Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-12-18
DR.. CRACIN +
ABOUT
HALIFAX DISASTER

HhlITHA DlOHOItk
DIR. D. 3. Cragin. who has lust 70
turned from Halifax where he was :.
charge of a unit which did hosnita,
work there. in an interview With ~"
Journal told some of the moro H.
innate stories of the awful trasedv
that came upon the city Of HALIFAX y
a moment DR.. Cragn's unit consistas
of DR.. f. w. Boyer, DR.. L. S. MerriN
DR.. o. B. Ames, four nurses. Mic,
Katherine O'Brien, Miss Ebzahos
Russell. Miss Helen Quinn and ,Esa
Annie Dunn with Andrew Armstror.
and Harry Ware as helpers.
In speaking of his unit, Dr. Crari,
said that he never saw a more ef1ice,,
or willing body of workers than no b,s
with him. They did everything tba,
he asked of them, no matter what i,
was and he added, Watervlle has M
reason to be ashamed of the work tb.,
her people did there.
The unit left here at o'clock in II.
morning on Saturday and Got into
Halifax in the afternoon ON Sunday
General Presson, Major Elliott and
Capt. Goodwin were in charge of Mama
relief there. The Waterville party wss
soon quartered. They slept in the b;I
lard room of the Halifax Club and ats
! their meals in the Halifax Uotsr
There was crying need for doctors IA
go out among the wounded peon,s
who We're not III hospitals and Who
were i'll peed of attention and the
Maine people got right out and did
this work. AS the calls came in To tho
medical relief committee, the doctors
and nurses would go OUT and answer
the calls. This was kept UP uni,
Wednesday at 10 o'clock in the fore.
noon when they moved into the Hail.
fax Ladies' College. for hospital work
This building was demolished as far 40
windows were concerned, but some ~
them were boarded up or otherwise
closed and at 3 O'clock in the after.
noon, the surgical dressing rooms wore
ready and patients were being treated
The Waterville contingent was fullv
prepared to meet every emergency
They had everything that they needed
for their work. in the way of surgical
instruments, dressings, food, blankets
and medicines, SO their efficiency was
not impaired by any waits.
At p. NJ. they were ready to serve
25 patients, in q room in the corner ~
which was placed the American flag
and at + O'Clock they were ready for
60 patients. The patients came in
rapidly and the Waterville unit worked
with the military unit of Maine. They
took whatever cases came in and Fri
cay night there were 1876 In patients
and the situation was so cased that
the Waterville doctors felt that tho
work of organization was best left in
the hands of the military authorities.
They asked for their releases. which
Major Elliott reluctantly allowed and
arrived here Sunday afternoon, about
eight hours late
DR.. Cragin said that the principal
types OF wounds were cuts from nying
glass and practically every wound was
infected This was explained hy tho
fact that there We're two exDIosions
and at the first one every one ran ia
the windows and when the second ors
came their faces were filled with nice.
ies OF hylng glass. and the dust and
art was actually blown into a persons
skin. There were also many burns
but very little major surgery.
Although the explosion occured
Thursday and the weather was terrible
in the days following. people were
taken from the ruins as late as Mon.
day. who were alive.
Richmond hill, Dir. Cragin said was
swept clean, not even debris ron,oinad
to be removed. Dartmouth was saved
/ ny a tidal wave. for as DR.. Craein ey
pressed IT, the bottom of Halifax har-
DOT was blown out and while the ex.
ploslon set fires in Dartmouth. a grca,
| tldal wave swept over the MACE and
I put the fires out. Some idea of the
force of the explosion is shown nv the
TACT that a six inch cannon thai was
on the rear of the munitions shin was
iCund three. miles away in Dartmouth
anu great IRON beams. 80 feet long and
over TWO 1eet wide were found twisted
INTO all sorts of shapes, three -fourths
OF mile from the water front DR..
Cragin said that in the devastated nor
ton of Halifax, that tho outlines of the
N'Ni' NoUid IIUl bC 1Dllllt
I Many terrible scenes were enacted in
the stricken city, but with All the woes
ana sorrows among the suffering PEG
pie there was hardly a tear in Halifax.
Inc people We're too dazed by the tire
mendous shock of it ALL One woman
was pinned under six feet Of wrcckage
ana was forced to see her baby slowly
we peside her. n man who was driving
an auto truck found himself sailing
through the air. He told afterwards
mat 1t flashed through his mind that
! ne must ind good place TO light. but
the poor fellow lighted on a roof. run
hihg Doth feet through the roof and
breaking both legs. At Wellington bar
RACKS, they were just changing guard
ana many lives were lost.
guard was in the act Of presenting
arms to his sergeant TIE gun was
blown out of the guards hands and a
piece OF glass. came along and cut the
mead off the sergeant's body At one
Clean stroke. The guard was unin-
jured.
Inc faces of many of the people who
passed through the terrible experience
were livid. DIR. Cragin said from the
tremendous shock to their nerves, and
IL was several days before the color be-
in 10 o,,6