Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-12-14
MUNITION BLAST
KILLS 1000 At
HALIFAX, n. s.
Half of the City in Ruins-Fire
Causes Big Loss.
5000 PERSONS ARE HURT
Belgian Relief Ship Iona Coiides With
French Steamer Mont Blanc, Load
ed With Explosives, and Terrific
Explosion FoIoWs-Hundreds
Shocked to Death and Huge
Buildings Demolished
Crews on Boats in Har-
Dor Slain.

Halifax, n. s., Dec. 1.-Two thou
sand persons are dead, 5000 or more
Injured and fully one-half of the City
of Halifax is in ruins as the result of
an explosion in Bedford Basin, north
of town, when the Iona, a Belgian re-
lief ship, collided with the French mu-
milton ship Mont Blanc.
The Mont Blanc was blown to pieces,
but the crew escaped by the ships
boats before the explosion.
The pilot asserts that the collision
was due to a confusion of signal whis-
ties.
Many Seamen Lost.
The Mont Blanc was pierced on the
| port side almost to the engine room.
I The Iona, which was only slightly
| damaged, backed away when flames
! burst out on the munitions ship, and
was abandoned by the crew.
The captain of the Mont Blanc also
ordered his crew to the boats as he
realized an explosion was inevitable
The men reached shore safely before
the tremendous blast, II minutes later
which blew their ship to pieces.
Members of crews of ships in the
harbor were killed and injured. Or
one steamer, the Pictou, it is report
ed that 13 of the crew of ~ were
killed. Bodies Of many seamen have
been picked up in the harbor.
Fire Threatens City.
Fire following the explosion, ant
which early threatened to wipe out tht
entire city, caused property damag
which will run into millions.
The force of the explosion wrecked
telegraph installation for miles il
every direction.
Virtually all the north end of tn
city was laid waste and the propert,
damage will run far into the millions
Dartmouth Also Hit.
A part of the town of Dartmouth
across the harbor from Halifax, ais
was wrecked. Nearly all the building
in the dOckyard there are in ruins.
The zone of destruction in Halifa
itself extends from the North stree
railway station as far north as Afri(
vile to Bedford basin and covers a
area of about two square miles in th
district known as Richmond.
The buildings which were not d.
molished by the force Of the terrif
explosion were destroyed by the fiji
which followed
Persons Injured in Collapse.
, Scores of persons were injured b
, the collapse of the railway statio
Arena rink, military gymnasium, s.
7 gar refinery and elevator. All busine!
, has been suspended. Armed guards
= soldiers and sailors are patrolling Il
, city. Not q street car is moving al
part OF Halifax was In darkness Ia
night.
The collision occurred on the w
ter front off Rockingham, a suburb {
the opposite shore of the harbor fro
- the City of Halifax, shortly befo
:. $50 o'clock in the morning.
q Tons of Explosives.
d The Mont Blanc, which arrived
e a United States Atlantic port on n
,. vember 8, was laden with 5000 tons
" munitions for France As she w
s. leaving hex berth, presumably for t
a outward voyage across the Atlant
she was rammed broadside by the B.
II gian relief ship.
% The impact caused the ammuniti
Il in the French ship to explode, setti
o the vessel afire. The flames spread
q the piers and adjoining building
d many of which had been wrecked
1t the explosion.
D. Try to Fight Fire.
g The ships crew was quickly call
p to quarters and an attempt was ma
to extinquish the flames. This fail
VI and as the fire approached the no
p where the explosives were stored /
q captain ordered the seacOcks open
10 and the crew took to the boats, row
: for their lives.
" But the vessel drifted toward one
the piers and a few moments later
explosion occurred, tearing the NJ
Blanc to pieces.
oo Overwhelming Blast.
- What happened after that can 0
~ - be conjectlred in large measr
r Everybody seems dazed by the res
The concussion must have been p
lively overwhelming.
It. It killed telegraph operators at IL
n desks four miles away.
to 1t broke windows in Truro. 1t b
n heavily laden freight trucks off
W. railway lines.
re 1t caused the collapse or partial
lapse of nearly every building al
215 miles of thoroughfares from
Union station to the Queens hotel.
rr It sent the harbor shed and whar
to wreck and ruin.
It's Destroys Terminals.
he 1t shook the magnificent new Oc
terminals at the lower end of the