Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-12-07
DEATH TOLL
APPALLING
|ND|SAS7FR
AT halifax
Conservative Estimates
Place Number Of Dead al
$500 Un d describ a b le
Scene at Daybreak in Hall
ifax and Suburbs.

Halifax, N. s., Dec. 7.-(By tels<
phone to st. John. n. B.)-The appall.
ing death toll here as the result Of the
explosion Of the French munitions ship
Mont Blanc when she was rammed BY
the Belgian relief ship limo here yes.
terday was steadily increasing early
today with the work Of rescuina
bodies progressing slowly.
Conservative estimates made by city
officials at 3 o'clock this morning
placed the dead close to 2500.
The scene as dawn broke over the
city was undescribable. Here and
there about the smoking ruins of what
had been their homes men and women
scantily clad and with bloodshot eyes.
clawed at the wreckage frantically
with bleeding hands in an effort to find
lost relatives.
SOLDIERS IN CHARGE.
Canadian soldiers and American sol-
diers worked side by. side searching
for wounded, gathering the dead and
preserving order in Halifax. Immedi-
ately after the explosion. while dense
clouds Of white smoke were rolling
over the scene of devastation. the Cam
duldh lToOpo WSIc abSSihpAhA0s CHSAs
man ready for business. Some Of those
| who formed ranks were bleeding from
| wounds. The detachment Of American
bluejackets which arrived some time
| after the blast, were OF immense help.
American relief workers from New
| York, Boston and other points are
understood to be enroute here They
have not yet arrived.
When surgical help from nearby
towns reached here last night the In
| jured were thronged around dressing
stations, awaiting their turns.
THOUSANDS CUT BY GLASS.
| Thousands who have not other hurts
are suffering from cuts received when
the air was filled with flying glass.
| More bodies were found today In the
debris. Snow Is rapidly cloaking some
of the most CHASTITY mounds Of shat
tered wood and stone, where the
| corpses can be seen under the rubbish.
A formal inquiry into the cause OF
the collision between the French mu-
milton steamer Mont Blanc and the
Belgian relief ship will be made. Wit
nesses believe the Belgian vessels
steering gear broke.
! DRYDock WRECKED.
The most badly damaged area OF
Halifax is from Gottingen street to
the stockyards The drydock is
wrecked ST. Joseph.s church is in
ruins. Many big buildings were un-
rooted as If tornado had swept over
them.
The explosion gave warning Of its
coming. 1t was preceded by a noise
like thunder: then came the terrific
| smash that shook the earth. caved in
strong buildings; filled the air with
death dealing fragments and knocked
thousands Of people off their feet.
| Many families are believed to have
been annihilated.
PLAYED STRANGE FREAKS.
The blast played strange freaks.
Many doors were blown open. the locks
being ripped from their places In the
woodwork. Live electric light wires lay
in the streets. Nobody seemed to
know what had happened. Thsn the
fire began spreading.
Freight sheds in Richmond were
pushed over like houses Of cards.
Many of the injured were removed by
train to Windsor today.
The city was in practical darkness
all night. School sessions probably
will not be resumed for . month.
Some wounded pebble were found to-
day lying where thu had been hurled
by the explosion. Volunteer stretcher
bearers gathered them up. u
/ DIED OF WOUNDS.
Some Of those found dead today had
evidently died Of wounds. BY their
postures it was apparent they made
desperate attempts to crawl into the
open before losing consciousness.
The dead ara being tasged as fast A.
they are identified. Several men,
blinded, were found cropping their way.
calling for help.
Weeping children. and women and
wounded men. grooming made last night
a horror for all in the city.
i A special train bringing carloads of
food. clothing and other much needed
supplies arrived here this morning
from st. John. N. b. Mayor Hayes ana
y. = -