Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-10
Sink Munitions Ship

Sink MunltlOnS snip
The deck cargo of the British
steamer Picton. laden with muni-
tions caught fire last night and only
the quick and courageous work of a
Halifax company of riflemen pre-
vented another big explosion in the
harbor The men boarded the ship,
threw the burning cargo overheard
and checked the flames before-rhey
could spread to the holds. The ves-
sci was taken to sea to-day and
sunk.
After the Picton had gone to the
bottom it was officially announced
there was absolutely no danger now
of other explosions in the harbor.
Wholesale arrests of German resi-
dents of Halifax were begun by the
police to-day. This action was taken
under instructions from the mill
tary authorities.
Sixteen Germans were taken into
custody within short time. Mill
tary officers after an inquiry re-
leased a few of them. The others
are in the county Jail.
The authorities refused to disclose
whether they had obtained evidence
associating Germans with the ex-
plosion.
A number of citizens of German
birth heretofore have been allowed
full liberty with the exception that
they were required to report once a
month.
Daybreak to-day found Halifax
rapidly emerging from the chaos into
which the city was plunged by the
explosion last Thursday. The sue
cessive snow and transforms which
| followed the disaster, greatly ham,
pered all efforts to alleviate the suf-
| fering of the thousands of injured
and homeless people but the return
of fair weather yesterday made pos
sible more systematic work.
All relief agencies have now been
CO. ordinated. Enough doctors and
nurses have reached the city to take
care of the hospital duties. A con-
siderable quantity of supplies already
has arrived and more are on the way,
so that the danger of famine has
been averted and there is ample
clothing for all. These supplies must
be carefully conserved, however, and
the authorities to-day were doing
their best to e..force the requests
published yesterday that nonrest-
dents not here on urgent business,
should leave the city and that others
should not come here for the pres
ent.
The work of repairing the innu-
merable damaged buildings was well
under way. Lumber, glass and other
building materials are needed in
great quantities.
Claim limo Was at Fault
Members of the crew of the Bel
gian steamer Imo assert the French
munitions steamer Mont Blanc was
to blame for the collision which
caused the terrible explosion last
Thursday. Employees of Pickford and
Blac' agents of the Imo, who have
been providing the crew with clothes
and other comforts, made public to-
day the stories told them by the sea-
men.
According to the account of the
men of the Ino they were entirely
unaware of the nature of the cargo
on the Mont Blanc. Their version If
the tragedy is as follows:
1.-The Imo was proceeding down
the harbor toward the sea when the
Mont Blanc was seen coming toward
them, apparently steaming for the
Bedford basin. The French vessel
was on the Dartmouth side of the
Narrows. She blew two blasts of the
whistle, indicating she was going to
starboard. The limo replied with two
blasts. The Mont Blanc turned and
the crew of the limo thought that
they could pass in safety but the dis
tance between the two vessels was
too short and the limo rammed the
Mont Blanc on the starbOard side"