Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-12-08
MANY WOMEN WERE
CRAzED BY SHOCK

St John. y. B.. Dec. IA simple
statement that came over the telephone
from Truro today reveals more of the
horror of the tragedy at Halifax. 1t
was that many women injured or des-
titute or both, who had been brought
from Halifax TO Truro, had been SD
crazed by the shock that upon arrir-
ing at the relief stations were unable
to so much as tell their own names.
All direct telegraph wires between
st. John and Halifax were down today.
heavy sleet storm added to The de-
lay. in restoring them, Three local TEL
egraph wires between ST. John and T'ru
TO were working systematically. The
only communication out of Halifax
was by the cable south and q Can1di
an Pacific railway wire which was &C.
cupied entirely with goyernmen. md
railway business.
Soldiers Were Killed
A message from Truro brings the
story of Eleanor Tapley of St. John, a
student at Mt. Vincents Academy at
Halifax. Miss Tapley says that the ar
mory was destroyed and some soldiers
killed The academy was converted in
to a hospital into which as many as
could be found place for, were brought
and cared for by the Sisters and girl
students.
We first received word Of the dis
aster," said Miss Tapley, from an
engine which came hurrying up from
thu city rocking from side to side NJ
Ger its terrific speed. The engineer
the only man aboard. cried out: Give
no
handages or anything. The whole city
is wrecked and for the mercy Of God
be quick
I'VE girls Immediately rushed TO get
anything that we could lay our hands
On. Sweaters, coats and other clothing
were torn in strips for bandages. Ev-
erything was piled into the locomotive
which then tore away at top speed
for the scene of the disaster.
NO one at the convent was killed
but some of the Sisters were terribly
cut by flying glass which in our sec
ton of the city did most of the dam
age"
The generally accepted estimate of
the casualties up to this afternoon is
1000 dead and about an equal number
injured.
There is nothing to justify the in
evitable rumors that the collision in the
harbor was other than accidental. Nor
were there explosions of ammunition
on shore, so far as is known.
Among those arriving here from Hal
flax today was Lieut.. Col. Good of
Fredericton. He said that he had never
Lefore witnessed such sight. not even
M 70 hat of Of
"All that could be seen for miles in
circumference he said were burning
buildings, great mounds of iron and
bricks in the streets, dead bodies
strewn along the sidewalks: men.
women. children, the living with the
dead. Many with fractured skulls or
broken limbs were dying unattended in
the streets.
Il set out to aiH the injured and for
ia moment stopped before wooden
frame house that was in flames. An old
man stood helpless crying out that his
wife was in the burning home some
whore. With two others I managed to
enter the house and found what ap-
peared to he the half burned body of
an old woman. We brought it into the
oren and beckoned to the aged man.
For several seconds he stared as
though bewildered at the smoking pile.
! Then he said, We'll, that's my wife
There were hundreds--many hundreds
Of similar Incidents