The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-12-08


shovel away enough of the huge
pile to enable the train to pass.
Halifax. n. S, Dec. Stricken
Halifax was swept tonight by Il raging
blizzard SO fierce was the storm
that rescue workers were forced to
suspend their operations In the dew
astated section. II Is believed GER
tain that all the injured buried under
the ruins of shattered buildings have
perishcd of cold and hunger.
Battered by biting wind and blind
ing snow, the plight of the survivors
of yesterdays holocaust is little short
OF desperate. The windows and doors
of virtually every house In the city
were shattered by the explosion which
wrecked the Richmond section and de-
vastated a large part of the water
front Impoverished barricades of
boards give little protection against
the elements and attempts to heat
buildings into which tho snow is stead
lily drifting are hopeless.
Gale Whistles Through Houses.
Ine Guy IL again Ill uaIh1ieSS W
night except for the illumination af
forded by Il scanty supply of oil lamps
and unless these are carefully screened
they are cxtinguished as soon as
lighted. by the gale which whistles
through the crude shutters. only "a
small percentage of the buildings have
| even this slight protection from the
| storm.
| The sufferings of those who escaped
| injury have been increased by the fact
! that every available blanket, quilt and
comfort has been requistioned for the
hundreds of injured in the temporary
| hospitals. Many of these are so
| Gravcly wounded their only hope lies
in the best of care. Serious fears arc
felt that cold. shock and exposure will
result In an outbreak of pneumonia.
Famine Threatens City.
A single telegraph WIRE bending
dangerously in the storm, offered
Halifax only u precarions means Of
communication with the outside world
and it was feared momentarily that
this line would snap.
At best it gave only Il halting con
neetion with other points. Telegraph
and telephone companies are making
desperate efforts to provide make
shift service. but the work is beset
with great difficulties.
, While many generous offers OF ma
tcrial relief have been received and
trainloads of supplies are on the way
the spectre of famine was abroad to-
night. for ii the storm continues 1t may
seriously interfere with railroad traf-
fic. There is enough food on hand
!. for immediate needs, but it will last
, only "A short time unless additlona
5 supplies are received.
1000 Dead, Is Estimated.
AS the day wore on the immenslt,
of the disaster increased rather thar
diminished. Hundreds Of bodies wer'
taken to the morgues and rescu
squads were constantly finding new
victims buried under tons of debri
u until the blizzard forced them to ceas
= work. There is every reason to be
lievc that many more will be recovered
No concerted effort has been mad
as yet to compile a list of the dead, a
every effort Is being made To identif
r those who perished. The conditio
of many of the bodies makes this ex
ceedingly difficult and Il large proper
ton of those who lost their lives wi
be buried as ''nameless dead" Thei
Il Is no reason. however, to change th
IA estimate of 1000 dead and 5000 In
jured.
:, The fires which had been raging II
"a hours in the north end were brougl
r. under control early today.
m While soldiers, sailors and volur
.d teers were searching the ruins of II
I'd north end today, business was entirel
a, suspended. The leading citizens al
a voted their efforts to orya nizincI xa,Oy