The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-12-10
Responsibility for Collision to
Be Decided Before
Admiralty.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
ADDS TO DISCOMFORT
Morgue Officials Say 1000
Dead; Others Put Fig
ure at Half.

Halifax. Dec. 9.-No official attempt
was made here today to check up or
revise the long list of dead and in
jured resulting from last Thursdays
disaster, when a munitions ships cargo
exploded in the harbor.
The morgue officials held to their
servers said that the estimate was too
great by half
The admiralty court to determine re-
sponsibility for the collision of the
vessels that caused the explosion of the
open it's hearings tomorrow. Today
the survivors Of the Norwegian steam
er Imo. which rammed the Mont Blanc,
laden with munitions were arrested
and Captain Lamedoc and Pilot Mac
kay of the munitions ship also We're
| ordered detained as witnesses.
IS Bodies Recovered.
A heavy rainstorm interrupted the
search for bodies, but by night 95 ad
ditional bodies had been placed in the
morgue. Several deaths occurred among
| the injured. The task confronting the
relief committees seemed almost hope
less, but later in the day the skies
cleared and cheering word came from
the physicians in charge of the tents
in which 600 of the homeless had found
shelter. The tents had withstood the
storm and the occupants were as COM
| Portable as could be expected.
| Suffering From Nerves.
The nerves of the populace are on
edge. \ wild report today of a burn
ing munitions ship heading into the
harbor and flying a red flag filled the
streets with frightened persons who
shouted to others to seek the open
A coaler actually was on fire, but the
flames were soon under control.
Shock, fire, wind and deluge hav.
followed in succession like plague.
and to these have been added th'
threatened invasion of former resi-
dents, friends of the injured and miss
ing and the merely curious. They hav'
arrived in hundreds and are coming il
thousands if reports are true.
Will Find No Welcome.
Shelter is insufficient for the home
less and food needed for the desti
, tute cannot be spared for visitors
Even physicians and nurses are her
in ample number for the present
Others who have freely offered thei
services have been notified to await
, possible call later. For the presen
medical supplies and clothing are nc
8 required, so generous have been tn
g early responses. There is still need {
v building materials.
1t was officially stated tonight tha
the arrest and detention on a Britis
cruiser of the survivors of the steam
er Imo was not due to the discover
of evidence of an enemy plot. Ir
auiry by government experts has es
, tablished, it was said, that the co
u lision was accidental.
There was. however, fault on IL
part Of the navigators and there WEI
: unofficial reports that the Mont Blar
: was taking the wrong side of the char
II mel. Justice Drysdale. an expert in at
j. miralty law. was tonight designate
= by the government to conduct the II
e quiry. This will be public and fa
le reaching.
n Rain increases Misery.
~ A torrential rain flooded Half:
at daylight today. Accompanied
a 50-mile gale. it added greatly to q
sufferings of thousands of persons wi
- had found none too sure shelter aft
the destruction of their homes Thur
day by the explosion on the ammur
ton laden steamer Mont Blanc in I
harbor here.
Systematic search for the dead in
Y two and a half square mile area,
which the entire available pQpulati
was expected to take part today, W
held up. Throughout the devastat
=, zone the rain turned three feet of snt
into slush. knee deep at points. b
Notwithstanding these conditions, m
10 and women went early to the scene
= continue their own hunt for membt
of their families lost in the disaster
Toward noon the wind shifted sligl
~ and the skies were brighter, but I
clear. The temperature dropp
sharply.
Ill Dead in Unexpected Places.
No additional estimates were fort
coming this morning as to the numl
o. of dead. The officials do not agr
'le Wagons carried to the morgues a SCI