his legs.
One hundred and fifty were taken
aboard this one train. In Halifax. said
Mr. Fr'zzell. men were running at ran
dom, crying for water. and women
! appeals for help.
! schools Fail killed 200.
! ne told Of the spectacular destruction
OF st JOsephs Church and OF the COL
lapse Of tho Richmond school. killing
600 little children In the ruin. A mother.
standing In the street. calling for help
( which could not be had, to save her hus-
band and four ch.!dre:, who we're I'M
prisoned in their burning home. followed
In the procession @: igruesoue details.
a brakeman sat In the caboose Of a
freight train apparently in the act OF
preached. II was found that he war dead.
The smoking cigarette st!ll remained he
tween his uplifted fingers.
Thomas Trainer pilot, said that
1900 bodSs had been recovered. He had
seen sevocsl steamers in the harbor that
had been damaged and said that the
number Of seamen killed was large.
The ha,tlefelds Of Europe do not fur.
nsh parallel 10 the scenes witnessed a!
Haitian. in the opinion of Duncan Grey
who arrived here to-day. He was en-
gase,! IN inspecting shells in a shed on
the waterfront when the devastation be-
Eln and barely escaped before the build
ing collapsed. This Is his story:
"A few seconds after the roar OF the
explosion a gust o' wind swept through
the shed and then down cane pillars
boa rds and beams ! rushed to the
open and tic sight that net my gaze
was tho worst that ! expect ever &c
!. see in this World.
Il have been in the trenches 'T
France. have gone over the top,
Friends and comrades have been shot
in my presence. I have seen scores OF
dead men lying upon the battlefield
but the sight tina: greeted me yester
day was a thousand times worse ano
far more pathetic.
Helped to Rescue 80.
II SAW people lying around undei
t,mbers, stones and other debris; some
battered beyond recognition and other!
groan'ng in their last agon'es.
Rushing here and there, I struggled
to assist them and as near as car
remember pulled out twenty-five ne'
and children from under the wreckase
As was risht IN the affected distr!c
witnessed the fu.l horror or the s!tua
tion
partly blinded by the smoke from
burning dwellings, Rroped around az
Sietjng some OF the poor mothers an'
, little ones who were running abou
, screaming and searching vainly for los
!, ones In many instances never to be scel
I by them aga!n.
.I struggled on, coming across NOR
q ard more bodies OF dead mer, dea
women and dead children. Death wa
everywherc.
FLAMES were sweeping wide path
, way for themselves Doomed structure
| werc be'chlnr forth great volumes o
| smoke from doors and windows. Tn
district was living he'll.
"Half s,rangled by the smoke. I kep
pulling out bodies from under boa n
and fallen chimneys and under wreck
age Some of the bodies we're withou
clothing Many were so nut!lated 'ha
Il WAS difficult 10 realize that they wer
human.
Some men we're virtually demcn,et
| Thinking only Of their wives and chi:
drcn they dashed about In the burnln
debris hazarding their lives with N
single thought Of rescuing their own
| 81 shall never forget how felt
| that hour. saw little kiddies runnin
| alon., some with blood streaming froi
then. Al were crying FOR their parent
While fathers and mothers raced a'o,
In frenzy. l have never seen any'hin
SO pathetic"
+. H. pattec of Holyokc, Mass
survivor of the catastrophe, lctt hel
tonight on his way IN IIolyoke. Il
said:
II was sitting N thc corridoT "' "
Halifax IIotcl rtaiing when The o.
nlosion occurred was showered wit
broken glass and my head am one e'
were cut. ! hurried to the street AT
lived tense hours IN tho arencs Of des
iation.'
Trains sIaitcd by snOwdrifts.
A heavy snowstorm, threatining
blizzard proportions added to the no
ror OF desolated Halifax tonight. r
lief trains on the way with urgent
needed supplies were held back by gre
drifts Other trains bearing hundre'
of injured away from the city, where
was impossible 20 provide facilities
treatment for them, were stalled In Il
snow Relief workers on the scene. a
ready exhausted by superhuman effor
In digging survivors out or the debr