The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-07

Among the dead arc fire chief
and his deputy. They were buried
to death when fire engine exploded.
Following tile explosion thousands
rushed for the open. Some OF the
little children In the schools became
panic stricken. Soon every street was
filled with the injured.
- Tho work osf rssss,ssts wits greatly ts1,-
pcdesf by the piles ri debris in the
devastated area.
\ part OF the town OF Dartmouth
/ Is also I'm ruins. Nearly nil the build
ings I'm the dock yards are ia ruins.
Practically all of the north end OF
the city Is destroyed. The destruc-
ton reaches from North-Street rail-
way station as far north as AfricviIlc.
to Bedford Basin and covers about
two square miles.
The buildings whici, were not de-
stroyed by the explosion were laid
to waste by the fire that Immediately
followed
Thousands OF persons have been
rendered homeless. Tho Academy Of
Music and many other public build
ings have been thrown open TO house
the homeless.
Five hundred tents have been erect
ed on the common and these win ba
occupied by the troops, who have
given up their barracks to house the
homeless women and children.
Temporary hospitals and nlorgues
haze hecn opened In the schoolhnnses
I'm the western section of the city.
Doctors and nurses are working heroi-
caliy In rendering aid TO the injured.
At o'clock this morning streets
were crowded with people vending
their way to work
Suddenly, like n bolt from the blue,
there came an explosion. From ors
end of the city TO the other glass fell
and people were lifted from the side
walks and thrown flat into the streets.
In the downtown offices, Just begin
ming TO hum with the usual days ac-
tivities. clerks and heads alike cow
cred under the shower OF falling
glass and plaster,
The collision was terrific one. the
munition boat being pierced on the
port side almost to the engine room.
The relief vessel. which was practi-
cally uuinjured. kept going ahead
with the wounded craft and, when
the fire was seen to break out aboard
her. backed away and the crew start
ed TO abandon her
Relief Boat Is Beached.
The Mont Blanc drifted away,
burning wreck. while the relief boat
beaehed near IuTt y Cove on the
Dartmouth side of the harhor
Seventeen minutes after the collis-
ion the explosion occurred. Under
the force of the explosion houses
crumpled like decks of cards. while
the unfortunate residents We're swept
to death In the debris In the main
portion of the city. where the build
ings are more or less OF store or con-
crete construction the damage was
confined to the blowing in OF win
dows and the injuries sustained by the
citizens were III the main due TO the
cuts from flying glass. Proceeding
south to the extreme end OF the city
the same thing was observed.
In the west and northwest ends the
damage was more extensive and thu
walls OF houses were blown TO bits IN
places. The plaster and laths strewn
on the streets made 1T look more like
"a section of Flanders than city OF
Canada.
Flames Sweep Richmond.
The main damage. however, was
done In the north end of the city.
known as Richmond, which was OPP
posite The point of the vessels coils
Ton. Here the damage is beyond de-
scription, Street after street Is in
ruins and flames swept the whole dis
srict.
In this section many Of the larger.
huiidinss are > smouldex1As heoo ~