Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1917-12-13
Whole Streets Leveled by Shockand
Hundreds Are Left Injured and
Homeless children in Ruins
of Destroyed School

of the casualties in this section were
caused by flying glass.
In the west and northwest ends the
damage was more extensive and there
the walls of many houses were blown
to bits.
It was in Richmond, however, oppo-
site the scene Of the explosion, that
the havoc was greatest.
WHOLE BLOCKS LEVELLED,
LEAVING RUINS IN STREET
Whole blocks of dwellings, mostly
of frame construction, were leyelled.
Street after street is in ruins and
the structures which were left stand
ing by the explosion were destroyed
by fires which broke out simultaneous
" and which could not be checked un-
til they had burned themselves out.
The fires in this district still are
smouldering and many persons are be-
lieved to have died the flames.
PANIC STRICKEN CROWD
FEARS GERMAN INVASION
Five minutes after the explosion
i the streets in all parts Of Halifax were
filed with frenzied, panic-stricken
throngs striving to reach the outskirts
in an effort to escape what they be
Iieved was a raid by German t1eet.
Hundreds of them had been cut by
the shower of glass which followed
| the explosion.
In the Richmond section seriously
injured men and women crawled from
the wreckage Of their homes and lay
in the streets until they were removed
F.. in ambulances and automobiles to hos
pitfalls.
In the streets piled high with de-
bris were found the shattered bodies
Of many women and children.
Several children were crushed to
death when they were hurled against
telephone poles by the force of the
explosion.
: FIRE CHIEF KILLED;
! TOTS DIE IN SCHOOL
! Among those killed were the chief
| Of the fire department and his depu-
ties. who we're hurled to death when
fire engine exploded.
Scores of those who lost their lives
were children in the public schools in
! the north end.
In less than a half hour after the
+ disaster five thousand persons had as
sembled on the Commons and thou
sands Of others had sought refuge in
fields outside the city.
CITY OF TENTS ARISES;
BARRACKS FOR WOMEN
The work of rescue and relief was
promptly organized.
The Academy Of Music and many
other public buildings were thrown
open to house the homeless.
Five hundred tents have been erect
ed on the Common and these will be
occupied by the troops who have sur
rendered their barracks to the women
and children.
A committee of citizens already has
been formed and assistance is asked
from all outside points.
STRICKEN CITY ISOLATED
i WHEN WIRES GO DOWN
The mayors of all towns in the
province have been asked to rush sup
plies to Halifax The force of the ex-
plosion was felt at Truro, seventy
five miles away, where windows were
shattered All telegraph and telephone
wires were torn down and for several
hours Halifax was completely isolated
from the outside world.
The conclusion shattered the big
gas tanks of the city. All power plants
are out of commission and newspaper
offices have been so badly wrecked
/ that publication is impossible.
} BENZINE WAS CARRIED
BY MUNITION SHIP
Pilot Frank Mackie of the Mont
Blanc declared that the collision re-
l suited from a confusion Of whistles
sounded by the Iona. He believes
the fire which caused the explosion
was due to the fact that the munitions
: ship carried a deckloan of benzine.
Colonel Mackenzie Bell, who spent
two years on the firing line in Elan
5 ders. said he never had seen anything
e on the battle front to equal the scenes
r of destruction he witnessed in Halifax
o yesterday.
st It was reported last night that all