New-York tribune., 1917-12-09

north end district. The fear OF a
census of the population of Richmond
district. Families came and went ana
when whole families were lost therc
was no one left 10 report their deaths.
The Halifax man who has not looked
upon this section can no more approx
mate the death toll than can the Bos.
ton man. Picture two and nall
square miles of homes torn down by an
explosion and then left 10 the fury OF
the flames. and the person thousand
miles away can get an idea of the eN-
tent Of the disaster
There arc dismantled buildings in ;he
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 sll-daiy
fapping as the wind swept through.
There are piles and piles Of ruins tlat
no available force at present here can
clear away in weeks. Not much VIII
be found 10 help solve the maddenlng
riddle As 10 the number gone.
Going out from the business section,
The newspaper correspondents OBJ
tanned the first vivid impression IN
passing a wide snow-covered park, with
SIX hundred tents, in which part OF
the homeless 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 on Thursday, it provided quar-
ters for every person in distress. The
tent quarters were comfortable, with
out doubt.
Between this tented park and Rich
mond district are the morgues. four
story school building, badly damaged
by the jar, is the main morgue, into
which hundreds tramped to-day IN
search of the missing. But the view
was heartbreaking TO those who feared
the worst, Cor the bodies were burned
and blackened TO such an extent that
the only chance of identification lay
in the possible finding of trinket. or
the three hundred dead in this morgue
not more than fifty bodies had been
claimed tonight. Eight hundred prob
ably 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 II has been
more or less guesswork, but the officer
in charge Of the morgues f"ed 1000 as
the number, this being based upon re-
ports from officers who had made
general survey of the burned section.
With everything buried under the
snow, the search to-day was delayed,
while the main forces were devoting
attention TO the injured All vehicles
have been commandeered. An aged
man on his way to search for his wife
was held up and the pung taken from
him. An officer explained in kindly
way that it was life and death mat
ter TO take care of the wounded. With
out protest he gave up the rig. This
merely 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.
No Looting Reported
There never is any looting in Hall
fax in time of trouble like this" the
authorities announced to-day in dis
posing Of inquiries concerning looting.
There has been absolutely none here.
A multitude of dead lay tonight in
the ruins of homes buried under two
feet of snow. When the physically ex-
hausted searchers suspended for a
brief period their sickening task 1000
bodies had been recovered. And the
end is not in sight
Only onece before was the work in
terrupted. That was last night when
a blizzard swept in from the north
with force that could not be resisted.
To-day the sun heartened soldiers
and sailors and sent them in droves to
the devastated zones. Each hour their
effort brought its added burden TO the
morgues. At the morgues soldiers az
ranged the bodies for the view Of uu-
ending streams OF bereaved. Many
funerals have been held even during
the heavy storm.
The steamer Mont Blanc, a name
never TO be forgotten here, lies across
the stretch of water from the section
1T laid low, a crumpled, blackened
heap. Near by. hard on the beach
where II was driven by the explosion.
lies the crippled relief ship, and nearer
still the Canadian cruiser Niobe,
with no apparent sign Of damage.
Other and smaller ship hulks offer
mute evidence of the disaster, while
400 freight cars on the waterfront
wer burned TO the base. All over this
wide area the story is the same. There
IS sloping hill that runs down TO the
water, and at the top a church still
stands, with every window gone. its
walls cracked and its steeple leaning
like the Tower of Pisa. Around and
about on every side are the black and
charred ruins where most Of the con
gregstion lived. Further 10 the edge of
the devastated area another church
escaped, but every window frame was
ripped out clean.
II was almost impossible TO make
progress over the streets because Of
the great drifts of snow. II lay deep
upon the wreckage. and tonight il had
turned to solid mass Of ice that de
fed the attempts OF sesrchers to dig
through with picks.
Even in normal times a blizzard such
As that of yesterday would have caused
much suffering, but, coming on top OF
the greater disaster, IL simply stunned
the thousands OF volunteers not per
sonslly afflicted. and demoralized all
effort for concerted searching.
When the blow fell little Lola Burns,
the eight-yesr- daughter Of John
Burns, Of Granville Street, was on her