The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-07
HALIFAX BLAST
fcontinued FROM Page one.l

Continued from Page one.l
of Halifax harbor with the Belgian
relief steamer Imo-in such numbers
as to surpass any disaster on TINS
continent in recent years
Estimates of the number of dead
at 1000 to 5000 appeared to be borne
out by the rapidly filling morgues ana
tcreasing numbers of deaths reported
from hospitals, private homes,
of injured are being cared for by
townsmen and members of reief par
ties, from nearby cities.
The exact number of dead it APP
peared certain today might never pc
known on account of the many per
sons-entire families in some instances
of whom no trace Will ever De
found other than charred bones in the
ruins OF their homes.
Search All Night for Relatives.
Dawn found the city still staggering
under the frightfulness of the losses
in human life and hundreds who had
stood all night in lines formed at I'M
provised morgues continued their
vigil with alternate expressions OF
fears and hopes on their faces. others
besieged the hospitals for news OF the
missing, and meanwhile relief par
ties continued their work of succor
among the injured whom they found
in the devastated Richmond and Dart
mouth sections of the city.
Aid from the outside in the form
Of tons of supplies gave early evidence
today that fears of a food shortage
were unfounded and left city and gov
eminent officials free to direct the
rescue work in which soldiers sailors
and police are being assisted by blue
Jackets from an American warship in
the harbor.
Two and a Half Square Miles.
over theJ area of Rich
mond of approximately two ana
half square miles many searchers con-
fined their efforts today to making
sure that all of the injured were re-
moved to hospitals. Other organized
parties sought out these bodies that
might be identified and rushed them
to the morgues. In this section, ex-
tending from Pier s back to Gottingen
street, not building was left standing
and here was the greatest loss of life.
Buildings that withstood the force OF
the explosion were burned by the fire
that swept the district and scores of
the injured were taken from the ruins
of the railway station, the refinery of
the American Sugar Refining COM
I pany, the military gymnasium and the
arena rink, while few If any OF the
several hundred children attending the
Richmond school are known to have
escaped.
| Felt Quake 100 Miles.
| Across the narrows in Dartmouth
| the results of the vast damage done
by the force of the explosion became
more apparent today, while reports
from towns and villages within a ra-
! dius of 100 miles indicate that the
| force of the impact was felt and in
some cases resulted in property dam
age.
At Truro, Amherst and other cities
where the explosion was felt, efforts
! fO erat in wire communication with
Halifax confirmed suspicious that the
war port had met with a catastrophe,
but it was several hours before wire
was placed in operation to inform the
outside world of the extent of the dis
aster. Telegraph and telephone wires
were torn down and in the first mo-
ments OF ruin and death Halifax was
completely isolated. Early in the aft
ernoon, several hours after the explo-
/ sion, a single wire was placed in oper-
alton by the Canadian Press, Limited
and over it news of the disaster and
government messages told of the ex-
tent of the needs of the city and
brought reassuring replies that every
available means of transportation was
being requisitioned to rush medical
aid and supplies.
Blast Occurred in Narrows.
The explosion occurred in the mar
rows. a point in the harbor less than
half mile wide. On the north shore
! is the town or Dartmouth, on the
south shore the Richmond section of
| the city.
- Sloping land on each side of the
narrows forms in effect a trough
| which served to confine the blast and
increase IT'S intensity and destructive
ness.
The main water front buildings,
great piers for loading ships and ware
| houses for munitions and supplies are
located south of the narrows and they
escaped the full force of the blows
| While these piers and storehouses are
damaged considerably. it was learned
today that the facilities for loading
transports and munition ships ara not
so badly crippled as was at first be-
IieVed