The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-12-13

have no vases, dishes nor anything
like that There is not a window
left; even the curtains are in shreds.
There are thousands lying dead in
the streets all over the city; others
groaning, wounded and bleeding. It
is a terrible time. Hospitals are
crowded to the overlooking; not
enough doctors or nurses to attend to
them Neighbors all around me are
tonight in theh ospita1 or dead. But
by the grace of God we are safe.
Parts of the ship that caused the
damage are lying all over the city,
pieces Of iron, etc. The men all
over the city are mailing up doors and
windows for the night and there are
hundreds OF tents on the commons
for those whose homes were blown
to atoms. Oh. it is awful, mother,
but all we can do is wait and be
brave. There are no trains out Of
the city and every home and story
is smashed. We are living in the
kitchen, the only place in the house
unchanged, save for the windows
Twenty minutes after the explosion
while I was bathing Mr.. Ferguson,
soldiers came running through the
streets, telling people to get out of
their houses, out in the big open lots
for there was another magazine ex-
pected to blow up which would be
worse than the first and that the
houses would fall So we carried
out Mr.. Ferguson and ali stood out
in the lots in the snow
Sick people were carried out in
beds and that hour was horrible,
waiting for the awful explosion, but
it never came. Some brave firemen
stayed and flooded the magazine,
making it safe in case the fire did
reach there. OF course terrible fires
have been raging all day down at the
North End. That is where most
of the dead are. We are little to
the west and there are now so many
deaths here.
Beams fell and machinery in fac
tories fell on people killing and
wounding. Mr.. Ferguson, himself,
carried out four girls, who had their
eyes blown out and faces all open
and dug out men from under ma
chinery and carried them to hos
pitfalls. We are fortunate.
Starvation will be the next terrible
thing for those who cannot get out
and there is martial law being declar-
ed tonight to keep thieves from the
unprotected houses.
There are mothers separated from
their children and the whole city is
| in confusion On several streets
there is not SO much as cellar wall
standing. Just one big desert of
| splinters for whole blocks. This Is
an awful letter, but I am in such a
condition of nervousness that I can't
collect my thoughts. My maid went
out six hours ago to find her people
and she has Just returned. One
brother is in the hospital and she
has cousins who have lost their arms,
etc. Mr.. Marshall just came with
| his car and took Prescott and Ster-
nocke (the maid) to his home be-.
yond Truro. All the nurses and doc
tors are here from Truro and other
| cities.
I would not leave c. P. here alone.
| Decided to stick by till we get things
in order. The house is falling to pieces.
It is awful, but we want to save what
| we can.
! Soldiers are here asking for lamps,
bandages, candles etc. They may need
me over at the Barracks before
morning. The wounded are being
brought there. 1t has been turned
| into hospital.
Well, dear ones, when, get COM
posed enough to think, will probably
decide to go to Bridgeport with Pres
colt for the winter. There are no
homes here to live in and may as
we'll board in Bridgeport as Truro.
Goodby now, Blanche.