The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1917-12-13
HALIFAX BLAST
and FIRE TAKE
FEARFUL TOLL
More Than 1000 Lives Known
To Be Lost in Disaster
With List Steadily
Mounting.
TEMPEST OF FLAMES
Two Square Miles of City Wiped Out
When Fire Follows Collision
Of Ships In Haroor Which
Resulted IN Ex-
plosion.

! Halifax, n. S., Dec. 7.-MOre thal
1900 persons persisted, and the toll
of dead is steadily mounting, in the
explosion and fire which followed the
collision in Halifax harbor between
the French ship Mont Blanc, NUM-
lions laden, and the steamship Iona,
loaded with supplies for the Belgian
relief commission. It is expected
that many of the thousands injured
will die.
The disaster which has plunged the
Dominion into mourning, probably Will
rank as the most fearful that ever
occurred on the American continent.
Residents of Halifax and thousands
of volunteer relief workers who have
come into the city have been almost
dazed at the extent Of the horror.
Property Loss Millions.
No American ship was involved IN
the explosion.
The north end of the city was laid
waste and the property damage will
run into the millions. A part OF
the town of Dartmouth across the
harbor from Halifax was also
wrecked. Nearly all the buildings in
the dockyard there are in ruins.
The zone of destruction in Halifax
covers an area of about two square
miles in the section known as Rich
mond. Buildings which we're not
demolished by the explosion were
destroyed by the fire which followed.
Scores of persons were injured by
the collapse of the railway station,
Arena rink, military gymnasium, SUI
gar refinery and elevator.
ALL Business Suspended.
All business has been suspended.
Soldiers and sailors are patrolllng
the city. Not a street car is moving
and part of Halifax was in darkness
Hospitals and many private houses
are filled with injured. Temporary
morgues have been opened in school
houses in the western section of the
city.
Damage Cannot be Estimated.
The damage along the water front
can not yet be estimated.
Many of the men composing the
crews of the ships in the harbor were
killed or injured. On one steamer,
the Pictou, it is reported that 80 Of
the crew of 70 were killed. The bod
les of many seame1 have been picked
up in the harbor.
Two of the members of the Can
adam cruiser Nobe. were killed by
the explosion and six were injured.
AT 9 o'clock the city was enjoying
its usual period Of calm and the
streets were crowded with people
vending their way to work.
People Thrown Into Streets.
Suddenly, like bolt from the blue
there came an explosion. From one
end OF the city to the other glass
fell and people were lifted from the
sidewalks and thrown fiat into the
streets. In the downtown offices,
Just beginning to hum with the usual
days activities, clerks and heads
alike covered under the shower of
falling glass and plaster which fell
about them.
Temporary Morgues Everywhere.
Temporary morgues have been es-
tablished in many buildings to which
a steady procession of vehicles OF
all kinds have been carrying for hours
the bodies of men, women and chill
dren. Most of them were so charred
that they were unacceptable.
Collision Occurs Near Pier.
The collision which resulted in the
disaster occurred near Pier 8, in the
narrows leading from the harbor to
Bedford basin. The munitions ship
was bound from New York for Bed
ford basin when the relief ship Iona
bound for sea, crashed into her.