Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-12-11
DesOJatiom IN HGGfGr Seen
AS Complete as War's Bum
In Belgium or IN France

here well-nigh unbearable. 1t was the
odor of burning flesh.
The flames leave little trace and
this fact may give substance to the
new official estimate of 1000 dead.
There was no accurate census of the
population of Richmond district. Fam
lilies came and went, and when whole
families were lost there was no one
left to report their deaths. The Hail
fax man who has not looked upon this
section can no more approximate the
death toll than can the Boston man.
Picture two and a half square miles
Of homes torn down by an explosion
and then left to the fury of the flames
and the person a thousand miles away
can get an idea of the extent of the
disaster.
There are dismantled buildings in the
rows of streets that have not yet been
dragged down. The walls lean at dan
gerous angles, and window blinds
coated with ice, kept up an all-day
Tapping as the wind swept Through
There are piles and piles of ruins that
no available force at present here can
clear away in weeks. Not much will
be found to help solve the maddening
riddle as to the number gone.
600 Tents Cover Halifax
Going out from the business section
the newspaper correspondents obtained
the first vivid impression in passing a
wide snow-covered park with six hun
dred tents in which part Of the home
less were being supplied with food and
heat. There were not houses enough
to shelter them but the fact stands out
that while the city was stunned Thurs
day, it provided quarters for every per-
son in distress. The tent quarters
were comfortable without doubt
Between this tented park and Rich
mond district are the morgues. A four
story school building, badly damaged
by the Jar, is the main morgue into
which hundreds tramped today in
search of the missing. But the view
was heartbreaking to those who feared
the worst, for the bodies were burned
and blackened to such an extent that
the only chance of identification lay in
the possible finding Of a trinket. OF
the three hundred in this morgue not
more than fifty bodies had been claim
ed tonight Eight hundred probably
have been recovered.
Various reports regarding large num-
bers killed in certain buildings have
been accepted generally as correct.
Many of the injured died at relief sta
tions, while being removed to hospitals
and elsewhere. Heretofore 1t has been
more or less guess work, but the Off
Ger in charge of the morgues fixed A.
900 as the number, this being based
upon reports from officers who had
made a general survey of the burned
section.
with everything buried under the
snow, the search today was delayed.
while the main forces were devoting
attention to the injured. All vehicles
have been Communicated. An aged
man on his way to search for his wife
was held up and the pung-sleigh taken
from him.
An officer explained in a kindly way
that it was life and death matter to
take care of the wounded. Without
protest he gave up the rig. This mere
ly illustrates the wonderful spirit Of
the entire community.
Guards stood all around the ruined
part of Halifax, but this was for form
rather than for fact.
There never is any looting in Hall
fax in. time of trouble ike this" the
authorities announced today in dispos-
ing of inquiries concerning footing.
There has been absolutely none here.